Bay Area Bike Trail Wins Federal Grant

Last Tuesday, under a program called TIGER II (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery), the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $600 million total to 70 "innovative transportation projects."

In February, the SFTMA was awarded $46 million to replace Doyle Drive.

This year, the east bay seems to be the winner, being awarded $10.2 million "to help the East Bay Regional Parks District close gaps in its 200-mile system of paved trails."

Randy Rentschler of the Municipal Transit Commission attributed the win to the project's unique goal of encouraging more and more people to choose biking and other alternative, environmentally-friendly modes of commute. (source)

The East Bay Parks General Manager Pat O'Brien echoed these sentiments, saying, "A safe convenient connection means commuters are much more likely to take public transit, walk or bike as a commute alternative to driving, and that benefits everyone including commuters, transit agencies, and our environment." (source)

This bike path aims to aid over 700,000 east bay residents commuting to work, but will cost a total of $43.3 million. The grant covers 25% and the Parks District is hoping for taxpayers to cover the rest. So commuters might have to wait a while before the full benefits of this project can be achieved.

Safer Streets to Yield More Biking

After four long years of waiting for better and safer streets, the Bike Plan injunction was finally lifted in August and cyclists in the city are already beginning to see the changes.

New bike lines are being painted down on Townsend, North Point, and Laguna Honda. But these small victories are just ripples in the waves of change the San Francisco Bike Coalition has in mind for our city. In the latest edition of their quarterly publication, the Tube Times, the SFBC announced their new campaign entitled "Connecting the City" the end goal of which is to increase the range of ridership "from an eight-year-old child to an eighty-year-old grandmother" by designing a city bike network that is resolutely safe and comfortable.

Their method for accomplishing this is heavily inspired by European engineering feats. For example, in Norway, you can step on a foot plate by a steep hill's curbside and the bike lift will roll you and your bike up at a speed of 4mph.

And according to this article in the SFGate, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu is following the same train of thought after recently spending time in the bike-friendly Netherlands.

The article says that, "Chiu believes that the share of bike trips can and should be dramatically higher, if the city makes the commitment to make two-wheel travel safer and more convenient."

Both Chiu and the SFBC believe in the bike lifts and support plans to build separated bike pathways with physical barriers on big traffic streets like the Embarcadero, Valencia Street, Fell Street, Oak Street, and San Jose Street.

The SFBC is also pushing for a bike bridge from Marina Green, around Fort Mason, to Fisherman's Wharf, a bridge which the city might not be able to fund. The city is looking to spend $25 million on these projects for the roads over the next 5 years, but most of this funding will be given to striping lanes and adding bike lanes.

It's important to remember that nothing is set in stone yet, but the future seems to hold some exciting changes for cyclists.

To read the Tube Times Fall 2010 edition online: http://www.sfbike.org/download/tubetimes/tt_fall2010.pdf

"Shed the Lycra, Slip on Your Dancing Shoes"

November 13th is this year's annual Bikers Ball held by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition.

Come join your fellow cyclists cut a rug at Servino Ristorante in Tiburon, CA, down by the waterfront.

There will be beer, wine, appetizers, live music by the band Vinyl, and a silent auction for various goodies (one of which is a Cannondale Super Six 5).

Only 200 tickets are available; get yours at www.marinbike.org.

10th Annual AIDS LifeCycle

AIDS/LifeCycle is a 7-day bike ride through California, starting in San Francisco and ending in Los Angeles during the week of June 5th-June 11th, 2011. This 545-mile ride raises money and awareness for both the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

The Mission:

Raise funds to support the HIV/AIDS services of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation;

Increase awareness and knowledge about the services and programs offered by the benefiting organizations;

Increase awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among participants, their donors and the general public;

Increase AIDS activism and volunteerism among the participant and donor communities, inspiring them to become ambassadors in the fight against AIDS;

Provide a positive, life-affirming experience for people affected and infected by HIV;

Contribute to an increased understanding of the disproportionate impact HIV has had on the GLBT communities in SF and LA;

Encourage an environment of dignity and improved quality of life for those affected by HIV and AIDS.

