The Parking Myth

Oct–Nov ’07
ISSUE
118
SAN FRANCISCO
B I CYCLE COALITION
P R O M OTING T H E B IC Y C L E F O R E V E R Y DAY T R AN S P O R TATION Vote for Transit
not Traffic!
T
he SFBC urges all San
Franciscans who want
better biking, walking,
and transit – not to mention
a greener and healthier city
– to Vote Yes on A, and No
on H on Nov. 6th.
A vote in support of
Proposition A will speed
up Muni service by giving
our transit
system
the funds,
flexibility,
and priority it needs
to serve
our city as
it should.
That
means
more people taking transit
and fewer cars on the road.
Meanwhile, the deceptive Proposition H would be
the most significant setback
to San Francisco’s “TransitFirst” policy since it was
created three decades ago.
Prop. H would prioritize
parking over people by adding a flood of additional cars
onto our streets, slowing
Muni service, and endangering cyclists and pedestrians.
If you support Transit not
Traffic, vote Yes on A, No
on H.
We need your help to
win on November 6th. Find
out more at sfbike.org/tnt,
and to volunteer call 431BIKE, x302. To find out about
the SFBC’s endorsement
in the mayoral election see
sfbike.org/vote.
FR EE
The Parking Myth
More parking doesn’t take cars off the road, it lures them onto it
“Free parking is like a fertility
drug for cars.”
– Donald Shoup, Professor of
Urban Planning, UCLA
T
his election day, San
Francisco voters
will be faced
with the deceptivelynamed “Parking for
Neighborhoods” ballot
measure, Proposition
H. The sponsors
of Prop H – which
include the San Mateobased parking garage
builder Webcor – want
you to believe that
adding thousands of
new parking spaces
will cure the congestion on our streets.
This thinking, however, is entirely backwards. More parking
actually leads to more
cars and more congestion.
No Such Thing as
“Free” Parking
Americans seem to be born
expecting to find plentiful free
or low-cost parking. And it is
everywhere, from free parking
at the mall and in the park to
the relatively inexpensive curbside meters.
But by helping to keep
driving an artificially cheap
and convenient transportation option, free and low-cost
parking undermines our city’s
long-adopted policy of put-
ting “Transit First.” When it’s
easier to park a car, people are
more likely to drive. Studies
show that people are willing
to go to surprising lengths
to find free or low-cost parking. It’s estimated that drivers
son for Muni delays. Just ride
across town on a 22 bus or up
Market Street on a streetcar at
rush hour to witness first-hand
how car traffic stalls public
transportation. And we know
that more cars on our already
crowded streets means
more dangerous biking
and walking conditions and fewer people
choosing to bike and
walk.
The added traffic
also means more vehicle miles traveled, with
the associated increase
in local air pollution
and carbon emissions.
Parking doesn’t just
affect conditions on
the road, it also affects
the price of housing. If
developers are required
to provide a minimum
number of parking
spaces with each unit,
the cost of those spaces
is passed on to the
buyer, or tenant, whether or
not they need parking.
If San Francisco is serious
about its Transit First policy,
we must discourage the creation of more free and low-cost
parking.
ANDY SINGER
searching for parking make up
about 30% of traffic in central
business districts. A survey by
Transportation Alternatives,
a New York advocacy group,
found that 45% of drivers in
the Park Slope neighborhood
of Brooklyn were just cruising
for parking.
This continual search for
inexpensive parking increases
congestion on the road. There
is a fixed amount of road space
in the city, and once filled with
cars, all other road users suffer.
Car congestion is a major rea-
Does San Francisco
Lack Parking?
Drivers grumble about the lack
of parking in San Francisco.
But do we really need more
parking? Or are drivers just
continued on page 5
From the sfbc executive director
TUBE T I M E S
No on H! Yes on A!
I
n November, San Francisco citizens will stand
at a crossroads. We can either choose to heed
the warning signs of global warming and a
public health crisis caused by physical inactivity.
Or we can ignore them and let our city be taken
down a path that will make our traffic congestion
more like Los Angeles, our air pollution more
like Bangkok, and our quality of life more like the
undistinguished suburbs.
I’m referring to the epic battle between
Propositions A and H in the November 6th local
election. Which of these measures prevails will
impact not only the SFBC’s mission of increasing and
improving biking as transportation in the City, it will
also affect the affordability, livability, and the environmental and public health of San Francisco.
Before comparing the competing measures, let me
share an important fact: 50% of San Francisco’s carbon emissions come from our transportation sector.
That is largely exhaust from private vehicles.
Simply put, “Yes on A & No on H” is a vote for
Transit not Traffic.
Proposition A, which the SFBC supports, is a
charter measure to reform Muni and to strengthen
our City’s Transit-First policy. As Muni loses ridership each year, more people are driving, creating
more traffic congestion and unsafe conditions on our
streets, especially for those of us biking and walking.
