Mission Mission

More bike lane desecration! Well if a government institution does it, I guess that makes it ok. This feat is particularly impressive given the difficulty around getting past those mailboxes.

Well, at least he’s not blocking the whole lane like the last guy. Must be a cyclist when he’s off duty.

Previously:

Freshly Painted Green Bike Lanes on Market Apparently Not Quite Enough

The construction crews have finished re-paving the street and have commenced painting the new boundaries for vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians.  At first glance, it might look a lot like the old Valencia.  However, the discerning viewer can appreciate the myriad improvements here. 

First of all, that wide, unnecessary, center-dividing “parking lot” has been eliminated in favor a simple, sensible yellow line that widens only at intersections to allow for left turns.  Sorry bros, no more parking in the center divider just so you can pop into Puerto Alegre for a quick marg.  Gonna have to stick with the party bus from now on.

As a result, this creates significantly more space for vehicles in the middle of the road, which consequently allows the bicycle lanes to not only be wider but also further away from the rogue suddenly-swinging-open parked car doors that have a nasty habit of clotheslining unsuspecting cyclists. 

Vehicles still have enough space to park (as before), while pedestrians also manage to come out ahead since they get a few extra feet of sidewalk space.  So if I see you and 4 of your friends all walking towards me on the sidewalk in a horizontal line so you can all pleasantly chat together, I’ll still think you’re an asshole, but at least I’ll be able to get by you.

So, what’s the final equation, Prof? 

[Valencia] – [center divider] = [more fucking space for everybody]

Of course, I’m all for the “greening” of San Francisco, but I think the city planners might have taken things a little too far in this case . . .

Previously:

Coming Soon: Valencia Streetscape Improvements

Valencia Doing Work

Getting A Feel For The New Valencia

It’s been a long-standing revenge fantasy of mine to set up a decoy bike and equip it with GPS from a cheap cell phone. Then I’d wait for it to get stolen and track it down to the source: some kind of crime kingpin guy with an eyepatch living in a mansion in Russian Hill. He’d know the jig was up and there would be an epic chase ending at the top of Sutro Tower. Then there would be a high-altitude fight scene involving crossbows and I think you can fill in the rest.

Unfortunately, thinking over this scenario further, it never seemed to make logistical sense. I mean yeah, maybe I’d track the bike to an intersection in Bayview, but then what? Knock on every door and ask, “uh, did you steal a bike recently?” then mace the dude on the spot if he answers yes?

Good thing the SFPD is teaming up with the SF Bicycle Coalition to do these sorts of sting operations for us. Sometimes it’s best to leave things to the pros.

SFAppeal reports:

The sting operation pilot program will begin later this summer and will target the Richmond district, according to Esparza. A decoy bike will be set up with a transmitter and once it is stolen, police will be able to track the bike to the person in possession of it. The SFPD will also continue keeping an eye out for stolen bicycles on Craiglist and in Bay Area pawn shops.

So basically if you want your bike to be safe, park it in the Richmond for the next couple of months.

Get the rest of the scoop at SFAppeal.

Barcelona Cycle Chic over the weekend toured up to Copenhagen for the Dutch Cargo Bike Championships. Look at this champ up here, haulin’ tires and such. What fun!

Lots more pictures here.

Previously:

Bike Lanes in Copenhagen

No matter where you live, work, walk, or ride throughout the City, you must have noticed the recent installations of  many more bicycle parking racks on sidewalks everywhere.  The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has made significant progress working with the SFMTA to make it much easier to request bike racks for specific sidewalk locations that you may particularly notice need more bike parking. 

While it’s FANTASTIC to see such progressive municipal cooperation in the name of expanding bicycle safety and ridership, am I the only one who’s getting tired of the utilitarian standard grey bike rack design?  Don’t get me wrong; they are clearly sleek, strong, and functional but I feel that a jazzier design would not only help further excite the population about cycling, but would also look way cooler! 

A recent trip up North to visit our Canadian neighbors in Vancouver presented a colorful and stylish alternative.  I walked up and down city streets for two days and could not even find two bicycle racks that looked alike!  Perhaps some criticism can be leveled at the apparent flimsiness of those triangles, but no doubt San Francisco’s intelligent creative artistic community can come up with some aesthetically pleasing marriage of form and function. 

H&R Block Bike Racks

Also, to the business-minded folks out there:  countless potential branding opportunities! 

More examples of bicycle rack awesomeness (and a locked up lawnmower) after the jump . . . 

(more…)

A nice little story to brighten up this needlessly gloomy June morning!  After the call went out on Monday about a probably stolen tandem bike that was found abandoned after Sunday Streets by a kind stranger, sleuthy MM readers discovered a similar Craigslist ad and the real owner eventually came forward. 

Great work to everyone involved in uniting this happy couple and their trusty tandem bicycle!  We here at MM haven’t felt this useful since helping to reunite kidnapped Mr. Pickle with his delicious sandwich-purveying Mama Pickle.

Mr. Pickle Saga

BREAKING: Mr. Pickle Stolen!

BREAKING: Mr. Pickle Found!

BREAKING: Mr. Pickle Hostage Situation!

UPDATE: Mr. Pickle to be Voluntarily Returned?

Mr. Pickle Returned to Mama Pickle!

Previously:

Found a Probably Stolen Tandem Bike 

In the comments section of an earlier post, we’ve been having a serious talk about Critical Mass. On Monday, reader William wrote:

When I first rode in Critical Mass, it was great to have that feeling of safety, that thrill of being in control of the road. And riding with so many happy people? Awesome!

But in watching what it does to drivers, I’ve come to think that Critical Mass is a giant dick move. I’m sure it was useful once, but that time is long past. And I say that as a guy who hasn’t owned a car in more than a decade, somebody who commutes by bike every day. I’m tired of apologizing to non-bikers for a giant monthly inconvenience, and I wish everybody would give it up.

Yesterday, reader Hugh rebutted:

When I first drove a car in San Francisco, it was great to have that feeling of safety, that thrill of being in control of the road. And driving alone in my car? Awesome!

But in watching what it does to bicyclists, I’ve come to think that owning a car is a giant dick move. I’m sure it was useful once, but that time is long past. And I say that as a guy who likes to drive, somebody who uses a City Car Share pretty regularly. I’m tired of apologizing to bicyclists for a giant daily inconvenience, and I wish everybody would give it up.

Point Hugh!

Read the whole dialogue here.

Photo by davekeane.

And MM reader Steve is not sure what to do with it!

Some drunken thief abandoned it at 22nd and Guerrero.  I called the cops and waited around for an hour but they failed to show.  I guess the standard procedure here would be to post a notice and have the owner describe its details?  What does one do with an abandoned stolen bike?

Come to think of it, we’re not quite sure what to do with it either, so the best thing to do is to see what the rest of you have to say about it!  So far, we only know what not to do.

[Photo (NOT OF THE BIKE IN QUESTION) by thousandfold]

This here is the official route map for some Critical Mass they had back in 2006. Tonight, “organizers” will meet at Dolores Park to “plan” the “route” for Friday’s ride.

What’s that you say? You, like me, thought Critical Mass was unplanned and spontaneous. Think again! Back in the day, apparently, routes were planned, destinations were decided upon in advance. And some want to bring that M.O. back. Head over to the “official” “unofficial” SF Critical Mass “website” to read all about it.

The meet is at 7pm at 18th and Dolores if you want in.

See previous Mission Mission coverage of Critical Mass here.

I’m not sure whether this was an art piece or just a guy hauling produce, but it was the highlight of my Sunday Streets. Except for the Ferocious Few show of course.