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
Mayor Lee Won’t Say Saving Lives Is More Important Than Car Parking
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Mayor Ed Lee shocked safe streets advocates when he told Streetsblog two weeks ago, “We shouldn’t promote bicycle safety over pedestrian safety over cars and parking” on Polk Street. “I think they’re all going to be important.” The Vision Zero Coalition sent a letter [PDF] last week asking Lee to clarify his statement, saying it gave “the […]
SFMTA to Study Safety Upgrades for the Richmond’s North-South Bike Routes
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The SFMTA plans to study safer walking and biking routes on five of the Richmond District’s north-south streets, which connect the Presidio and Golden Gate Park. At the behest of D1 Supervisor Eric Mar, the SF County Transportation Authority recently granted $100,000 in Prop K sales tax revenue for the SFMTA to launch the study. Over […]
Folks for Polk Pub Talk With Supervisors Scott Wiener, Julie Christensen, and London Breed
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From Folks for Polk: “What are we really talking about when we talk about Polk Street?” Jump into a lively conversation with the President and two members of SF’s Board of Supervisors. We’ll kick off connecting the dots between new infrastructure and gentrification. Tell us your thoughts about living in and getting about SF. Ask […]
Eyes on the Street: The Oak Street Bike Lane Is Now Protected
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At long last, the Oak Street bike lane has physical protection from motor traffic. Long-awaited concrete planters were completed last week. “We’re thrilled that the final pieces are finally coming together to make the bike lanes on Oak and Fell achieve the high level of protection San Franciscans were originally promised and that we have advocated […]
Painted Bulb-Outs Arrive at Howard Street — Are More Coming Soon?
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One year and four months after SF’s first painted curb extensions came to Sixth Street, the SFMTA has implemented its second set at three intersections on Howard Street, in tandem with a wider and greener bike lane. But for such a seemingly simple safety measure — using low-cost gravel and epoxy to expand sidewalk corners […]
Howard Bike Lane Gets Wider and Greener — Will Protection Come Soon?
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The Howard Street bike lane in SoMa, between Sixth and Tenth Streets, was widened and got some green paint this week. While it’s no protected bike lane, we’ve already heard from bike commuters who say the buffer zone and contrast make the ride a bit more comfortable. For the SFMTA, these improvements are low-hanging fruit […]
Police Ticket Cyclists Who Fail to Navigate Market and Octavia’s Bad Design
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Police were seen ticketing people on bikes navigating a poorly-designed junction at the dangerous Market Street and Octavia Boulevard intersection yesterday in the latest “People Behaving Badly” segment from KRON 4’s Stanley Roberts. The bike lane’s design is so flawed, in fact, that the only bike commuter Roberts showed navigating it properly happened to be one of the […]
Yielding to Cars-First Merchants, SFMTA Board Approves Polk Plan As Is
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The SFMTA Board of Directors voted unanimously yesterday to approve the watered-down plan to redesign Polk Street with a protected bike lane along one side of the street for 10 of 20 blocks. The board rebuffed efforts by member Cheryl Brinkman to preserve the possibility of adding protected bike lanes along the upper half of the corridor […]
SFMTA Board Approves Watered-Down Polk Plan, May Revisit It Later
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The SFMTA Board of Directors voted today to approve the plan to redesign Polk Street with a protected bike lane along one side of the street for 10 of 20 blocks. After a four-hour hearing, the board approved the plan with the condition that SFMTA staff would report on the impacts of the project a […]
Driver Kills Cyclist Charles Vinson, 66, at 14th and Folsom
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Update: SFPD issued a response below. Charles Vinson, 66, was struck by a driver at 14th and Folsom Streets in the Mission yesterday and died from his injuries today. A witness saw the driver of a Honda Civic “blow through a red light and strike the bicyclist as the bicyclist waited for the light to turn green,” according to the […]
Supervisor Breed Calls for Removing Some of SF’s Parking Mandates
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Supervisor London Breed has proposed a “Parking Flexibility Ordinance” that would make it easier for building owners and developers not to build car parking when it would impinge on the street environment for walking, bicycling, and transit. It would also count parking spaces against density limits, unless they’re built underground. The ordinance [PDF] was approved by the […]
Planning Dept Releases Design Guide for “Living Alleys” Around Hayes Valley
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The SF Planning Department released a design guide this week for “living alleys” [PDF], providing a template to transform SF’s narrow, low-traffic streets into places to gather and play. Inspired by the Dutch “woonerf” concept, the “Living Alleys Toolkit” lays out proven design measures that make smaller streets more inviting to stay and play on, giving street life […]