Open letter to SFMTA Board: Approve the Biking and Rolling Plan – AND strengthen it
Dear Board of Directors,
We are the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and we are asking you to approve the Biking and Rolling Plan this month, while also directing SFMTA staff to come back in 6 months with a progress report on implementing Slow School Zones, and to come back in a year with an amendment that commits to rigorous All Ages and Abilities standards on all crosstown routes within the Plan’s first five years.
This plan, which is the product of nearly 3 years of work and enormous outreach and engagement efforts, will shape the future of biking and rolling and how people will get around our city for years to come. That future must include people of all ages and abilities riding safely on our streets, free from traffic violence.
Recognizing the already-present impacts of climate change, the new SF residents that will accompany 82,000 new housing units, and the need for improved livability, equity and quality of life in a city, passing the Biking and Rolling Plan is more than a common sense decision.
As we all work to avert the Muni fiscal cliff, our city must also commit to solid biking and rolling infrastructure and programs to complement transit choices. And if changes come to Muni service, we cannot have thousands of people getting into single occupancy vehicles – road congestion would worsen, pollution would skyrocket and traffic violence would increase. A first-rate city is one that has both strong public transportation and active transportation options. We are counting on you to get us there.
This Plan must represent the floor, not the ceiling. Passing it is the first step — the most important and challenging part will be implementing it. And to do that, we need your leadership. We call on each of you to approve this plan, and to direct staff to quickly begin implementation with updates on the Slow School Zones in six months and crosstown routes in one year.
Lastly, thank you to the SFMTA’s Biking and Rolling Plan team for all your work on this plan in the last three years.
Sincerely, Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition