Walk San Francisco » Events

News from Walk SF’s Feb newsletter

member intern — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:18:19 +0000

The House just passed a transportation bill that slashed funds for biking and walking — and actually repealed Safe Routes to School. Thanks to everyone who spoke up — Representatives received thousands of calls. But the bill still squeaked by; now the fight moves to the Senate. Stay tuned.
More from the February Walk SF newsletter:

An Open Letter to Mayor Lee from Walk SF:

How Mayor Lee Can Make Smart Investments in Safer Streets in 2012

At Walk San Francisco’s member bash last month, Mayor Ed Lee celebrated making San Francisco the first big city in the state to help kids walk to school by creating 15-mph zones at 60 schools, out of 180 to come.

“We will, in our lifetimes, get to zero pedestrian deaths,” declared the Mayor, calling for “experimenting out of the box with every possible idea to make streets safer.”

The mayor set a bold vision for San Francisco, and an “out of the box” approach may be just what we need to reach it. But to stand by his commitment, Mayor Lee must provide the leadership our city needs to make smart, immediate investments to improve pedestrian safety in 2012.

Read on for Walk SF’s 5 Steps to a Better City

Thanks for Stepping Up!

elizabeth — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:02:03 +0000

Thanks to everyone to attended the “Stepping Up” event at the City Club — what a great night!

Walk SF Member Meeting & Greeting, Thurs 12/8

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:17:41 +0000

Don’t miss this opportunity to get together with Walk SF members and special guest speakers:

Mayor Ed Lee
Supervisor John Avalos
Supervisor Scott Wiener

Celebrate how you’ve helped change the city this year, and find out what’s ahead in 2012.
Enjoy delicious food and drinks provided by the Beach Chalet brewery and Bi Rite Market, and win raffle prizes from Monk’s Kettle restaurant, Public Bikes, Sports Basement, City Carshare, and more!

Thurs Dec 8, 6 – 8 pm
SPUR penthouse, 4th floor
654 Mission St at New Montgomery
Free for Walk SF members
Not a member yet? Join now or at the door.
RSVP TODAY

Join us to celebrate Walk SF’s work to make San Francisco’s streets safer for you and your family every day. See you there!

Improve Fell & Oak, Saturday 12/3

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:23:19 +0000

Do you live or walk or work near Fell and Oak?

Fell and Oak are wide, fast, dangerous streets that can feel like freeways cutting through the city. New plans for separated bikeways present an opportunity to narrow the streets and calm traffic, for example by removing a travel lane.

These changes will occur along the three blocks of Fell and Oak Street between Scott and Baker Street. The SFMTA has three options with some analysis of the benefits and trade-offs of each option – you can read more here.

Drop by SFMTA’s Open House this Saturday any time between 10am and 2pm to learn more and weigh in:

Fell and Oak: SFMTA Open House
Saturday December 3, 10 am – 2 pm
350 Masonic Ave, at Golden Gate

Drive safely or face consequences, says DA with Walk SF

admin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:29:50 +0000

ABC news video

On Tuesday, District Attorney George Gascón held a press conference with Walk SF and the SF Bicycle Coalition to urge motorists to take responsibility, drive safely, and avoid crashes like the ones that caused several recent pedestrian fatalities.

From today’s San Francisco Chronicle:

Gascon promised that his office will “prosecute these cases aggressively, if appropriate, ” but urged drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike to be more careful.

Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF agreed: “The holiday season is a time of sharing — and we should be sharing our streets,” she said.

Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition added “It really takes vigilance on everyone’s part.”

But while the speakers urged everyone to be more cautious, it was clear that the message was mainly directed at motorists. Stampe called on the San Francisco Police Department to step up enforcement, particularly of speeding and failure to yield the right of way to pedestrians, a campaign Gascon said he also supports.

“A lot of responsibility lies with folks piloting what can be 4,000-pound vehicles,” Stampe said. “So while were asking everyone to watch out, we’re reminding drivers that we have a lot of responsibility when we drive. It can be up to you to determine whether people survive a walk through the city.”

Walk SF will continue to work with the District Attorney to make sure people who endanger others with dangerous driving face a penalty.

You can find more stories from the event on Walk SF’s “In the News” page.

Fall Newsletter: 42 school zones and counting!

elizabeth — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:49:08 +0000

Walk SF’s fall newsletter is hot off the e-presses!

Save the date for Walk SF’s Member Meeting and Greeting, Thursday Dec. 8 at 6pm at SPUR. RSVP here

Not a member yet? Don’t miss out! Join Walk SF now.

In this edition:

October 5th is Walk to School Day!

elizabeth — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 03:11:12 +0000

: Photo by Adrienne Johnson

Wednesday, October 5 is International Walk to School Day. Over 40 schools in San Francisco will be participating in celebrating the event.

