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
It’s the Little Things: A Notably Positive SFPD Encounter on My Bike
| | 7 Comments
Last night, I was biking home on Irving Street in the Inner Sunset when I encountered an all-too-familiar sight: A double-parked car. I signaled and moved to the left to pass the car, in view of an SFPD cruiser behind. Normally, I’d expect the police to move along, doing nothing about this kind of situation. […]
Eyes on the Street: Drivers Blatantly Park in the Oak Street Bike Lane
| | 13 Comments
If the tow trucks stowed in the Fell Street bike lane weren’t enough a blatantly dangerous abuse of space for people on bikes, the situation on its Oak Street counterpart can be even more egregious. Patrick Traughber recently tweeted the above photo of five vehicles parked in Oak’s curbside, buffered bike lane, squeezing bike commuters […]
Haight’s New Contra-Flow Transit Lane Gives Muni Riders a Shortcut
| | 12 Comments
The new contra-flow transit-only lane opened on the east end of Haight Street last week, providing Muni riders a red carpet that both eliminates a detour and whisks them past queues of auto drivers headed for the Central Freeway. As a longtime rider of the 71-Haight/Noriega and 6-Parnassus lines, my first ride on the new lane […]
SFMTA Proposes New Car Restrictions, Extended Bus Lanes on Lower Market
| | 24 Comments
Last week, the SFMTA presented its proposal to ban private auto drivers from turning onto Market Street, between Third and Eighth Streets. The move would be complemented with extended transit-only lanes, plus a new system of wayfinding signs aimed at keeping drivers off of Market. The new plans, named “Safer Market Street,” would be implemented over nearly a […]
SF Officials Tout School Zone Safety Upgrades on Walk and Roll to School Day
| | 2 Comments
On another record-breaking Walk and Roll to School Day, Mayor Ed Lee and other city officials held a press conference to tout recently-completed pedestrian safety measures on streets surrounding Bessie Carmichael Elementary in SoMa, and three schools in the Avenues. Almost 90 schools and 14,000 children citywide were estimated to have participated in the event — […]
NACTO Street Design Guides Now Official Policy in SF
| | 8 Comments
The Board of Supervisors yesterday voted unanimously to establish the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ Urban Street and Urban Bikeway Design Guides as official policy for all city agencies, as proposed by Supervisor Scott Wiener. “Safe and livable streets start with smart street design reflecting the needs of all users,” Wiener said in a statement. “Safe streets and […]
Witness: Hit-and-Run Driver Fled With Victim in Sunroof, Tried to Toss Booze
| | 17 Comments
A drunk driver who hit a man crossing the street at Valencia Street and Duboce Avenue Sunday continued to drive with the victim hanging head-first inside the sunroof, according to a witness who saw the vehicle stop outside his home on Market at Guerrero Streets. After continuing for three blocks past the scene of the […]
Walk and Roll to School Day
| | No Comments
From SF Safe Routes to School: Walk and Roll to School Day is the kick-off event for our SF Safe Routes to School (SF-SRTS) Program. The SF-SRTS Partnership provides free giveaways to schools as an incentive to host their own Walk and Roll to School events. In 2013, 76 schools across the city participated. We hope […]
Supervisors Committee Hearing: Adopting the NACTO Guides
| | No Comments
Agenda [PDF] 1. 140952 [Administrative Code – Better Streets Policy – Including the National Association of City Transportation Officials Urban Design Guides] Sponsor: Wiener Ordinance amending the Administrative Code to include the National Association of City Transportation Officials Urban Street Design Guide and Urban Bikeway Design Guide as an additional reference in City transportation planning […]
SFMTA Board of Directors Meeting
| | No Comments
Agenda Of note: 11. Approving various traffic and parking modifications along the 9 San Bruno rapid Muni transit route included in the Transit Effectiveness Project’s Service-Related Capital Improvements and Travel Time Reduction Proposals
Persia Triangle in the Excelsior Welcomes Two Parklets
| | 6 Comments
Persia Triangle, in the Excelsior, now has two parklets and other streetscape paint treatments that enliven the prominent but otherwise dreary intersection. The improvements were unveiled, with a ribbon cutting, at Sunday Streets last week. The temporary sidewalk expansions, which feature planters similar to those at Jane Warner Plaza in the Castro, replaced parking spaces on […]
SFTRU/SFBG Forum: Bridging the Gaps in Transit and Housing Funding
| | No Comments
A joint Bay Guardian and SF Transit Riders Union community forum From SFTRU: San Francisco needs more affordable housing, a robust public transit system, and fully funded social services if it is to remain an efficient, diverse, compassionate city. Unfortunately, some political leaders have pitted transportation and housing activists against one another in recent years, […]