Aaron Bialick
Aaron was the editor of Streetsblog San Francisco from January 2012 until October 2015. He joined Streetsblog in 2010 after studying rhetoric and political communication at SF State University and spending a semester in Denmark.
Recent Posts
“Vie Bikes” Looks to Make Cargo Biking Accessible for SF Families
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More San Francisco parents are discovering that cargo bikes are the new family minivan. But while it’s increasingly common in SF to spot a parent pedaling their helmeted offspring around, cargo bikes and motorized bikes remain off the radar of most families looking for better ways to get around the city. In leading bike-friendly cities like Amsterdam and […]
Supervisors Want More Bicycling Classes in Their Districts at Less Expense
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Several supervisors say they’d like to see city-funded bike education classes distibuted more equally among their districts, and to attract more participants to reduce the per-person cost of the program. At a recent committee meeting of the SF County Transportation Authority Board, which is comprised of supervisors, members raised their concerns when they approved a […]
SFMTA to Install Three More Digital Bicycle Counters
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The SFMTA plans to install three more bicycle counters with digital displays on busy biking streets. They will be placed “at visible locations on high volume bicycle corridors,” though the exact spots haven’t been finalized, according to a city planning document. “Potential locations include Market Street, Valencia Street, and the Embarcadero.” The SFMTA has already […]
All Muni Buses Now Have Transit Lane Enforcement Cameras
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Muni has installed front-facing cameras on every Muni bus to ticket drivers who double-park in transit-only lanes. Muni is the first major American transit agency to have enforcement cameras on every bus. The first transit lane cameras were installed as part of a pilot program in 2008. Like system-wide all-door boarding, the idea could spread to other transit systems. Muni didn’t […]
SFPD Blames Victim for Biking Through Red Light But Won’t Cite Evidence
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Contrary to initial reports, the SFPD says Charles Vinson, 66, ran a red light on his bike when he was hit and killed by a driver at 14th and Folsom Streets on March 2. Immediately after the crash, the SF Examiner reported that a witness “saw the vehicle blow through a red light and strike the bicyclist […]
Four Protected Bike Signals Coming to Polk Street By May
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Today the SFMTA announced details about the first package of safety upgrades coming to Polk Street in the next few months. They include signals at four intersections that will give southbound bike traffic a separate phase from drivers turning right, making Polk the second street in SF to get the configuration. By May, the SFMTA said it would install the bike signals at […]
SFPD Sends 86-Year-Old Driver On Her Way After She Injures Mom and Child
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An 86-year-old driver hit a 45-year-old mother and her 5-year-old daughter in a crosswalk yesterday at 20th Avenue and Buckingham Way, outside the Stonestown Galleria mall. According to KTVU, the driver was taken away in an ambulance “for an undisclosed ailment” but was soon returned to her SUV to drive home. The police said “they […]
As Tenderloin Crosswalks Get Safer, KPIX Weeps for Lost Parking Spots
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The SFMTA recently implemented a simple measure to improve visibility at crosswalks in the Tenderloin, a neighborhood with very high concentrations of both pedestrian injuries and children. Corners at 80 intersections got the “daylighting” treatment, which improves visibility by clearing parked cars that obscure sightlines between drivers and people in crosswalks. It’s one of the latest efforts in the city’s […]
Most Lyft Customers in SF Sign Up to Share Their Trips
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As of January, a majority of Lyft trips in San Francisco use the ride-hail app’s “Lyft Line” carpool feature, according to the company, meaning most passengers are looking to share rides with other people taking similar trips. Lyft Line users aren’t always matched up, and Lyft spokesperson Paige Thelen said she couldn’t tell us how many Lyft […]
Eyes on the Street: Idiots Continue to Park in the Oak Street Bike Lane
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Looks like some tickets are in order. Even with planted protective barriers alongside the Oak Street bike lane, some drivers haven’t got the message and continue to park or stop in it. It’s not clear if the violations are happening less often, and it’s still early in the learning curve, but the hope had been that the planters […]
Wiener’s Prop B Yields More Money Than Expected for Muni, Safe Streets
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SF voters may get more money than anticipated for better transit and safer streets from the passage of Proposition B, a measure crafted by Supervisor Scott Wiener to increase the share of general funds for transportation based on population growth. With city coffers boosted by tax revenues resulting from a booming economy, Prop B is expected to […]
Wiener to SFMTA: Don’t Warn Double-Parkers, Cite Them
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Typo correction: The SFMTA says commercial vehicles are only allowed to double park when there is no legal parking space nearby. At a hearing this week on the prevalence of double-parking in SF, Supervisor Scott Wiener said parking control officers shouldn’t give double-parked drivers a chance to move before receiving a citation. “If the worst thing […]