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  1. Post Thumbnail  

    Sean

    Too bad they developed this on Apple's closed ecosystem.

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    foldingbiker

    This is awesome. But I commute to work so my map route so all the information you need from me would be done in one day. The obvious facilities many cyclists need are often in and around public transportation hubs, bridges, tunnels and there seems to be very little materialization of these projects no matter how high-tech we get. More Caltrain access, more BART access and bike ramps, bike lanes on the Bay Bridge, bike racks. Hopefully the data will provide proof we need to fund these projects.

  3. Post Thumbnail  

    Techi

    As a white male iPhone user, I'm all for shadow riding less affluent areas to hella represent

  4. Post Thumbnail  

    zsolt

    In the white neighborhoods, sure. In District 11 most bikers are Asians and Latinos. I doubt they are iPhone users, though.

    I disagree about the GPS. My iPhone GPS is perfectly adequate for something like this. The vast majority of the time it has no problems placing me on the map.

  5. Post Thumbnail  

    Don Miguel

    I'm an everyday cyclist. I go past that area pretty much 7 days/week, but I generally avoid the Fell St lanes as getting doored here would dump you into 40 mph traffic. I take Hayes instead.

    I'm not looking for encouragement or condemnation on the risk/reward of Fell st lanes ;) But, I think this type of situation presents an additional dilemma with the data collection.

  6. Post Thumbnail  

    Billy Charlton

    SFCTA employee here. Just FYI we did extensive testing before release, and the data is definitely good enough for us to use; we don't need every data point at 100% accuracy. This is not a gimmick!

    It's true that sometimes GPS chips pick up better tracks than at other times. If you *really* want to ensure the best data, tap "Start" a few moments before you actually begin riding. The first minute of data is usually the weakest as the GPS needs time to lock onto multiple satellites.

    Thanks for trying it out, every little bit helps!

  7. Post Thumbnail  

    Andy Thornley

    While we're talking about powerful improvements in measuring bicycle traffic in SF, let me put in a plug for the SFMTA's automated bike counter initiative, profiled here back in February:

    http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/02/25/mta-begins-its-first-automated-count-of-bicyclists/

    These counters will be pumping out bike counts 24/7 from 17 locations (to start with, more added later) giving us scads of new information on bike traffic volumes over days and weeks. Together with the data coming in from Cycle Tracks users, we'll be able to learn much more about the state of bicycle transportation in SF, and measure the effect of a beefed-up Bike Network as we start to make long-stalled improvements all over the city . . .

  8. Post Thumbnail  

    good_idea_bad_implementation

    looks very glossy and shiny, but from what i've seen in practical use, the accuracy of the GPS on these devices leaves a LOT to be desired. it is often spotty or off by blocks.

    i'm all for gathering more data and doing journey studies, but this is just a gimmick.

  9. Post Thumbnail  

    mikesonn

    I was being sarcastic. I just feel like every corner I turn people are down talking the fact that the majority of bikers in this city are young white males - as if this makes biking a less important transportation alternative.

    Just got home from using it and it was very spotty on what it picked up. The "blue" line was only visible on less then half of my route. So I hope that still gives the SFCTA the data they need, but I'll keep doing it to/from work as it is really easy to use and doesn't put me out any time loading it up and clicking go.

  10. Post Thumbnail  

    Sprague

    As we all know, real estate in San Francisco is very expensive. In light of that, it makes little sense that on-street parking is so cheap. It's still affordable for most San Franciscans to own cars, even if many of us would be just as well served with a car-sharing account. The cost of driving (and parking) should more accurately reflect the damages they cause. Since current global gas prices aren't helping lessen our driving ways, local measures are the only way to go to reduce driving.

  11. Post Thumbnail  

    the greasybear

    Chrome and Godspeed (and the two teaming up to sell/deliver) are all part of our evolving local bike culture and economy. You see stuff like this on bikeportland's blog all the time--they really promote their local bike-related industries.

  12. Post Thumbnail  

    Jarrett at HumanTransit.org

    One great use of this data would be to compile data on actual Muni reliability. It would be great to see stats not just on on-time performance but also on actual vs scheduled headway, which on frequent services is the best measure.

    I did a post on this a while back here:

    http://www.humantransit.org/2009/06/mundane-things-that-really-matter-defining-on-time.html

    Anyone interested in exploring this, feel free to contact me via the email link at humantransit.org

  13. Post Thumbnail  

    the greasybear

    This kick-ass app is incompatible with first-gen iPhones, apparently. I'm bummed!