This measure will invest in our public transit system
by creating significantly more management accountability, more sensible work rules, and an increase of
much-needed funds. Prop. A allows the Municipal
Transportation Agency (MTA), which oversees Muni,
to keep 80% of parking revenue money, instead of
sending half of it to the General Fund, as it does
today. This amounts to $26 million more a year to
help make Muni affordable and reliable. Prop. A also
creates clean emissions standards to reduce global
warming.
Proposition H, which the SFBC strongly opposes,
cuts at the heart of San Francisco’s Transit-First policy and green sensibility by placing the Parking-First
mantra above all other needs for accessibility, affordability, safety and global health. Placed on the ballot
Letters to the Editor
In our August 28 Biker
Bulletin, we quoted Secretary
of Transportation Mary Peters’
claim that bicycles were “not
transportation” during an
interview on PBS NewsHour.
SFBC member Bronson Frick
was inspired to e-mail her:
Dear Secretary Peters,
Did you really say that bicycle paths are not real transportation? I live in San Francisco
and work in the East Bay. Like
thousands of other residents in
this city every day, I commute by
PAGE
[email protected]
by several wealthy developer interests, this measure
would quintuple the amount of parking allowed
downtown, the most transit-accessible neighborhood
in the Western U.S.
If Prop. H passes, traffic congestion in San
Francisco would dramatically increase, spilling out
into the neighborhoods, slowing Muni, and making
bicycling and walking less safe. It would also make the
SFBC’s work of increasing bike space and ridership
thru more dedicated bike lanes and traffic-calmed
streets even more difficult.
Prop. H would allow individuals to add curb cuts
for new private parking – even if this means moving
an existing Muni bus stop or removing a tree that has
been there for decades and may be appreciated by
other neighbors. And more curb cuts could be added
on important bike, Muni, and pedestrian routes, adding more conflicts and delays for those of us getting
around sustainably.
And the measure allows loopholes big enough to
drive an SUV through, literally. It creates a loophole
for what it calls “low emission vehicles,” but which
applies to almost any vehicle, including Hummers,
Range Rovers, and Ford Expeditions.
Don’t be fooled by the deceiving title of Prop. H.
What is called “Parking for Neighborhoods” actually
does very little to change parking availability in 90%
of the City; instead it focuses attention downtown
and in Rincon Hill and could actually stymie efforts
to better manage existing parking in the rest of the
City through innovative solutions (see page 1).
Stephanie Van Dyke pr oduction
Brandon Fine di st ri bution
Published six times a year by the
995 Market St., Suite 1550, San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 431-BIKE fax: (415) 431-2468 [email protected]
The SFBC is a 7,000-member advocacy organization
working to transform San Francisco’s streets and
neighborhoods into more livable and safe places by
promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation.
SFBC Staff
Frank Chan
OPERATION S DI RECTO R
x 3 0 4 , f r a n k@sfbik e.org
Gus D’Angelo
COMM UNICATION S
DI R ECTOR x 3 0 8, gus@sfbik e.org
Rachel Kraai
P R OJ ECT S M ANAGE R
x 3 0 2 , r a ch e l@sfbik e.org
Kate McCarthy
M EMB ERSH IP AND
VO L UNTEER O RGANI ZE R
x 3 0 3 , k a t e @sfbik e.org
Jodie Medeiros DEVELOPMENT
DIRECTOR x 3 0 5 , j o d i e @ s f b i k e . o r g
Neal Patel
COMMUNITY PLANNER
x 3 12 , n e a l @ s f b i k e . o r g
Leah Shahum
EXECUTI VE DI RECTO R
x306, [email protected]
Andy Thornley
P ROG RA M DI R ECTOR
x 3 0 7, a n d y @ s f b i k e . o r g
BOA RD O F DI R ECTOR S
David Baker • Jessica de Jesus
Chris Fenster • Lisa Foster • Jenn
Fox (President) • Jean Fraser • Riyad
Ghannam • Amandeep Jawa • Brooke
Kuhn • John Lister (Secretary) • Ann
Lyons • Renée Rivera • Eric Sloan
Justin Fraser (Treasurer) • Zack Stender
To meet San Francisco’s popular policies of being a
Transit-First and green city, we urge SFBC members
to get involved:
1. Vote Yes on A and No on H on November 6th and
spread the word to your friends and neighbors. See
transitnottraffic.org for more info.
2. Get involved in the campaign! We need volunteers
to make sure we win one for sustainable transportation. Contact Rachel at 431-BIKE, x-302 or rachel@
sfbike.org. Every little bit helps.
bicycle to work. Thanks to the
network of bike lane/bike path
infrastructure, and easy subway
connections this commute makes
sense and is easier than driving.
In urban environments,
bicycling absolutely makes sense,
but the infrastructure – such as
bike lanes – needs to be there
to support it, otherwise it is too
dangerous or too complex.
Thanks to the thousands of
people who DO commute with
combination of bike and public
transportation here, that helps
keep rush-hour traffic here to
by Leah Shahum
merely intense and slow rather
than a grinding halt.
Bike lanes and paths in some
communities around the country
may be more recreation oriented,
but in other places, they are
critical parts of intermodal public transportation systems.