The Route:

"You’ll ride an average of 80 miles a day, over varying terrain. One day, you’ll be riding a flat route along the coast or through artichoke and strawberry fields, the next you might be riding through fog banks and foothills. The course is designed to be challenging but completely doable, so be sure to train well in order to fully enjoy your week. No matter what, you can count on the constant presence of our Roadies on the route, who help keep everyone safe and sound. We are serious about safety and do everything possible to ensure your happiness and well-being during this week."

Online registration begins October 25th from 7:00 P.M. to 7:45 P.M.

To find out more, visit http://www.aidslifecycle.org.

Will Prop G Improve Muni?

Voting Day is coming up and one of the most important propositions on the ballot for the future of public transportation is Prop G. Prop G would force SF transit operators to negotiate wages and benefits through "collective bargaining". According to an SF Gate article, had Prop G been in effect this past fiscal year, Muni would have saved $19 million, money with which they could have ostensibly used to prevent service cuts.

Supporters of Prop G do not see this as a solution to the multitude of problems commuters have with Muni, but as leverage for management "to address inefficiencies and improve service."

Currently, Muni operators' base wage is $29.52 an hour. It is mandated in the City Charter that they earn at least the second-highest pay in the nation.

Muni operators believe that this proposition is using them as scapegoats for the cause instead of directly addressing the "bloated bureaucracy" whose execs and admins are making $200,000-$300,000 a year.

It seems that those higher up are putting the blame on those lower down and vice versa while the rest of us are left to deal with the increasing frustration of subpar service. Both operators and execs are neglecting the real issue at hand and if they ever stop playing the blame game, maybe they'll get around to solving some real problems.

Try BART Week is October 18-22

Starting next Monday, BART is giving away free prizes to random passengers who text the "Word of the Day" shown on BART platform destination signs. Prizes include $2,500 value of BART tickets, Southwest Airline tickets, tickets to local museums, sporting events and theater/musical productions, Green and Black's chocolate, gift cards for Jamba Juice, and Alter Eco food baskets.

More prizes will be given out on Monday, October 18th for the Kick-Off Event at 12th Street Oakland City Center from noon to 1 P.M. They'll be handing out chocolate bars and other pretty cool giveaways.

So if you normally drive to work, take a break from it next week. Even if you don't win anything, you might save yourself a little money on gas and frustration from traffic.

More details here.

City Low on Funds for Street Repair

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/11/BA6J1FMK31.DTL

SF's Department of Public Works is facing a $533 million backlog just to keep up with the city's current pavement condition. This backlog is looking to grow to $750 million during the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

But as all cyclists and motorists have seen, the streets needing repaving are multiplying much quicker than the city has means to fund it. According an article in today's SF Gate, "The department filled 15,334 potholes in the past fiscal year and has received 2,274 complaints of street defects so far this year."

The department is dealing with this by targeting the streets in the greatest states of disrepair, but, unfortunately, these are the streets that will cost the most to repave.

Major Roadway Repaving Projects for 2010-2011:

Under Current Construction:

• Fell St. from Polk to Steiner
• Bush St. from Van Ness to Franklin, Octavia to Laguna, Buchanan to Steiner, and Pierce to Presidio
• Monterey Blvd. from Ridgewood to San Anselmo
• Santa Clara Ave. from St. Francis to San Anselmo
• Eddy St. between Van Ness and Cyril Magnin
• Ellis St. between Van Ness and Powell

Anticipated:

• Woodside Ave. from Laguna Honda to O'Shaughnessy
• O'Shaughnessy Blvd. from Portola to Bosworth
• Noriega St. from 19th to 27th Aves.
• Holloway Ave. from Harold to Junipero Serra
• Bush St. from Battery to Montgomery, and Grant to Van Ness

It seems the city will finally be addressing some of the dangers on the road. So keep a look out for these changes and other hazardous streets. To report dangerous conditions, call 311 (or 415-701-2311).

Tragic Muni Collision

Yesterday evening, 22-year-old Derek Allen collided with the 44'OShaughnessy Muni bus and was declared dead at the scene.

