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Christopher White was named as the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's new executive director on Tuesday. Previously, he was interim director and its director of programs. He joined the organization in 2017 as coordinator for adult bicycle education.
"Our motivating vision is a citywide, interconnected network of car-free and people-prioritized corridors that allows anyone to leave their home, get on their bike or scooter, and within minutes be on the network that connects them to any other neighborhood, with minimal contact or conflict with cars,” said White in a statement.
White became interim director in October of 2023 after its previous executive director, Janelle Wong, stepped down.
“Christopher impressed us as interim executive director. He demonstrated thoughtful leadership, a steadfast dedication to our mission, and a strategic vision for building our movement,” said Roan Kattouw, President of the SFBC Board of Directors, in the organization's announcement.
"I started getting seriously into biking the summer after I graduated from college, when I biked from New Haven, Conn. to Vancouver, British Columbia as part of a ride to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity," wrote White in a post on the SFBC web page. "After those 4,000-plus miles, I was hooked! I’ve ridden as my primary transportation in most places I’ve lived, including Dublin, Ireland, Boulder, Colorado, and here in SF and Oakland for the past 14 years."
Streetsblog spoke briefly with White after a Vision Zero press event held May 16 on the steps of San Francisco City Hall. At the event, for the first time, Mayor London Breed promised protected bike lanes would be installed on Polk in front of City Hall. The mayor and her staff declined to give any time frame for their installation. "But she is saying it out loud," White told Streetsblog. "That gives us the ability to hold her accountable."
White takes over as the Coalition addresses disagreements about how to approach advocacy and how to respond to the city's ongoing failure to achieve its Vision Zero goals. Those disagreements came to a head over Wong's support for the center-running bike lane on Valencia Street in March of 2023. This past February, during an address to the SFMTA's board of directors, White said the Coalition was now "calling on staff to develop a plan for curbside, parking-protected bike lanes." That plan is now being designed.
Streetsblog will be doing a Q&A with White shortly to learn more about his background, his views on Valencia and other infrastructure projects, and to get his larger vision for the future of cycling in San Francisco.
“San Francisco is a beautiful city with strong values of equity, sustainability, and community activism,” continued White in his statement. “We know the change we seek is a civic good that helps us achieve those values. Creating a citywide network that makes biking and rolling easier to use than driving, and supporting that network with thoughtful policies, ensures a more livable San Francisco for all.”