I look forward to hearing
more of YOUR vision of how
I should get to work every day
if bike paths are not important
to transportation infrastructure
– and my daily commute.
Sincerely,
Bronson Frick
TUBE TIMES
Bike to the Future
We’ve been looking at new
bike lanes on 2nd Street, from
Market all the way to King
Street and the Giants ballpark,
and we know you’re going to
love them. So too, the new
lanes on Portola Drive, up
and over Twin Peaks, on Cesar
Chavez, 17th St., Kirkham and
Bayshore.
Alas, these bike lanes are
only on paper at this point.
They’re just the preliminary
designs that are feeding the
Environmental Review process
conducted by the Planning
Department on the SF Bicycle
Plan. Due to the Superior
Court ruling last year, the city
is forbidden from implementing any physical improvements
described in the Plan until a
full Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) is completed
(see Tube Times Dec 06 - Jan
07). However, a silver lining
to the “environmental impact
lawsuit” farce has been that the
usual slow-motion planning for
the Citywide Bike Network has
sped up.
But the great new bike lanes
won’t become real, even with
a complete EIR, unless SFBC
members like yourself engage
and activate the process to convert the drawings into actual
paint on asphalt. Volunteer
committees are building community support for bike lanes
on Townsend Street, 17th
Street, Masonic Avenue, and
Cesar Chavez Street. You can
join a campaign currently
in motion or start one up
for a not-yet-active project.
(Bayshore Blvd., anyone?)
Check out our Current
Actions page (sfbike.org/
actions) to see what’s cooking
and to learn how you can help
to make it happen!
Board Vote Update
A bike rack gets crowded out.
Bike Racks Eaten by
News boxes
It’s bad enough that the city is
forbidden to install any new
sidewalk bicycle parking racks
until the injunction is lifted.
Worse yet, it seems we’ve
been losing some of the precious racks that were already
installed. An old favorite Urack in front of the donut shop
on Market and Van Ness “disappeared” when a new multiplex newsbox was installed
on top of it, and the U-rack
in front of the Public Utilities
Commission (1155 Market)
had a newsbox plopped so
close, parking a bike there is
now problematic.
If you’ve noticed a bike rack
gone missing, or compromised
Attention All SFBC Members!
Mark your Calendar for...
Party & Fundraiser!
The SFBC’s Biggest Event
of the Year!
Silent Auction, Bike Marketplace, Art Auction, & Entertainment
December 2, 2007
6-10:30pm
At SOMArts, Brannan and 8th St.
Oct-Nov 2007
by obstacles, report it to the
MTA Bike Program with our
handy “Fix It” web form at
sfbike.org/fix. Of course, you
can use our web site’s “Fix It”
page to report other problems
as well, potholes, faded bike
lane stripes, missing signs, et
cetera. We may not be able to
stripe new bike lanes, but we
sure can keep what we’ve got
in good working order.
SFBC members will be voting on our Board of Directors
in late November/early
December. If you think that
the SFBC does not have your
proper email address, please
contact Frank at 431-BIKE,
x304 or [email protected] by
November 26th to get special
voting instructions.
SFBC & YMCA Team
Up for Bike Ed
The SFBC is excited to
team up with the Presidio
Community YMCA to support a new S.F. Middle School
Bicycle Safety Education
Project. The program, which
started in August, expands an
existing bike program run by
the Presidio YMCA to reach
five schools this year and nine
schools the following year.
Thanks to grant funding from the S.F. Municipal
Transportation Agency via the
CA Office of Traffic Safety,
the program will reach students with bicycle safety and
maintenance curriculum,
bike-safety events and rides,
and establishes a bike helmet
“bank” for low-income families. The SFBC’s supporting
role will be led by Jason Agar,
who has youth bike education
experience in Marin Co. and
Portland, OR.
New Bike Parking at
CCSF and SFSU
Bring on the bikes! San
Francisco State University and
City College of San Francisco
were awarded grants this summer to provide more bike
Quick
Releases
parking on campus.
City College won money for
new racks at several campuses
and for a secure bike parking cage at their new Mission
Campus, right off the Valencia
Street bike lanes. The secure
bike cage will be a first (of
many, we hope!) at a City
College campus.
SF State will be installing
100 new racks on a campus
where cyclists have been locking to every available post,
fence, and railing.
These are significant victories for bike parking – with
the current injunction on the
City’s Bike Plan prohibiting
the installation of bike racks
on city sidewalks, we are
excited to see colleges stepping
forward by making bike facility
improvements on their campuses. Hooray to the volunteer
students, faculty, and staff who
have been advocating for these
changes!
Welcome to SFBC
Community Planner
A big hearty welcome to the
SFBC’s new Community
Planner, Neal Patel. Neal,
who worked on health and
education projects at Stanford
University and with the Peace
Corps in Madagascar, will
be leading
community
outreach and
developing a
plan for a bike
and pedestrian friendly
Treasure Island.
Neal Patel
If you have
any ideas on how to make SF’s
newest neighborhood a model
of sustainability, contact Neal
at [email protected], or 431.
