Streetsblog San Francisco

For those disappointed to see protected bike lanes taken off the table for most of Polk Street, the SF Bicycle Coalition will hold a meeting Tuesday evening to develop an advocacy strategy to push for a safer design on the corridor. The new design for Castro Street will also be unveiled that evening at a public meeting with the Planning Department.

Here are all the highlights from the Streetsblog calendar:

• Monday and Saturday: Town Hall Budget Meetings: D5 and D6; D2 and D3. City supervisors are holding town hall meetings on the city budget, and the SFBC is calling on supporters to urge their leaders to increase the measly 0.46 percent of the capital budget that’s currently devoted to bicycling. A meeting for Districts 5 and 6 will be held this evening at 6 p.m., and a meeting for Districts 2 and 3 will take place this Saturday at 10 a.m.
• Tuesday: SFBC Polk Street Committee Meeting. With protected bike lanes and sidewalk widenings taken off the table for most of Polk, the SFBC is holding a meeting to field ”input about the current proposals for Polk Street and help us develop and execute a community outreach and advocacy strategy.” 6 p.m.
• Also Tuesday: The Planning Department will present a final design for Castro Street, including wider sidewalks and other improvements revamping the pedestrian environment. 7 p.m.
• Wednesday: Geography professor Jason Henderson will discuss his new book ”Street Fight: The Politics of Mobility in San Francisco” at a forum at SF State University. 5 p.m.
• Thursday: The SF Planning Commission is set to consider legislation revamping the city’s bike parking requirements. 12 p.m.
• Friday: Up for approval at this week’s SFMTA Engineering Hearing are five bike corrals in the Mission and a re-opened crosswalk at Fell and Gough Streets. 10 a.m.
• Saturday: SPUR “closes down a portion of 6th Street” at Market Street for a special “placemaking” event with URBAN SPACEship and local merchants, who will “work to activate to this important component of San Francisco’s core.” 12 p.m.

Keep an eye on the calendar for updated listings. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.

This Thursday is Bike to Work Day — time once again to join the swarm of bike commuters and enjoy some free goodies along the way. And we’re not just talking snacks and tote bags: On Market Street, you can be one of the first registered by the new bicycle traffic counter, and Wiggle-bound riders will hopefully get to inaugurate the protected bike lane on Oak Street.

Here are all the highlights from the Streetsblog calendar:

• Tuesday: The SFMTA Board of Directors agenda includes an update on parking management efforts in the northeast Mission and a presentation on the agency’s “long range vision for transit.” 1 p.m.
• Wednesday: A Metropolitan Transportation Commission committee is set to vote on approving funds to increase the size of the Bay Area bike-share pilot from 700 bikes to the originally-promised 1,000 bikes after an apparently unexpected increase in costs. The SF Bicycle Coalition is calling on supporters “to speak up for a large-scale bike sharing program in San Francisco and the region.” 9:40 a.m.
• Also Wednesday: Join a SPUR lunchtime forum to hear representatives from the MTC and the Association of Bay Area Governments discuss the increasingly sophisticated modeling tools they’re using to predict patterns of traffic and population growth in the development of the 25-year Plan Bay Area. 12:30 p.m.
• Thursday: The BART Board of Directors is set to hear an update on the results of the bikes-on-board pilot. 9 a.m.
• Also Thursday: It’s the 19th annual Bike to Work Day. Join a commuter convoy, pick up some snacks and coffee at your local energizer station, and join city leaders and bike advocates for an event at City Hall. Check out the official Bike to Work Day website for more events around the Bay Area. 8:30 a.m.
• Also Thursday: Take a tour of the Transbay Transit Center construction site with SPUR, the SF Planning Department, and the Transbay Authority. 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday: As part of its Green Connections project, the Planning Department will hold a community meeting in Visitacion Valley to discuss design concepts for a safer, greener Leland Avenue. SFMTA staff will also discuss upcoming improvements to the 8X-Bayshore Express as part of the Muni Transit Effectiveness Project. 10 a.m.