  14. Post Thumbnail  

    Andy Thornley

    @Mikesonn: No points off for being a young white iPhone-enabled male who likes to bike, I'm just jealous, of your iPhone and your youth -- pedal often and send all that great data to the SFCTA to make biking better for us all . . .

    And to clarify my Copenhagen remark -- this app and the data it harvests ~will~ move us closer to Copenhagen, in the sense that CPH bike planners know not only how many people are making bike trips, but how far those trips are and where they go and for what reason -- the SFMTA's August bike counts only measure bodies going through a certain intersection, no distance or purpose, but with Cycle Tracks feeding the SFCTA's database we'll start to have some of that richer info on distance and purpose, very nice . . .

  15. Post Thumbnail  

    Chad Armstrong

    Downloaded - I can't wait to commute home.

  16. Post Thumbnail  

    Mikesonn

    Downloaded. But who do I Appologize to for being a 20-something white male who likes to bike?

  17. Post Thumbnail  

    patrick

    Wow! Despite it's limitations this sounds like a very good thing.

  18. Post Thumbnail  

    Peter Smith

    wow - NextBus? NBIS? someone owns someone else is someone else's subsidiary who actually owns copyrights, but they don't speak for us?

    got it. crystal clear. clear as mud.

    whenever i see so many corporate entities, i think of Enron/Chewco/Jedi/etc.

    sketchy.

  19. Post Thumbnail  

    Peter Smith

    i like it a lot!

    and very happy to see the coverage. more and more of this type of thing is exactly what we want. finding connections and highlighting them, whether successful or not, is what we want -- that's what organizing is -- pooling resources to help one another achieve our goals. great stuff.

  20. Post Thumbnail  

    Chris

    I think that what is interesting about this article is that its about a retailer that instead of throwing their goods onto a truck for a local delivery, throws them onto a bicycle. Sure, someone who lives in San Francisco probably could just as easily go to the store to pick up their own bag... but I will give Chrome credit for cutting out the delivery truck and supporting a local bicycle messenger company.

    I bought a chrome bag not because I am trying to look like a messenger, but because they are a great local company that is very active in the local bicycle community.

  21. Post Thumbnail  

    Mark

    Heh. I've been hacking their data for years. I didn't realize it wasn't allowed!

  22. Post Thumbnail  

    boris

    Dalewood Way along Mt. Davidson

  23. Post Thumbnail  

    zsolt

    This is probably out of place on this forum, but I disagree that Chrome is making biking appealing to a broader base. It is focused on a very narrow thing. What it does is, it sells you the illusion of a piece of that "slightly outlaw bike messenger cool" by having the bags delivered by "animals who bike over the bridge" and some such. In fairness, Chrome's bags are of good quality. But it's a bit like saying that Vans' skateboarder antics contribute to walkable communities. While largely I think everyone should ride wearing and carrying what they want, I think overall the biking community moving *away* from the messenger image (as in the picture in the story) will be a good thing.

    I'll add a few companies who in my opinion promote biking to a broader base:

    * Right now REI has a sale on waterproof jackets and pants. Very handy for the coming winter rains.

    * Rainbow Grocery, a worker-owned cooperative, is permanently giving 10% discount for SFBC members upon flashing your ID. That is a *huge* deal for a store that sells high quality, mostly organic groceries, and has the greatest bulk bin section in the city.

  24. Post Thumbnail  

    EL

    This report only tells the obvious: "Maintenance and repair projects are not politically sexy. New infrastructure is."

  25. Post Thumbnail  

    jass

    Would it be possible to get BART ridership numbers for the week before the bridge closure and the week after? I'm curious if the closure created permanent new riders.

  26. Post Thumbnail  

    Matthew Roth

    @zsolt,
    I think people who make biking and walking and transit riding "sexier" or more appealing to a broader base are improving the livability of a city. Car companies certainly have been successful with a similar motif, albeit for a much less desirable outcome. And we don't want to just hit you with policy all day long!

  27. Post Thumbnail  

    friscolex

    I'm pretty sure the steepest hill has always been the one between me and my house at the top when I'm on my bike. Agreed? :-)

  28. Post Thumbnail  

    friscolex

    Plus, Chrome has been supersweet to me as an SFBC bike valet when we've parked bikes at their parties (or at parties there). Community involvement FTW!