BIKE x312.
PAGE
Bike-Sharing Rolls Across the Globe
B
icycle-sharing programs
are springing up all
over the world, from
Vienna to Singapore to Arcata,
and their popularity is only
increasing. New bike-sharing
programs have started this
summer in Paris, Pamplona,
and Tulsa. Even New York City
is seriously studying the viability of implementing bicyclesharing.
The central concept of
bike-sharing, or “public use”
bicycles, is to reduce the use
of automobiles for short trips
inside the city, alleviate traffic
congestion and cut down on
air-pollution. They also help
to promote exercise and have
been reported to lower rates
of bike theft. The programs
provide low-cost or free access
to bicycles for inner-city transportation.
Biker bar? Nope, just the Vélib’ bikes waiting for riders in Paris.
“Velo et liberte!”
photo by Catherine Newman
Paris’ new bike-sharing program, called Vélib’, is already
hugely successful. Vélib’ is a
combination of the words velo
(bicycle) and liberte (liberty).
Over 10,000 gray 3-speeds are
flooding the streets of Paris,
helping to reduce the city’s
notorious congestion and pollution. During the program’s
first three weeks over 1.2 million bicycle trips were taken
throughout the city on Vélib’
bikes!
The Paris program is the
inspiration of progressive
socialist Mayor Bertrand
Delanoë, who has set a target
for the city to reduce car traffic
by 40% by 2020.
“For Parisians, the bicycle
Just grab and go!
PAGE
service means another public
transport option, in addition to
the subway, buses and trams,”
Delanoë remarked. “In the
morning, you can go to work
in the tram and come home by
bike; it depends on the weather, it depends on your mood,
and on your friends.”
Vélib’ is one of the largest
bike-sharing programs to be
implemented thus far. There
are 750 bike stations located
throughout Paris, and the fleet
of Vélib’ bicycles is planned to
increase to 20,600 by the end
of the year. There is also talk
of expanding the service into
Paris’ suburbs as well.
“This is about revolutionizing urban culture,” Pierre
Aidenbaum, mayor of Paris’
Third District, said. “For a
long time, cars were associated
with freedom of movement
and flexibility. What we want
to show people is that in many
ways, bicycles fulfill this role
much more today.”
How does it Work?
Imagine walking to a sidewalk
corner and finding a public
bicycle. With a swipe of a card,
you unlock it from its bike
rack and ride it across town.
Once at your destination,
you deftly steer to the closest
bike rack station, lock in the
bicycle, and return the bike to
the public network.
This is how many bike-sharing programs now function
across the world. The programs
usually have a membership
card that allows access to the
bikes, often the first half hour
is free, and bike users are then
charged hourly for usage.
Vienna’s
program
offers the
first hour
free, then
charges one
Euro per
hour. The
fleet of pink
bikes recently
launched
in Tulsa,
Oklahoma,
offers usage
of the bikes
free of charge.
Some community bicycle programs offer bikes
for as long as six
photo by jodie medeiros
months, while others provide
low-income residents with
their own commuting bicycles
for free.
The bicycles in sharing
programs are generally built
for safety and durability, not
speed, with solid rubber tires,
a sturdy frame and a unique
design that identifies them.
The bikes are often built to
allow advertising, which helps
to fund the program and give
corporate sponsors a profit
photo collage by chris janik
TUBE TIMES
incentive. They are painted
conspicuous colors, and have
some components, like pedals, that are incompatible with
other bicycles, to discourage
thieves. Issues of liability and
loss are often dealt with by
requiring a deposit or credit
card and signed waivers.
But if you don’t have a
credit card, or the right type
of card, you may be out of
luck. On a recent trip to Paris,
SFBC member Brandon Fine
found that he was unable to
use the Vélib’ bikes. “My credit
card wouldn’t work at all with
their system. Apparently a special type of credit card with a
computer chip embedded in it
is required.”
Is Bike-Sharing
Viable in San
Francisco?
Mayor Gavin Newsom has
voiced his support for bikesharing in the city. The possibility of public use bicycles has
also been discussed as a transit
option by the S.F. Municipal
Transportation Agency. A bike
share program is specified in
the Muni bus shelter contract recently bid on by Clear
Channel.
Though the possibility of
bike-sharing expanding into
the Bay Area is exciting, it
would not alleviate many of
photo by jodie medeiros
The Parking Myth
Now THIS is what we call Parking
for Neighborhoods!
the issues and hazards that we
as cyclists are forced to cope
with every day while riding in
the city. “Bike-sharing could
help move bicycling into the
mainstream in San Francisco,”
says SFBC Executive Director
Leah Shahum. “More people
riding, even for short trips,
will bring greater attention to
improving bicycling conditions, which will encourage
more people to try biking and
bring the City closer to its goal
of lowering greenhouse gas
emissions.”
Of course, the availability
of more bikes is not the whole
solution. It has to be coupled
with creating safe, welcoming
space and secure bike parking
for all of these new riders.
B y R h o n d a W i n t er
Metromint supports your people.
