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
Signs of Lax Enforcement of Car Restrictions on Market Street in SF
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Nearly two weeks in, the bans preventing private auto drivers from turning on to most of lower Market Street have, by all accounts, made the street safer and more efficient. But at an SFMTA Board of Directors meeting this week, member Gwyneth Borden noted that officers posted on Market “don’t seem to be as vigilant […]
SF’s Upper Market Street Gets First Phase of Safety Upgrades
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The SFMTA has completed its first wave of safety upgrades on Upper Market Street. The changes include painted sidewalk extensions (a.k.a. “safety zones”), high-visibility crosswalks, and signs prohibiting drivers from turning right at red lights. SFMTA officials and Supervisor Scott Wiener held a press conference today to mark the completion of the improvements between Octavia […]
Downtown SF to Get Another Protected Bike Lane; Ban on Cars Pondered
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The SFMTA Board of Directors yesterday unanimously approved a redesign of Second Street which will remove traffic lanes and add safety upgrades like raised, protected bike lanes and sidewalk extensions. After years of delay, SFMTA Board members and some attendees at the meeting said it may not go far enough, and that the agency should […]
Bike Station Opens at Civic Center BART After Two Years of Delay
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A bike parking and repair station opened at Civic Center Station today, providing BART and Muni Metro riders secure parking for 89 bikes, accessible only with a paid key card. Bike racks with another 60 spots were added outside the paid station area, adding to 63 existing rack spots. The paid parking was originally expected […]
Will the Bay Area Continue to Reduce Driving With Improved Transit?
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Commuters in the Bay Area ditched cars faster than in any other major metropolitan area between 2006 and 2013, according to a new U.S. Census report. With studies showing that car traffic in San Francisco is declining, the report is one more sign that efforts in SF and the region to attract commuters to transit, […]
SF’s Record-Breaking Bike Traffic on Market Street Neared 100,000 in July
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Record-breaking bicycle traffic on Market Street nearly broke the 100,000 threshold in July, according to the bike counter on SF’s most heavily-pedaled thoroughfare. Last month, 99,461 people were counted in the bike lane on eastbound Market at Ninth Street, topping the previous record of 97,302 in March. The record for daily bike counts was also […]
SF Supervisor Proposes Ordinance Urging Police to Let Cyclists Yield at Stop Signs
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Supervisor John Avalos plans to introduce a policy urging the SFPD to let people on bikes treat stop signs as yield signs. It could legitimize the safe, practical maneuver already practiced by the vast majority of people on bikes, which is legal in Idaho. While SF can’t supersede the state’s flawed stop sign law, Avalos’ […]
Major Car Restrictions, Large “Safety Zones” Come to Lower Market Street
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At long last, private automobiles are prohibited from turning on to most of lower Market Street downtown. City officials implemented the change yesterday with a press conference in front of one of two large “safety zones” — painted bulb-outs — that were also completed as part of the “Safer Market Street” project. SFMTA Director Ed […]
SFPD Harasses Bike Commuters
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Cops ticketing a cyclist for rolling a stop on The Wiggle. Subject of last week’s protest: http://t.co/xq1euSM4QQ pic.twitter.com/rTovDhLp5d — Kale Williams (@sfkale) August 5, 2015 SFPD Park Station Captain John Sanford has made good on his promise: Officers were out this morning ticketing bike commuters who failed to comply with a strict application of the […]
SF to Test Variable Road Pricing on Treasure Island
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Treasure Island will serve as San Francisco’s proving grounds for road pricing that adjusts in response to traffic conditions, as the city looks to minimize Bay Bridge car congestion generated by residents expected to move to the development site. When the first housing units on the man-made mid-bay island, formerly owned by the Navy, are […]
SFPD Revises Deadly Driving Campaign to Target People Walking and Biking
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According to the San Francisco Police Department, bikes and people are now cars, and everyone is responsible for committing the five violations that kill and maim San Franciscans the most often. The SFPD has proclaimed that its data-driven “Focus on the Five” enforcement campaign against deadly driving now also targets bicycle and pedestrian violations. In […]
Full Bike Compliance With the Stop Sign Law: An Effective Spectacle
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Countless bike commuters queued up for over a block yesterday to make a completely legal left turn on the Wiggle. As predicted, the demonstration showed the absurdity of how full compliance with the impractical stop sign law — which makes no distinction between bikes and cars — would actually play out. The Wiggle “stop-in” was […]