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
Applying the Parklet Strategy to Make Transit Stops Better, Quicker
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San Francisco’s parklet revolution has broadened the possibilities for how curb space can be used. Now, city planners in SF and the East Bay are taking the idea in a new direction: using temporary sidewalk extensions to make transit stops more efficient and attractive. Three different names for the concept have emerged from planners at […]
SFMTA Proposes Short-Term Safety Upgrades for Octavia Boulevard
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Ten years after Octavia Boulevard opened in the footprint of the former Central Freeway, the SFMTA has proposed a package of short-term safety fixes for people walking and biking, especially along the cross streets. The upgrades could be implemented by the end of 2016. Proposals in the works include a bike lane on westbound Page […]
Walk SF Gives City a Mixed Score on Street Safety Progress
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Walk SF today released its second annual Street Score Report Card [PDF], which it bills as the “only comprehensive review of the City’s progress towards improving pedestrian safety and walkability.” The report is the first thorough attempt to assess how well the city has followed through on the mayor’s 2013 Pedestrian Strategy. SF agencies’ progress […]
Muni’s Yellow Pole Markings at Transit Stops Will Be Replaced By Real Signs
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The days of Muni stops marked with no visual cue except a utility pole with yellow paint and black stenciled letters are coming to an end. As part of the Muni Forward upgrades launching this weekend, the SFMTA will raise the standard for signage at every stop. At the very least, every stop will include […]
In SF, All Meters Now SFpark-Ready, More Demand-Based Pricing to Come
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The SFMTA recently upgraded all of SF’s 29,000 parking meters to “smart meters” that are enabled for demand-based price changes throughout the day, a la SFpark. Now, the SFMTA plans to expand its smart pricing program that has curbed car traffic to more existing meters. “SFpark showed that demand-based pricing can improve parking availability without […]
Chinatown Program to Turn Kids Into Safe Streets “Investigators”
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A new after-school program will teach kids in Chinatown not just how to survive on car-centric streets — but also how to redesign them. Students in grades 3 to 5 will learn to act as “city street investigators” in a program launched by the Chinatown YMCA, the Chinatown Community Development Center, the SF Safe Routes […]
Why Townsend Street Needs Protected Bike Lanes at 4th and King Station
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Anyone who uses Townsend Street’s eastbound bike lane to commute to Caltrain is sure to run into a litany of obstacles: Taxis, shuttles, private autos, and Muni buses obliterate the poor bike lane in the fight for curb space. (Much of the curb is reserved as a taxi stand.) Sam McCandlish sent in this video, […]
“Walk [Your City]” Signs Take the Guesswork Out of Hoofing It in SF
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You may have gotten a kick out of some of the signs posted along Market Street in recent weeks telling people how long it takes to walk to destinations like Yerba Buena Gardens, Civic Center, and even the Pacific Ocean. The signs are the doing of Walk [Your City], a national effort to facilitate what […]
SF Celebrates “Walk to Work Day” with New Ped. Signal in Front of City Hall
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As public officials and safe streets advocates marked Walk to Work Day, the city activated a pedestrian signal at the mid-block crosswalk in front of City Hall, where 68-year-old Priscila Moreto was killed last October. The wide, zebra-striped crosswalk, which previously had button-activated flashing lights, now has green and red phases, so drivers have a clearer signal […]