You’ve probably seen our local cycling team,
the “blue dots,” but do you know about
Metromint? It’s mintwater, pure and simple.
Metromint is proud to support people who
promote active, healthy lifestyles. Check out our
league of athletes and professional pioneers at
www.metromint.com/champions.
Oct-Nov 2007
continued from page 1
complaining about the lack of
free parking?
Already, we have more
parking spaces than cars.
San Francisco has 603,000
on-street and off-street parking spaces. According to the
Department of Motor Vehicles,
there are currently 469,489
registered vehicles (another
35,400 cars are driven into the
city every day).
From the standpoint of city
planning, more parking doesn’t
make sense. A recent report
by the San Francisco County
Transportation Authority
showed that we don’t lack
parking; it’s just badly managed.
nue coming from the increased
rates of variable rate parking
goes directly back into the
parking district – as Redwood
City does – to fund neighborhood improvements, such as
cleanliness, safety, and lighting.
Dan Zack, the downtown
development coordinator for
Redwood City, says: “At first,
the merchants went crazy
about the cost increase. But
when we told them about how
there will be no time limits,
that we’ll be power-washing
the sidewalks, they were in.
When we had a City Council
meeting, merchants came to
support it.”
Managing Parking
Restricting the development of
more parking, and better managing the parking we have, is
not about hating car drivers or
wanting to make life difficult
for them. In fact, many cyclists
own cars and use them to run
“More parking will get cars off
the road,” parking advocates
claim. But, like pigeons flocking to bread crumbs, building
more parking actually generates
more traffic by encouraging
Into the Future
The parking (no)flow chart:
More
Parking
More
Cars
Slower public transit
More traffic and
congestion
More pollution
Inefficient land use
even more people to drive.
To best manage the available parking, San Francisco
should introduce variable rate
parking and parking benefit
districts, as Redwood City and
Mountain View have done.
Variable rate parking varies the
parking rate on each block, so
that at any given time 15%
of spaces are always available.
This may result in more expensive parking in the city center,
but short-term parkers, such
as shoppers and visitors, will
always find parking close to
their destination. Long-term
parkers, such as downtown
workers, are encouraged to
park further away or arrive by
transit or bike.
If combined with parking
benefit districts, the extra reve-
errands themselves.
Rather, it’s about recognizing the imbalance in our
transport system that massively
subsidizes cars at the expense
of other modes, and restoring
that balance by giving greater
weight to transit, pedestrians,
and cyclists. We should design
our city around its citizens, not
around its citizens’ cars.
Cars are the least efficient,
least healthy, least equitable
use of the city’s streets, a finite
commodity in San Francisco.
If our goal is to move the most
people as efficiently as possible,
to open up the city streets and
to have the least environmental
impact, adding more parking is
a big step in the wrong direction.
by magnus barber
PAGE
Riding for enjoyment and adventure... and to fight cancer
Member Profile: Elizabeth McLoughlin
I
t is not surprising that Elizabeth McLoughlin worked 20 years
in the field of injury and violence prevention. The subject was
close to her heart. When she was 19, her 18-year-old sister
was hit and killed by a car while walking. Much of her life’s work
has been spent channeling her grief into policy change. Liz is
the author of numerous injury studies and was part of the team
responsible for the California law requiring motorcyclists to wear
helmets.
While still in college, Liz tried out long distance bike riding
with a few century rides (100 miles in one day). But her love of
the long haul really didn’t hit its stride until she was in her 50’s. In
1995 she biked from Vancouver to San Francisco. Then in 1999
she biked across the United States. More recent trips include a
2003 spin down to the Mexican border from SF and, last year, the
Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia. In 2004, bicycling played an important part in Elizabeth’s recovery from cancer.
Q: What are your thoughts on wearing a helmet?
A: I never get on a bicycle without a helmet. In a vehicle you
have a seat belt. On a bicycle or motorcycle you have a helmet.
It protects that part of the body without which you are basically
unemployable and vegetative.
Q: What made you choose bicycling as your exercise over some
other sport?
A: Bicycles have been part of my life forever. I was of that gen-
eration where mother was not the chauffeur and if we wanted to
get somewhere we got somewhere on our bikes. Then as an adult,
it was just an easy, inexpensive, fun way to move around. I tend to
be athletic and feel best about myself when I’m active.
Q: I understand you had breast cancer several years ago?
A: Yeah I did. That was a bit of a setback. Having a cancer
diagnosis really knocks you off your pins. It took away a lot of my
sense of invulnerability and control over my own life. I was diag-
photo by Catharine Hornby
Name: Elizabeth (Liz) McLoughlin
Age: 66 Years Old
OCCUPATION: Writer, Prevention of Injury and Violence Specialist,
Retired Associate Director of the Trauma Foundation Based at SF
General Hospital
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset/Golden Gate Heights
SFBC MEMBER SINCE: 1998
Liz rides up Old Smokey (a 600 ft. hill with an average grade of 12% over
1 mile) on Cape Breton Island. The view from the top was “unforgettable.”
nosed in 2004. Then I was operated on and did radiation therapy
over at Mount Zion.
