San Francisco Will Be Governed by a Car-Free Mayor for Next 24 Hours

Photo: Bryan Goebel
David Chiu trying out an electric bike around City Hall last year. Photo: Bryan Goebel

If you see a guy in a suit pedaling up Polk Street or around City Hall in the next 24 hours on an electric bike, just know that it might be your mayor. Today at 1 p.m., as Gavin Newsom was finally sworn in as lieutenant governor, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu became the acting mayor and will remain so until City Administrator Ed Lee is confirmed as interim mayor tomorrow.

We don’t expect Acting Mayor Chiu to order green protected bike lanes throughout the city but it is cool that — at least for the next day — our mayor is setting an example and not traveling around in an SUV. Chiu is considering a run for mayor.

Update: Chiu’s aide, Judson True, says he will be leading a bike ride to City Hall tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. The ride will begin at It’s a Grind coffee house on Polk Street and Washington. The public is invited.

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