At Marshall Elementary in the Inner Mission, Walk SF will join Mayor Ed Lee, Supervisor Jane Kim, SFMTA director Ed Reiskin, and others to enjoy the walk in with Marshall students and parents.

On this year’s Walk to School Day, for the first time, the streets around Marshall Elementary will have new 15-mile-per-hour signs as a result of Walk SF’s campaign for safer speeds around schools!

More schools will continue to get the new 15-mph school zone signs until a total of 213 schools have these signs up by the end of next year, and the police will be enforcing the new limits. These safer speed zones will calm traffic in neighborhoods throughout the city and make San Francisco even better for walking.

Underfoot: Bay Area Artists Look Down, Sept 14-17

elizabeth — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:02:48 +0000

Join local artists and experts on San Francisco arcana for an art show, bike tour, and art party that takes it to the street:

Underfoot: Bay Area Artists Look Down

Wednesday Sept 14 – Saturday Sept 17
Workspace Gallery, 2150 Folsom
Free; donations benefit Walk SF

Wednesday Sept 14: Opening night
Drinks, popcorn, and aesthetic appreciation of a whole new realm:

7:00 pm – Art Opening: Workspace Gallery presents 14 Bay Area artists responding to the land below our feet. What do we see and feel about this ground we walk over, tunnel under, drink and eat from, dig up, and bury our dead in?

8:00 pm – “Exploring the Lost Marks of San Francisco’s Unseen Tradesmen,” by Christopher Reynolds of Reynolds-Sebastiani Design. Enjoy a virtual photographic tour of street utility covers and what they reveal about San Francisco history.

Saturday Sept 17: Bike tour and art party
Follow the unseen waterways of the city, then celebrate:

3:00 pm – The Sewer Ride: Join us for an aboveground bike tour of San Francisco’s sewer-stormwater system, with a focus on the Mission District and Mission Creek. The tour will be approximately three hours with stops; it starts and ends at Workspace.

7:00 pm – Gallery Party! Come together on the show’s final night to raise a glass to artists, streets, and waterways as we close out this marvelous show. Special bonus: Live music from delightful Blues/Americana musician Deborah Crooks.

Bring your friends and support local art and advocacy! All events are free. Donations requested to support Walk San Francisco’s work to make city streets better for you and your feet.

Workspace Ltd is a 30,000-square-foot artist-occupied, former industrial laundry building located at 2150 Folsom Street between 17th and 18th. Miles Epstein, our generous host, has more info on his website, milesepstein.com

Today: SF's First Safer School Zone!

elizabeth — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:36:42 +0000

Note the "1" pasted over the "2" to take the speed limit down 10mph!

Huge step forward today for safer streets!

This morning, Walk San Francisco, Mayor Ed Lee, and city department heads announced an initiative to help kids walk to school: New 15-mile-per-hour speed zones going up around all city schools this fall.

For Walk San Francisco and all its members, this is a victory in a long campaign. Throughout the year, Walk SF has kept up a drumbeat of attention on pedestrian safety and calmer streets, starting with new speed zones around schools.

Putting up the first new 15-mph sign on 7th Ave near George Peabody School! Photo courtesy Bryan Goebel, Streetsblog

Why? Because speed matters. Just a small reduction in vehicle speed makes the difference between life and death.

These school zones are an important step toward calming traffic throughout the city and helping to reclaim our streets as safe, pleasant public space that we can all enjoy.

San Francisco is the first big city in the state to adopt these 15-mph zones, and Walk SF is looking forward to safer streets and calmer traffic around over 200 schools.

Walk SF is also working with the Police Department and MTA on a clear plan to enforce every single one of these new speed limits, to really make sure they’re effective.

These new speed zones will help create a more safe and sustainable city, helping kids get to school safely and calming traffic in neighborhoods throughout the city.

This is a big step forward for everyone who walks in San Francisco.

Peak2Peak 2011: Registration now open!

elizabeth — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:40:07 +0000

12 miles. 15 peaks. This is not your ordinary walk in the park.

On the 7th annual Peak2Peak walk, you’ll discover hidden stairways and explore new paths, while supporting Walk SF’s work to make San Francisco a safer, more fun place for you to walk every day.

Peak2Peak 2011
Sunday, September 25
9:30 am – (around) 4:30 pm
Guided walk starts from West Portal
Early-bird registration $65 — lunch included
Find out more and register today

The classic route — back by popular demand — will take you 12 miles up and down along the spine of the city, from Mount Davidson to Coit Tower. You’ll cross the city over wide sidewalks, dirt trails, hidden stairways, and take in glorious views from 15 different peaks! See the city in a whole new way. This event sells out every year — register today!