Q: And you kept on biking even during treatment?
A: Five days a week for six weeks I biked to radiation. Being
able to bicycle to the hospital gave me a sense that somehow I
was regaining a modicum of control over how I moved through
the world. I’d go down 9th, bike through the park and Panhandle
and then pick up some bike lanes that the San Francisco Bicycle
Coalition had fought for on Fulton. I didn’t have to pay for parking and I didn’t have to inconvenience anybody else by taking me
over and bringing me back. And I didn’t get the kind of fatigue
that sometimes accompanies radiation therapy. It was such a
weird experience because biking was so familiar and then I’d go
into this really weird space at radiation. But then I’d get back on
my bike and by the time I was home I was myself again.
Q: Is there anything you’d like to say to Tube Times readers?
A: Knowing how difficult it is to make social change anywhere,
I think the Bicycle Coalition is doing a fabulous job. We need
more rather than less of it. The more people that can get involved
in any way making this a more livable city the better it would be.
Keep on keeping on!
B y Er ic Robe rt son
Good Roads: Pothole Hall of Shame
Pavement problems plague the city’s public realm, but our Good Roads Campaign is sounding the call to action. Bert Hill is chair of the
Bicycle Advisory Committee and leads the SFBC’s Adult Bike Ed program; he submits this monster for the Pothole Hall of Shame.
Location: Market Street at Hattie, Eastbound/Downhill
First encountered in May, this miserable sinkhole has been patched at least five times but it keeps
coming back to menace cyclists heading down Market into the Castro (at the Hattie St. intersection).
Bert notes, “It is particularly dangerous because it is just east of the intersection at the top of a
grade and can’t be seen from a distance. It is also right where a bicycle would expect to be riding,
and at that point on the downhill, would be going over 30mph.” It almost took down Supervisor
Elsbernd on his Bike to Work Day ride, but it shouldn’t take the threat of bodily peril to an elected
VIP to get this Potzilla fixed. Join the Good Roads Campaign!
To submit your own Pothole Hall of Shame, visit sfbike.org/goodroads.
PAGE
TUBE TIMES
CHAIN OF EVENTS
October-November 2007
The SFBC’s Cultural History Tours and Recreational Rides are free for
SFBC members (a $5 donation from non-members is appreciated).
Unless otherwise noted, call 431-BIKE or email [email protected]
for more information. Or see our full online ­calendar at
sfbike.org/chain. Rain cancels rides.
b www.sfbike.org for full, updated calendar of events and action items!
Oct. 5-7 | 3-day seminar
If you are interested in becoming
a League of American Bicyclists
Certified Instructor (LCI), the City of San
Francisco is sponsoring this certification
seminar. Certified cycling instructors
teach effective and safe cycling techniques to all age groups. Go to bikeleague.org/cogs/seminar/41 to find out
how to register. If you have questions,
call the League at 202-822-1333 or email
[email protected]
SFBC Volunteer Night!
Wed., Oct. 10, 24 & Nov. 7 | 5-8pm | SFBC
HQ, 995 Market St. Ste. 1550
Volunteer at volunteer night! This SFBC
tradition has been happening for as long
as we can remember, but newcomers
are always welcome. So stop by, snack
on tasty treats, chat with fellow cyclists,
and help us keep our organization rolling. Dinner is on the house. Bring a
friend - the more the merrier! Questions?
Email [email protected] or just show up.
Winterfest Craft Nights
Thurs., Oct. 11 & Nov 8| 6-9pm
Sun. Oct. 21| 4-8pm
Calling all crafty chics and talented lads,
Winterfest is around the corner, and it
is time to get crafty! We are hosting a
series of craft nights to get the juices
flowing & the items made for the SFBC
craft table at Winterfest. We are seeking
people who are willing to share their
talents to come, teach and make fun
projects that will be sold at Winterfest. If
interested, contact [email protected] for
location details.
Critical Manners*
Fri., Oct. 12 & Nov. 9 | 5:30pm meet,
6:00pm start, northeast corner of Larkin
& Grove
Critical Manners: a revolutionary act of
courtesy. A helmet-wearing, bell-ringing,
blinkie-sportin’ good time for you and all
your bike friends. We take obedience of
the law ridiculously seriously.
* Events not sponsored or endorsed by the SFBC
agenda or to request notice of meetings:
[email protected].
Peak2Peak Walk*
Sat., Oct 20 – 9am | West Portal
Want a challenge? Sign-up for this
year’s Peak to Peak Walk, a 12-mile
trek up and down SF’s highest peaks.
Walkers get a unique view of SF’s
skyline, stairways, paths, parks, and
monuments - all while raising money for
Walk SF’s vital pedestrian safety and
advocacy work. Lunch, snacks, raffle
prizes, and a year’s membership in Walk
SF inc. in the reg. fee. Pre-registration
required by 10/17, early bird discount if
you sign up by October 5. $75/$65 early
bird. www.walksf.org for more info or
415-431-WALK.
