Dear Kevin, THIS WEEK:
MAY IS BIKE MONTH and we've packed the calendar with 31 days of bike celebration! NEWS & UPDATES It’s Bike & Roll to School Week! Hooray! This week is the city’s fifth annual Bike & Roll to School Week. This year, over 60 schools across the city are celebrating biking to school. If you’re one of the thousands of parents out there biking with your kids -- hooray! If you’re riding without kids this week, give a cheer and air fives to the families you see rolling by! For even more family biking resources, check out our Family Biking page. Big thanks to Xtracycle, BionX and the New Wheel for donating an awesome electric-assist Edgerunner to raffle off to participating families! See participating schools, get involved and enter the raffle at sfsaferoutes.org. City (Sort of) Funds Biking Last week, the MTA voted to essentially double funding for biking, but it only jumped from a rounding error (0.46%) to a still tiny fraction of its budget (2%). Unfortunately, the vast majority of this funding is dependent on San Francisco voters approving ballot measures this fall that promise to increase transportation funding. We are heartened that the MTA is moving in the right direction, but concerned that much-needed bike improvements are not budgeted for. The campaign to fund biking is far from over. Learn more and get involved here. Support More Bikes On-Board Caltrain The future of Caltrain is coming! As part of modernizing the system, Caltrain is planning a major electrification project in order to improve safety, reliability and capacity. Right now, Caltrain is drafting the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for this project and will be open to public comment until April 29, when they will submit the final report for review. Our biggest concern? Caltrain’s draft EIR does not consider any improvements for increasing onboard bike capacity or improving access on trains, especially as more people get “bumped” everyday when onboard bike capacity hits its limit. Please take a moment to write a letter today and let them know why this is an issue. Read our latest blog with more information, talking points and how you can take a lead on this issue. Our North to South Vision Advances This will be a great month for our North to South route as work wraps up on the Polk Street Contraflow and work begins on the San Jose Pilot. Both projects have been at the center of attention for more than a decade as community members organize to make San Francisco a safer and more pleasant place to live. The San Jose pilot will add a northbound, buffered bikeway and remove one lane of traffic south of Randall through the Bernal Cut. Farther up, the Polk Contraflow lane will also allow northbound bicycle traffic to go from Market up to Polk Street, ensuring safe and convenient access to City Hall and businesses on Polk Street. On less encouraging news, the recently approved Potrero Improvements have been delayed by six months, with work now scheduled to begin in late 2014. A Marina Path for All We recently posted a blog that highlighted the need for a clear and open path at the Marina. As a major connection from Fisherman’s Wharf to Golden Gate Bridge, this is one of the busiest paths in the city for people walking, biking, running and much more. The City has been tasked with providing a high quality bicycle and pedestrian experience, but they are being pressured by a small number of boat owners who want to be able to drive and park on this path. There will be one final community meeting in May, so now is the time to influence what is presented at the meeting. Let’s work together to ensure an enjoyable experience for all. Write a letter to the City and Supervisor Farrell to let them know you want to see a clear and open Marina path. Get your Orange Ready for the Dutch King’s Day Ride Cycling through Golden Gate Park on Kings Day while wearing orange, it truly doesn't get any more Dutch than this! Celebrate the first ever King's Day by joining this free, fun and relaxed bike ride. This is not a Dutch people only event! But you might pick up some Dutch habits... Saturday, April 26 | 10AM-12PM The ride will end around 12pm at the Murphy Windmill for the start of the day-long celebrations for the century's first Dutch King's Day (11:30am-5pm) hosted by the Consulate General of the Netherlands. Bicycle activities supported by Login VSI and complimentary valet bicycle parking and provided by the SF Bicycle Coalition. Don't forget to RSVP! MEMBERS ONLY: New Member Meet & Greet New Members, join us for tomorrow’s New Member Meet and Greet! If you’ve been a member for less than a year, we warmly invite you to come to this event where you can chat with fellow members, check out the SF Bicycle Coalition headquarters, learn more about your friendly SF bike advocacy organization, and find out about the many different ways you can get involved. Did you know that May 8 is the 20th Anniversary of Bike to Work Day? We'll tell you all about the big day and our Bike Month festivities as well. Bike to Work Day Volunteer Sign-ups Will Close on May 2 Bike to Work Day is one of the most fun and invigorating days of the year to volunteer and we need your help tomake sure thebig day is a success! We have 26 Energizer Stations across the city where we’ll be giving out coffee, snacks, hi-fives and those oh-so-popular tote bags. Check out the available volunteer roles and sign up today! This energetic and inspiring volunteer opportunity is only open to current SF Bicycle Coalition members. Looking forward to seeing you there! Ride With a Commuter Convoy on Bike to Work Day Get your morning bike-commute started by joining neighbors and city leaders on a leisurely bike to downtown together. Commuter Convoys meet at 11 locations across the city and depart for downtown at 7:45am on Bike to Work Day–May 8th! All Convoys will end at City Hall for the Bike to Work Day Press Conference. Riders have the option to stay for the event or head off to other locations. Find the ride closest to your home and RSVP. Farewell to our Deputy Director, Kit Hodge
CHAIN OF EVENTS Check out our online calendar of events. To add your bike event to our calendar, simply email the details to us. Wednesday, April 23New Member Meet & Greet Thursday, April 24SF Bicycle Coalition Service Station 6-7 PM | SF Bicycle Coalition HQ, 833 Market St., 10th Floor Bike to Work Day is two weeks away! Has it been a long time since you’ve been on a bike or are you new to riding in the city? Come learn the basics of bicycling at our Intro to Urban Bicycling Workshop and get ready to pedal your way to work on May 8th. The course is a one-hour presentation covering the most basics of how to pick the right bike for everyday riding in SF, the rules of the road, and route planning. This course is a great introduction for anyone considering bicycling, or looking to brush up on skills. Friday, April 25 Bicycle Film Festival * Saturday, April 26 Cycle 4 Sight * Bring your own bike, and be ready for a lovely group ride. The ride is free to all and appropriate for ages 12 and up. Sponsored by the Consulate General of the Netherlands and supported by the SF Bicycle Coalition. Bicycle activities supported by Login VSI and complimentary valet bicycle parking and provided by the SF Bicycle Coalition. Sunday, April 27 Napa Bike Fest *
No hills and experienced cyclists will be around to accompany us. Feel free to leave early if you're not ready for street traffic. Put your bike on the bus or rent one close by and join us! Email juli@sfbike.org with questions about the Rec Ride. RSVP Monday, April 28 Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting * (Events not sponsored by the SF Bicycle Coalition are marked with an *) Join the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and make San Francisco great for bicycling! Become a member and join a diverse group of 12,000 people who are committed to transforming city streets into more dignified places to ride a bicycle. Add your voice and keep bike improvements moving forward in San Francisco!
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San Francisco Bicycle Coalition - 833 Market Street, 10th Floor - San Francisco, CA 94103 |
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