The San Francisco Board of Supervisors today gave preliminary approval to what advocates call the strongest bicycle access legislation in the country. The ordinance [PDF], which would require downtown building managers to provide secure indoor bicycle parking for employees either on-site or nearby, is expected to receive final approval from the board next week and be signed into law 30 days after that.
"Today's vote is another way that San Francisco is proving itself to be a great place to do business and to bicycle," said Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. "The city took a significant step forward today in recognizing that more people bicycling benefits our city's economy."
"An impressive number of businesses ranging from law firms to tech companies to real estate firms are already making it easier for more of their employees to bike to work, and this legislation will help even more companies become more bike-friendly," she added.
Supervisor John Avalos, who introduced the legislation, noted the broad support it enjoys, particularly from the Building Owners and Management Association (BOMA), which was involved early on in its development. All supervisors except for Carmen Chu and Sean Elsbernd voted in favor of the proposal.
"With many companies expressing the desire for bicycle parking and storage, BOMA recognizes the need to provide safe, secure parking for bicycling employees," said BOMA President Meade Boutwell in a statement. "Members of [BOMA] are concerned about the environment and promote the use of sustainable transportation options, including bicycles."
BOMA's support, noted Avalos, "says a lot about where we've come from in terms of how much cycling is accepted as a means of commuting in San Francisco."
At a recent hearing on the proposal, SFBC Program Manager Marc Caswell pointed out that it will benefit far more than the "hundreds of thousands" of San Franciscans who already bike to work. It will also provide incentive for "the thousands of other people who are interested in biking to work, but are discouraged because they do not have a secure place to park their bike right now," he said.