Critical Mass*
Fri., Oct. 26 & Fri., Nov. 30 | 6pm, Justin
“Pee Wee” Herman Plaza, Market @
Embarcadero
Who organizes it? Nobody. Where does
it go? Nobody knows. But for over 15
years, this legendary San Francisco
“bike ride home” has occurred on the
last Friday of every month, becoming a
global phenomenon. And, as always, we
encourage all participants to ride courteously and respectfully. For more info,
see critical-mass.org.
Deadline to Register to Vote*
Bike Ed - Day One
Mon., Oct. 22 | San Francisco, CA | 6pm
Voter registration cards must be postmarked by October 22 in order to vote in
the November 6 election.
Sat., Oct. 27 & Sat., Nov 10 | 10am-2pm,
Bayview, location TBD
These four-hour in-classroom courses
teach the basics of safe and enjoyable
cycling, including riding in traffic, necessary equipment, crash avoidance, and
legal rights and responsibilities. Open to
adults 14 and over. Bicycle not required.
Each class is free, but registration is
required. Sign up today: www.sfbike.
org/?edu.
NigHt Ride: Mission Creek
Sun., Oct. 21 | 6 pm | Meet at Panhandle
Statue, Fell@Baker
On this ride we’ll visit one of SF’s newest parks, on the banks of Mission
Creek. It’s so new, in fact, that you might
not even know it exists! Put on your
blinkies and pack some snacks to share.
Info: [email protected]
freedom from training wheels
SFBC Board Meeting
Tue., Oct. 25 & Nov. 27 | 6:30-8:30pm |
SFBC HQ, 995 Market St., Ste. 1550
Everyone is welcome. For agenda and
details, contact Leah at 431-BIKE x306
or [email protected].
SF Bicycle Advisory Committee
meeting*
Thu., Oct. 25 & Nov. 29 | 6:30pm | City
Hall Room 408 (Polk and Grove Streets)
Come and speak your mind about bicycle issues in San Francisco. This eleven
member committee meets once a month
and advises the Board of Supervisors
on all matters bicycle. Check the BAC
website to confirm these dates and
read the agenda. Contact Bert Hill, chair
of the BAC, to place an issue on the
photo by kate mccarthy
Bicycle Instructor
Certification Course*
Sun., Oct. 28 & Sat., Nov 11| 10:30am12pm, Bayview, location TBD
Join SFBC
Board Member
and biking mom,
Jean Fraser, as
well as other
families with
kids, in car-free
Golden Gate
Park for a group
effort to get
our kids to ride
without training
wheels. Bring
bike helmet and
maybe some
snacks to share.
Call Jean at
Asha Fletcher-Irwin
751-6619 if you
frees another bike
have questions.
of training wheels.
ELECTION DAY*
Tues., Nov. 6
Vote No on H and Yes on A!
Bike Ed - Day Two
Sat., Nov. 17 | 10am-4pm, Park Branch
Library, 1833 Page St (at Cole)
This six hour on-road course provides
an opportunity to put into practice what
was learned in the day 1 Street Skills
course. We will be practicing emergency maneuvers, and riding in various
traffic conditions to test your knowledge
of vehicular cycling skills. Open to adults
14 and over. Prerequisite: Day 1 Street
Skills Course. Each class is free, but
registration is required. Sign up today:
www.sfbike.org/?edu.
Night Ride: Aquatic Park
Sunday November 18 | 6 pm | Meet at
the Panhandle statue, Fell and Baker
Glide with us to the waterfront and take
in the view and the sounds of cable cars
from this park’s big cement steps. Bring
treats to share and nighttime lights. Info:
[email protected]
Thanksgiving Holiday
Thu., Nov. 22 and Fri, Nov.23
Tube Times Folding Party!
Wed., Nov. 28 | 5-8pm | SFBC HQ, 995
Market St, Ste 1550
It’s time to get the December-January
issue of the Tube Times out on the
street! The SFBC office will be hopping
with friendly folks - chatting, snacking,
and folding away until the folding is
done. Can you come out and help spread
the news about biking in the city? Dinner
is on the house! Bring your bike up to
the 15th floor. Questions? Email kate@
sfbike.org or just show up.
12th annual winterfest:
Save the date!
Sun., Dec. 2 | 6-10:30pm| SOMArts,
Brannan and 8th Street
Mark your calendar for the SFBC’s annual member party and fundraiser.
Lighten up, dude!
It’s not just the law, it’s a good
idea – when you’re out riding
your bike at night, light up.
A bright white light in the
front and a red reflector in
the back is the legal obligation for cyclists in California,
with reflectors on the side as
well. A blinky light for front
and back will work better,
along with bright, light-colored
Oct-Nov 2007
clothing for visibility.
This fall SFBC volunteers
will help the MTA give away
hundreds of headlights and
blinkies as a Halloween trickor-treat present to improve
bicyclist safety. Keep your eyes
peeled for the friendly SFBC
Streetside Squad as you roll
around town.
Get illuminated!
PAGE
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE
PAID
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
PERMIT # 3819
SAN FRANCISCO BICYCLE COALITION
995 Market St., Ste. 1550
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 431-BIKE
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
www.sfbike.org
SEE YOUR NAME HERE!
