A Bike Rack Here, Please

On the same day that the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition sponsored a "Bike to School Day," I spotted this little red bike slumped alongside a street sign at Baker and Grove, outside Pacific Primary. There's no bike rack to be found anywhere nearby for students or staff or neighbors.

There's a reason for the dearth of bike parking. For nearly three years, no bicycle improvements have been allowed in the city as an extraordinarily time-consuming environmental impact assessment was conducted by court order. Within weeks the court injunction is expected to be lifted, and then simple things with no environmental hazards like bike racks can be installed.

Neighborhood schools and all the rest of us can request bike parking at all the places frequented by cyclists. If you're not a cyclist (yet), consider how racks will minimize clutter of our sidewalks with bikes upright in a few places instead of slung around light poles and parking meters.

To get bike parking at your favorite stop in NOPA or anywhere in the city, call 415 585-BIKE or zip a request here. Provide the address, cross streets, and, if applicable, name of business.