The SFMTA holds another open house to showcase design options for a safer Polk Street tomorrow evening. The SFBC also holds “Love Your Lanes” rides in Districts 5 and 9 this week, and speak up for increased funding for bicycling at a town hall on the city budget on Saturday.

Here are all the highlights from the Streetsblog calendar:

• Tuesday: If you missed your chance on Saturday, the SFMTA is holding a second open house to showcase proposals for safety improvements on Polk Street, where you can show your support for the design that creates the safest, most livable street — not the one that preserves the most car parking. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Tuesday and Saturday: The SF Bicycle Coalition holds two “Love Your Lanes” bike rides to survey bicycling conditions in District 9 through the Mission and Bernal Heights (Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.) and District 5 through the Panhandle, Inner Sunset, Western Addition, and the Lower Haight (Saturday at 1 p.m.).
• Friday: On the agenda for this week’s SFMTA engineering hearing is a new bus bulb for the outbound 38-Geary at Arguello Boulevard. The stop would also be moved across the intersection, so the bus would clear the light before picking up passengers. 10 a.m.
• Also Friday: Get your pink on — the SF Bike Party heads out this month in celebration of May flowers. 8 p.m.
• Saturday: The SFBC is calling on supporters to join the District 8 and 9 Budget Town Hall meetings to urge Supervisors Scott Wiener and David Campos to help increase the share of the SFMTA’s capital budget dedicated to bicycling from the current measly 0.46 percent. 9 a.m. Keep an eye out for more budget town halls in your district in the coming weeks.

Keep an eye on the calendar for updated listings. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.

It’s San Francisco’s first Bike to School Week, and safer Polk Street supporters can help get the word out about the two open house meetings held by the SF Municipal Transportation Agency this Saturday and next Tuesday.

Here are all the highlights from the Streetsblog calendar:

• All Week: Forget Bike to School Day – this year, it’s Bike to School Week. Over 2,500 kids and adults at 52 schools are expected to participate. Help SF schools break another record this year.
• Tuesday: Join the SF Bicycle Coalition on its “Love Your Lanes” District 1 bike ride to help assess bicycling conditions in the Richmond and Golden Gate Park. 2 p.m.
• Wednesday: The SF County Transportation Authority Citizens Advisory Committee will discuss the agency’s strategy for transportation improvements to accommodate population growth, the Bayview Hunters Point Mobility Study, and the next city transportation projects to be funded by Prop K sales tax revenue. 6 p.m.
• Wednesday and Thursday: SFBC Polk Street Phone Banking Sessions. The SFBC is calling on volunteers to help get the word out about upcoming SFMTA meetings. Supporters of a safer Polk Street need to make their voices heard. 6 p.m.
• Thursday: The SF Planning Commission is set to consider legislation revamping the city’s bike parking requirements. 12 p.m.
• Also Thursday: Join the discussion with the SF Bicycle Advisory Committee and city staffers to help advise the Board of Supervisors on how to improve bicycling in SF. 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday and Next Tuesday: SFMTA Polk Street Open House Meetings. Show your support for safe streets at these meetings, where the SFMTA will present new options for safety improvements on Polk Street. Saturday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Keep an eye on the calendar for updated listings. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.

Take part in an important step in shaping the future of transportation, health, and equity in the region this Thursday at an open house on Plan Bay Area, where planners will present a draft 25-year blueprint to accommodate population growth without more sprawl and driving. On Friday, San Francisco will become the nation’s first city to officially celebrate Walk to Work Day, and there are plenty of ways to participate and get some goodies on your way to work. And be sure to enjoy a car-free day in the Mission with the return of Sunday Streets.