Get the TUBE TIMES delivered to your door
by becoming an SFBC member.
(MEMBERSHIP FORM BELOW)
photo by kate mccarthy
Family Day
rocks the Park!
Before heading out on Family Day’s Bike
Road-eo course, a young rider gets her game
face on – and her helmet adjusted.
SFBC Discounts
In September, two-wheeling San Francisco families
enjoyed the SFBC’s 1st
Annual Family Day in
Golden Gate Park. For
proof, check out photos
of all the festivities and a
video of the grand Family
Day Parade at sfbike.org/
family_day.
Thanks to all of the SFBC
parents, families, and volunteers who made Family
Day a huge success!
MEMBERSHIP PAYS FOR ITSELF!
Join today and get discounts all over town...
AMERICAN CYCLERY • ARIZMENDI BAKERY* • AVENUE CYCLERY •
BAY CITY BIKE RENTALS • BIG SWINGIN’ CYCLES • BIKE HUT • BIKE NUT • BIKE NOOK
• BLAZING SADDLES BIKE RENTAL • BOX DOG BIKES • CHROME BAGS • CITY CARSHARE
CITY CYCLE • DD CYCLES • FREEWHEEL • FRESH AIR BICYCLES •
HEAVY METAL BIKE SHOP • HOLE IN THE WALL SALOON • ­LOMBARDI SPORTS • MIKE’S
BIKES • MISSING LINK • Mojo Bicycle Cafe • NOE VALLEY CYCLERY • NOMAD CYCLERY
OCEAN CYCLERY • PACIFIC BIKES • PEDAL REVOLUTION • RAINBOW GROCERY* • REFRIED
CYCLES • ODC/RHYTHM & MOTION DANCE STUDIO • ROAD RAGE BICYCLES • ROARING
MOUSE CYCLES • SACRED GROUNDS • SAN FRANCISCO CYCLERY • SEE JANE RUN •
SPORTS BASEMENT • timbuk 2 • VALENCIA CYCLERY • VELO ROUGE CAFE • zipcar
sfbike.org/discounts for addresses and policy details.
#
THE TUBE TIMES INDEX
Congested space: Cars or People?
620,818
Population of San Francisco in 1990 that
was driving age or older
676,376
Population of San Francisco in 2000 that
was driving age or older
618,928
Population of San Francisco in 2005 that
was driving age or older
98%
The proportion of the 2007 total that are
automobiles, motorcycles, and commercial vehicles
8%
The proportion of decrease in the
estimated San Francisco population that
was driving age between 2000 and 2005
1%
464,143
The proportion of decrease in estimated
number of vehicles registered in San
Francisco between 2000-2005
469,603
The ratio of registered vehicles to driving-age San Franciscans in 1990
Total estimated number of fee-paid
vehicles registered in San Francisco as
of December 31, 1990
Total estimated number of fee-paid
vehicles registered in San Francisco as
of December 31, 2000
447,904
Total estimated number of fee-paid
vehicles registered in San Francisco as
of April 30, 2007
1:1.34
1:1.44
The ratio in 2000
1:1.33
The ratio in 2005
Will it be 1:1 in 2010?
COM PI LED BY E LME R TO S TA
See sfbike.org/tubetimes for sources
*offers a discount to customers who arrive by bike
Join the SFBC!
Become a member of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and help make the city a better place to ride... plus get a Tube Times subscription,
discounts, free bike trailer and air travel bike box rental, and more (see sfbike.org/membership for all the benefits).
NAME_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ADDRESS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
CITY, STATE, ZIP_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
O NJOIN
SFB L I N
E
I
EMAIL_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _K _E. _ _ _ _!
HOME PHONE_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
WORK PHONE_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ORG
I HEARD ABOUT THE SFBC... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
MEM B E R S HIP L EV E L S r $1,000 HIGH WHEELER r $500 VELORUTIONARY r $250 TWO-WHEELED WONDER r $120 CRUISER’S CLUB r $52 BUCK (A WEEK) THE SYSTEM (includes FREE SFBC T-Shirt: Standard Size____ OR Form-Fit Size_____)
r $25 INTRODUCTORY MEMBERSHIP (families: add $10 each additional member)
10/11 2007
Make checks payable to: SFBC, 995 Market St Ste 1550, San Francisco, CA 94103.
Barter memberships are available in exchange for volunteer time. Check with your
employer about matching your donation. If you're interested in a charitable deduction for your contribution, contact Jodie at 415/431-BIKE x305.
NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
CREDIT CARD # _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
r VISA r MASTERCARD EXPIRATION DATE_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ r Do not share my name, even with cool organizations the SFBC likes.
I WANT TO VOLUNTEER!
r Volunteer Night (every other Weds.) r attending public meetings
r staffing an information table
r newsletter writing
r daytime office assistance
r newsletter mailing/distribution
r phonebanking
r other:
r valet bike parking at events
Printed with soybean ink on recycled paper, 30% post-consumer waste content