  29. Post Thumbnail  

    zsolt

    Quite a long essay dedicated to a marketing gag by a company devoted to selling "sexy". But what does this have to do with livable streets issues?

  30. Post Thumbnail  

    David Baker

    Maybe after the Injunction is lifted SFMTA will "Portlandize" these with color, a bike symbol, and "cars stop here" lettering on the stop line. I don't believe most drivers know what that line is. it's not very obvious.

  31. Post Thumbnail  

    Jessica

    Also, how can I get involved to make sure this happens?

  32. Post Thumbnail  

    Jessica

    When are they going to fix the lights in SJ???? I just moved to San Jose from San Francisco and ALL of the lights downtown are on sensors, not timers. I have to either run the red, wait for a car to show up, or pull over and hit the crosswalk button to get through an intersection. Not to mention it is completely impossible to use a left turn lane since my only option is to run the red because there is no pedestrian left turn button I can push to get the green.

  33. Post Thumbnail  

    zsolt

    I recently had a bad experience Downtoan Oakland regarding this "bike box assumption" which put me on notice to not in fact assume that everyone treats these the same. I find that some drivers are irritated by bikers positioning themselves in front of them at red light, even though this is the safest place to be for bikers. The irate motorist I encountered almost wrecked me because I failed to get going in the same nanosecond as the light switched. He presumably felt that I was slowing down his new BMW with my commuter beater. It was completely unprovoked otherwise. As he sped off I did spit through his open passenger window, something I should not have done, but it was a fight or flight reaction to what amounted to aggressive intimidation with a deadly weapon and my adrenalin shot through the roof.

    I am not shy about asserting myself in traffic and taking the lane, however I have stopped positioning myself in front of cars at reds. If there were real, Portland-style bike boxes, that would be a different story. But just as a word of warning to fellow bikers -- some drivers do get pissed if you do this, especially if you dare to miss the moment the light switches to green and get out of their way.

  34. Post Thumbnail  

    mikesonn

    Menlo Park wants HSR underground? Yeah, I want SF to be car free. We can all dream.

  35. Post Thumbnail  

    mikesonn

    StuartH and Glen - Yes, people will still own cars without the offstreet parking, but that doesn't mean we should allow more parking. If they choose to play the parking spot game, then that is part of the cost of having a car. In turn, you can blame all the curb cuts providing access to off street parking for the lack of on street parking. So now the argument becomes which of the car owners are more important - the ones with off street parking or the ones fighting to get on street.

    And if I can say without car owners getting too upset, on street residential permits are way too cheap and that helps further the low subsidized cost of car ownership. Start paying closer to market rate and the find the parking spot game will become a bit easier.

  36. Post Thumbnail  

    supainmotion

    I think irregardless of what bikes are supposed to do, I've been observing that they (and I) are treating them as bike boxes.

  37. Post Thumbnail  

    Tomas

    Excellent article Mr. Roth. There is an easy solution to providing families with the car they need, while minimizing the cost of housing: CAR SHARE. Even if I drove my Zipcar every day, it would still be cheaper than paying the cost of owning and parking a car in SF.

    Regarding on-street parking, the City is finally moving in a direction where parking will be priced according to market rates, so that a space will always be available for short-term parking. Accommodating long-term parking on the public street is a blatant subsidization.

  38. Post Thumbnail  

    Glen

    A big problem in this is alot of people living in this type of housing will still buy a car and park it on the street.My apt building is old and has only 30 parking spots for 60 units I see these people move there cars all around every day and increasing that SF find the parking spot game

  39. Post Thumbnail  

    CBrinkman

    Cars are a part of this City; some of us will argue they are too big a part of the city. Should we accommodate cars? Sure. Should we subsidize them and allow them to dominate our streets? No. I look forward to the day when car drivers will pay their fair share for the environmental and social impacts their vehicle of choice causes. I will happily pay whatever increase in price for goods and services that causes to have a city where walking, biking and taking transit are the best and easiest choices.

  40. Post Thumbnail  

    Ian Turner

    Jombee,

    Note that in this case we're dealing with parking *minimums*, not maximums. :-(

  41. Post Thumbnail  

    Belgand

    Was that statistic of just people who walk to work exclusively or those who walk and ride public transit? Sure, the number of people able to walk the entire way to work is going to be limited due to the inherent problem of having a job that is in walking distance of your home, but most people who take transit to work are also pedestrians for a good portion of their commute. I suspect that number is significantly higher than 9%.