According to an SF Gate article, Allen was riding on the sidewalk before riding off the curb and in front of the bus. The driver tried to swerve out of the way, but "both Allen and his bicycle ended up under the bus." Muni tested the driver for drugs and alcohol, but further details of this accident have not yet been released.

From the details given in the article, it appears that the driver is not at fault. However, this tragedy is just further evidence of the danger cyclists face in our city and that we must find ways to prevent an accident like this from happening again.

Coming Up: Biketoberfest and SF Bike Expo

Have some fun and mingle with other cyclists on Saturday October 16th @ Marin's Biketoberfest and on Saturday November 6th @ SF Bike Expo.

Biketoberfest promises live music, beer tasting, and group rides. Doors open at 11 A.M. and it's FREE.

SF Bike Expo starts 10 A.M. and is $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Come and check out the demos, the vendors, and the eclectic buzz of all kinds of cyclists.

We'll be at both events all day so be sure to check out our booth and say hi!

Caltrain Increases Fares: Big Surprise

Firstly, fares are going up by 25 cents in each of the six zones and by 75 cents if you're commuting between San Francisco and San Jose, making your ride $8.50. The monthly pass for these two cities is going to be $225.00, going up by $20.00.

Secondly, four weekday trains will be eliminated.

And finally, just to pour salt into the already gaping wound, service cuts will make it so that trains only arrive once an hour.

These changes are all in an effort to fix Caltrain's $2 million budget deficit. But Caltrain riders would be interested (and infuriated) to know that even with this deficit, the administration's payroll has increased by 14% in the past three years.

Caltrain, cover up; your greed is showing.

To read more: http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2010/10/06/caltrain-cutting-service-raising-fares-amid-salary-increases/

With Apologies to Henry David Thoreau

Thoreau once wrote, "Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves."

Well, in San Francisco, it's going to be rather difficult to accomplish this transcendentalist goal thanks to Junaio.

Junaio is a "mobile augmented reality browser." And unless you work in software programming, chances are you're going to have to google what that phrase even means.

So what does it do? Junaio "provides users with interactive web-based information and services wherever they are" as an application for the iPhone and the Android.

According to the company, users need only to point their camera and are instantly fed historical and logistical information regarding their surroundings via the web. Effectively, with Junaio, people will never be lost.

BART recently teamed up with Junaio, supplying the latter with its API (application programming interface). According to BART, this collaboration will allow for the following:

"Junaio lets users tag photos, audio and text in the real world and leave digital 'crumbs' behind at particular locations for others to explore. For example, a rider coming out of the Montgomery BART Station in San Francisco could see recommendations left by friends for restaurants or shops to try that are nearby that station. Or, simply by pointing the camera on her phone, a user could find the direction of the nearest BART station and get a list of estimated arrivals for the next several trains to her destination."

An ABC article said that, "New York hasn't done this. Chicago and Washington haven't done this" so it would seem that thanks to BART, San Francisco is one of the first major cities to use this technology.

The act of discovering a new favorite cafe requires no more effort than the tap of a finger now. For this generation, technology is the preservation of the world, not wilderness. Sorry, Thoreau.

Biking is the New Black

NYtimes: "The number of adult female cyclists is growing faster than that of men [...] Some of these women seem to view their bikes, equipped with high-end saddle bags and bells, as a stand-in for a car [...] 'A bike in New York City is sort of what a convertible is in Los Angeles,' said Bonnie Morrison."

Leave it to the ladies of New York City to turn their bikes into a fashion statement. These new bike-enthused women ride around the city heeled and helmet-less. Ignoring the obvious hazards of this trend (though, these women shouldn't), it must be noted that San Francisco has been there and done that.

Compared to New York, we may not be considered fashion forerunners, but we have been biking and doing it with style for a long, long time. And in the bay, we've been working pretty hard on safe biking. So a word of advice from SF to NY? Put on a helmet or get off that bike. Your bike may be chic and in right now, but I can guarantee that your accident won't be nearly as cute.