Here are all the highlights from the Streetsblog calendar:

• Tuesday: The Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee‘s agenda includes a discussion of Supervisor Scott Wiener’s proposed legislation to streamline pedestrian safety improvements and an update on safety upgrades on Sloat Boulevard. 5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday: SPUR Lunchtime Forum: A Story of Shuttles. “As employer shuttles sprout up across the Bay Area, what do they tell us about our region, its workers and its employers? What are the benefits and challenges that accompany their increasing presence?” Join reps from Google, Genentech, Ridepal, and the SF Municipal Transportation Agency for a closer look at the issues. 12:30 p.m.
• Thursday: The Metropolitan Transportation Commission will hold an open house on Plan Bay Area, the region’s strategy to accommodate population growth in transit-friendly areas while curbing car-dependency and suburban sprawl. Check out the draft plan at the meeting and submit your comments. 6 to 9 p.m.
• Friday: Walk to Work Day. Get a boost on your morning commute at one of Walk SF’s “hubs,” get special offers from cafes, hoof it with one of nine participating city supervisors, and tweet about your #Walk2Work experience to enter to win prizes. 5:30 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday: The SF Bicycle Coalition holds two “Love Your Lanes” rides: Saturday’s District 6 ride will survey biking conditions in neighborhoods like SoMa and the Tenderloin, starting at City Hall at 10 a.m. Sunday’s ride will check out District 7 (West Portal, Golden Gate Heights, Forest Hill) and will meet at Ocean Avenue near Junipero Serra Blvd. at 1 p.m.
• Also Sunday: Sunday Streets: The Mission. Car-free Valencia and 24th Streets return once again for San Franciscans to stroll, run, bike, dance, or just people watch. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Keep an eye on the calendar for updated listings. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.

Pedestrian safety is the order of the week, starting this evening with a walking tour on Sixth Street where the SFMTA and Walk SF will discuss how to make it safer for walking.

Here are all the highlights from the Streetsblog calendar:

• Monday: Join the SFMTA and Walk SF on a walking tour of Sixth Street and share your thoughts on how to improve pedestrian safety along the deadly corridor. RSVP required. 5 p.m.
• Wednesday: The Planning Department will hold its second community meeting on pedestrian improvements on Castro Street, where it will present a refined street design proposal. 7 p.m.
• Thursday: The Board of Supervisors Neighborhood Services and Safety Committee will hold a hearing on pedestrian safety in Supervisor Norman Yee’s District 7, where three of this year’s six pedestrian deaths have occurred. 10 a.m.

Tonight, supporters of a safer Polk Street can join SF Municipal Transportation Agency Director Ed Reiskin and D3 Supervisor David Chiu at a meeting of the Middle Polk Neighborhood Association, which will discuss walking and biking improvements in the works. On Thursday, the SFMTA will present its draft proposal for new parking meters and permit zones in the northeast Mission. And don’t forget — all week long, BART commuters are allowed to take their bikes on board during rush hours for the agency’s second trial run.

Here are all the highlights from the Streetsblog calendar:

• Monday: At its meeting tonight, the Middle Polk Neighborhood Association will discuss the SFMTA’s plans for a more livable Polk Street. With misinformation being spread by a few vocal merchants aggressively opposed to any removal of car parking, the supportive locals will need to help set the facts straight. 6:30 p.m.
• Monday thru Friday: Bikes are allowed on BART trains at all hours this week for the agency’s second trial run of a lift on bicycle bans. BART riders can check out the SF Bicycle Coalition’s list of rules that bike-toting commuters must still follow and provide feedback to BART via the agency’s survey.
• Also Monday: SF Bicycle Coalition Love Your Lanes Bike Ride – District 2. Join the SFBC on a bike ride through the Marina, Cow Hollow, Presidio, and Northern Waterfront neighborhoods to help evaluate recent bicycle improvements and identify what still needs to be done. Meet at Bay and Octavia Streets. 5:30 p.m.
• Tuesday: The SF Recreation and Parks Department will host a site walk and community meeting on plans to make Mansell Street in McLaren Park safer for walking and biking. 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday: The SF Planning Commission is set to consider legislation revamping the city’s bike parking requirements. 12 p.m.
• Also Thursday: SFMTA Northeast Mission Parking Planning Community Meeting #3. The SFMTA will present its draft proposal for new parking meters and permit zones in the northeast Mission, where the agency says drivers currently circle for 27 minutes, on average, to find a spot. The proposal is already available on the SFMTA’s website. 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday: The SFBC hosts two events in honor of Women’s History Month: A women’s history-themed bicycle ride on Saturday at 1 p.m. and a women-focused course on traffic skills on Sunday at 10 a.m.