  42. Post Thumbnail  

    StuartH

    I am all for de-coupling parking from housing; if people don't want to pay for parking then they shouldn't have too. Of course, that would work best if those people then were not allowed to buy a car; large developments without parking can wreak havoc on the parking situation in the neighborhood if new residents park on the street.
    But I don't buy the argument that somehow parking is inherently uneconomic. In some instances it may be, but when you are dealing with developments that have larger units -- particularly for families -- then I expect the demand for parking is strong. Anyway, there is any easy way to find out -- see if people will pay for the parking.
    The fact is that in most neighborhoods public transit is good enough only for getting yourself downtown to work. It is not viable for getting to other neighborhoods or for families. Also, people often live and work outside the City. So cars are essential.
    Sure there are some people whose lifestyle allows them to live without a car; but there is no reason that everyone should be forced to either live that lifestyle or move out of the City.
    Vague arguments about "sustainability" are just silly; We need to look at the actual needs of people who live in this City and cars are part of that. This City is more than just single bike riders. Anti-car fanatics should really try (for once) to think beyond themselves and care about the needs of the entire population of San Francisco.

  43. Post Thumbnail  

    mikesonn

    I agree with patrick, that one really stuck out to me as being awesome. On the flip side, how does a 2 family building in RUSSIAN HILL get 5 parking spots? That is beyond excusable. Those cars might be off the street while parking, but they will be on the street driving, taking up space, and spewing crap into the air. That is a crime and the planner that ok'd that variance should be fired.

  44. Post Thumbnail  

    Ted King

    #21 (taomom)
    Take a look at the number of stoplights along the way. There are a quite a few and it seems to me that the Muni trains aren't given priority. This is especially bad at Fourth + King. The T-Third often has to wait for a narrow slot in the signal timing before it can make its turn. And if you are in an N-Judah behind that T-Third - DELAY !
    [ I wonder if the plans for the T-Third ever included a bypass track along the south side of Mission Creek on into the N-Judah's mini-yard.]

    The rails on Geary St./Blvd. were yanked after 1956. The anti-streetcar lobby used the BART master plan as the final nail in the coffin. I once lived near 3rd Ave. + Geary and was riding buses ON Geary in 1960.

    Geary Streetcar : http://www.outsidelands.org/B-line.php
    Streetcars RIP (2/3 down) : http://www.outsidelands.org/sw16.php

  45. Post Thumbnail  

    patrick

    "The building will have 23 units and parking for only two cars, both of which will be car-share vehicles"

    I love that, I think every new development should have only car-share parking.

  46. Post Thumbnail  

    Alan from Berkeley

    One thing that helps with both parking economics and the perceptions of potential residents is to de-link parking from units: require the new renter or condo purchaser to affirmatively select and separately pay for any dedicated parking space. That can happen independently of the parking-to-units ratio, and in buildings with a ratio less than one is a better idea than including parking only with the more expensive of the units.

    This was an "encouraged" idea in Berkeley's Climate Action Plan and may still emerge in our Downtown Area Plan (currently the subject of another passionate battle that may only be resolved with a November 2010 ballot measure). Those of us favoring a denser downtown with 5000 new residents see unit-specific dedicated parking as an unaffordable luxury and a bad social use of center-city space.

  47. Post Thumbnail  

    jamie

    Hard to think of any neighborhood in the Bay Area with more transit options than Rincon Hill .... the 0.5 to 1 parking ratio works fine, especially if there are some car shares onsite too. Now if we could get a congestion charge to drive downtown during the worst hours, say 4pm - 7pm Monday through Friday ... encourage those living outside of SF to use transit to get here ... that'd be a bold step forward too.

  48. Post Thumbnail  

    mikesonn

    Filbert sure feels like it after a work out and carry groceries.

  49. Post Thumbnail  

    jombee

    Bringing more cars into the city affects everyone. Exemptions to parking maximums should never be granted.

  50. Post Thumbnail  

    Shawn Allen

    Yeah, I can't say with any degree of any certainty that it's the steepest, but that stretch of 22nd is pretty ridiculous. Every Tuesday my boot camp trainer used to have us do sprints up it. I've never felt more exhausted after a single minute of exertion than on those damned "hill days".