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
Fell and Oak Safety Features to Finally Be Installed By April
| | 28 Comments
The final pieces of the protected bike lanes and pedestrian safety upgrades on three blocks of Fell and Oak Streets are now due to be finished by April, according to the Department of Public Works. Assuming this timetable holds up, construction of the project will conclude two years after the originally promised date in spring […]
Eyes on the Street: 3 Blocks of Bus Lane on Haight — How About One More?
| | 9 Comments
The SFMTA extended the red Muni-only lane on the east end of Haight Street last week, adding a third block to the red carpet rolled out for the 6-Parnassus and 71-Haight/Noriega lines in November. The lane, which includes a contra-flow block connecting directly to Market Street, lets Muni riders headed downtown bypass the queue of […]
Will the SFMTA Board Demand Complete Protected Bike Lanes on Polk Street?
| | 44 Comments
The watered-down re-design of Polk Street is expected to go up for approval by the SFMTA Board of Directors in March. But support seems stronger than ever for a bolder plan that includes protected bike lanes along the whole length of the corridor, as many residents and merchants call for safety to be a higher priority […]
Muni “Double Berthing” on Hold Two to Four Weeks, Pending CPUC Approval
| | 17 Comments
Muni may finally launch “double berthing” in its Metro stations in two to four weeks, “barring anything we can’t think of,” according to Muni Operations Director John Haley. Muni riders were first promised simultaneous loading of two trains in underground stations in October 2013. More recently, the launch was scheduled for December, then delayed again. Muni demonstrated a live test on […]
Eyes on the Street: Embarcadero Bike Lane Gets Greater Priority at Battery
| | 7 Comments
The southbound Embarcadero bike lane was re-aligned and painted green this week to smooth out a tricky junction where people on bikes have to merge with right-turning drivers between Sansome and Battery Streets. Previously, the bike lane disappeared on that block, and people biking were left to battle it out with fast-moving drivers. SFMTA Livable Streets […]
New Data Shows Most Trips in SF Are Made Without a Private Automobile
| | 40 Comments
San Franciscans don’t drive nearly as much as previously thought, according to new SFMTA survey data. But the needle hasn’t moved much in recent years either. More than 50 percent of trips in San Francisco are made without a private automobile — and it’s been that way for at least three years, according to travel […]
Hearst Corp Backs Off Bid to Tear Out Annie Alley Street Plaza
| | 5 Comments
The Hearst Corporation has withdrawn its appeal against the Annie Alley street plaza [PDF] after talks with city planners and the Yerba Buena Community Benefit District. The bid to get the plaza torn out was surprising, since Hearst had been involved in creating the plaza, leading to speculation that closing the alley to cars had irked executives at the company. […]
Forum: Keeping Up With Caltrain Ridership
| | No Comments
From Friends of Caltrain: Caltrain ridership has more than doubled over the last decade. With development in many places along the Caltrain corridor and many, especially younger people, choosing to drive less, ridership is likely to continue to grow. How can Caltrain keep up with capacity needs? What’s being done to plan for grade separations […]
New Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf: “Time to Re-Envision Our Roads”
| | 19 Comments
New Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf showed promise as an executive with a smart vision for her city’s streets at the annual kick-off party for Young Professionals in Transportation’s SF Bay chapter this week. In an interview at the event with Sam Greenspan of the podcast 99% Invisible, Schaaf said “it’s time we re-envision how we […]
Coming to 13th Street: SF’s First Downtown Parking-Protected Bike Lane
| | 34 Comments
San Francisco may get its first downtown parking-protected bike lane on 13th Street this spring. The SFMTA will be taking comments on the plans at a hearing tomorrow morning. The bike lane would be installed only in the westbound direction of 13th underneath the Central Freeway, from Bryant to Folsom Streets. It would complement the existing […]
Eyes on the Street: Muni’s New 55-16th Street Line Spotted Early
| | 8 Comments
Muni’s new 55-16th Street line was sighted in service on Monday, with buses making runs between the 16th Street BART station and Mission Bay, nearly a week ahead of the official launch date on Saturday. Kyle Barlow sent in these photos of buses making stops at the University of California SF hospital, set to open […]
Stockton Street “Winter Walk” Plaza to Return Next Holiday Season
| | 4 Comments
The incredibly popular (but temporary) “Winter Walk” plaza will return to Stockton Street in Union Square for another holiday season in December, the local business improvement district announced. The news isn’t a huge surprise, given the boost to business brought by the plaza and the fact that the one-block section of Stockton is already filled with […]