Women Who Bike: Merylee Smith Bingham

Merylee Smith Bingham: commute destination in NOPA. Photo: Merylee Smith Bingham

How do you describe your bicycling style?

Law abiding, to a certain extent. Cautious in certain situations. Assertive sometimes.

As a former member of the San Francisco Bicycle Advisory Council (BAC), I got to work on some of the first bicycle education materials that the City of San Francisco published. During my tenure on the Education Subcommittee as well as when my kids were learning to bike, I was Law Abiding all the time. I had to model best practice. To do this, it's important to know the rules and regs. Today if there's traffic at a stop sign, I obey. If there's no one there but me, I use the old "Hollywood stop." But it's disastrous to act without knowing how you should behave on the road.

I'm also cautious. I was doored once. Back then, as now, my mantra was "Hang onto the handlebars." I did when I was doored. Every seam in my bike popped. The guy's door remained permanently open. I acted like the old guy in the Laugh-In skit who just fell over sidesways on his tricycle. But I had no road rash at all. Today I ALWAYS let the guy in front, whether car or bike, make their move before I make mine. I certainly don't sidle up alongside a car when there's a green light and expect he'll continue through the intersection. I make eye contact as much as possible. And I'll never never cut across traffic from a right-hand bike lane to make a left turn (which I recently saw). I'll ease myself into the lane and then make the left. I also thank folks when they give me their right of way. Even a friendly wave makes things better.

As for being aggressive, I've been bicycling for years now. Sometimes I just want to get to my destination and will ride at a good speed to do so. I've found that motorists see you better if you really move on the bike. If I enter an intersection, I'll stand up on the bike and pedal. Bobbing up and down while I pedal, I'm more visible. Body language tells a lot. Use it.

How often do you bike and what for?

I'm a commuter. I bike into NOPA from the Mission three to four days a week. I use the bike for shopping and tasks. I also use it to sightsee when I have the chance.

What can San Francisco do to encourage more women and girls to bike?

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has some great classes on biking. They also have great bike tours. Take one of these. I particularly enjoyed their Sewer Tour. We used to gather friends with kids and ride as a group to Golden Gate Park or some other kids' destination. Or we'd take them to Mission Bay to teach them how to maneuver the railroad tracks and such. What parents do with their kids makes a big difference when kids grow and start to spread their wings. Although my kids don't bike regularly now, they never felt the need to get their driver's license. I'm proud of their choice. It's such a great step forward.

It helps to find a partner to bike with when you start out, especially someone who has regularly ridden the City. If you can't find someone to bike with, walk the route, or take the route slowly. Get used to the bike, the laws, the sites, the potholes, the way traffic flows. Don't be afraid to ask if there's a quieter street to ride.

Take a class on how to maintain your bike.

My volunteer efforts with the SF BAC included attempting to get bicycle education into the school curriculum. I understand how much needs to be taught in such a limited time. The San Francisco United School District offered us a 1/2 hour safety class in 7th grade health ed. We asked them to install bike racks. They refused because of liability issues. Without a good place to park your bike, why bike? Today there's Bike to School Day. Parents are biking with their kids to school.* It's much more enlightened.

Have friendships started with biking?

I made so many great connections working with SF BAC and the Regional Bicycle Advisory Committee (REBAC). I see some of them to this day. But when I'm biking, I don't really get the opportunity to chat. It's fun to recognize the regulars who are on my route to work. I keep an eye out for them and am a little disappointed when we don't cross paths.

I surprise people when I bike by ...

Thanking them for their road courtesy with a smile and a wave.

My message to women who want to try biking:

Bike by all means! I got started because I saw a ceramics teacher biking to school from North Marin. I figured if he could do it, then I could too. I lived by a lot of railroad tracks then and during my early biking efforts I became "my own railroad" (BN note: Marylee is referring to a comedic sketch by Lord Buckley about getting stuck in the tracks). But it's easy to learn how to avoid these situations. Back then I commuted from the Mission to North Beach, and I was often mistaken for a bike messenger. There also wasn't a place to park the bike when I got to work. So I carried my old heavy clunker up the two flights of stairs each day. Cardio and weight lifting taken care of in one fell swoop. Biking keeps you healthy, happy and sane.

* The San Francisco Day School participated in Bike to School Day this year as noted in this previous BIKE NOPA post.

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Women Who Bike is a collaborative effort by BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City that features San Francisco women and their bicycles. Each Monday and Wednesday, check both sites for the experiences, stories, and ideas of women who bike the city. For previous BIKE NOPA posts in this series, check here. Post a comment and leave a message for our featured riders.

New NOPNA Logo "Captures the Essence of the Neighborhood"

Leela Gill knows the North Panhandle neighborhood. Within the 30 square blocks that the neighborhood association, NOPNA, considers its boundaries, Gill has made a home for the last two decades, one that she shares with her husband, Charles Higgins, and her two sons, Trevor and Parker. When NOPNA President, Jarie Bolander, urged the organization to get a new logo, Gill had a good idea for what might represent her neighborhood. "Being able to ride a bike anywhere, walk anywhere, and be in a beautiful green park area represent aspects of our hood that people appreciate. We are lucky to live in the heart of a dynamic city with such an eclectic environment and this logo captures this essence in many ways."

The new logo presents an active neighborhood with residents eager to be outdoors walking and biking and being together. Geographical references include a green path for the Panhandle and the "block" NOPNA font that suggest the 30 square blocks -- from Fell to Turk and Divisadero to Masonic -- that define the neighborhood. Gill also likes the yellow font "because it is bright, friendly, and welcoming -- these are characteristics we hope people feel when they are in our neighborhood."

Nearby neighbor Gus Hernandez* submitted the winning design. He told BIKE NOPA that he wanted the image to reflect the strong identification the neighborhood has with its location, primarily Panhandle Park. His other recent work includes an illustration used for the header of the Alamo Square Neighborhood Association's website. He collaborated on that project with his partner, Sam, who designed, directed, and implemented most of the site.

Jarie Bolander is eager for NOPNA to use the new logo for all of its marketing materials. "Gus' logo captures the essence of the NOPNA neighboorhood because it blends all the elements that make NOPNA unique." When San Franciscans celebrate Sunday Streets in NOPA, the Western Addition, and Japantown on September 19th, they can expect to see the bright image along the blocks through the North Panhandle.

*For design services, contact Gus Hernandez here: gushernandez1@gmail.com

Divisadero Art Walk: Pics from Early Visit

A warm Thursday night along the Divisadero Corridor for the best Art Walk yet. I visited early without staying late with my friend Mariana, listened to the steel drum on the sidewalk, joined the crowd with the band outside Mojo Bicycle Cafe, chatted up the stunning face and body painter, checked out the rock-era photos at Madrone Lounge, stopped by the Wigg Party outpost, smiled at the the artist wearing her digital art around her neck, looked in at the Workshop on McAllister at Baker, and then crossed the street to the Matching Half Cafe to see new photos of street scenes from Portugal. A perfect walk, art and all.

Here's the visual sampling: no names, no locations, just the scene on a very livable Divisadero.

Thursday night's Divisadero Art Walk promises even more. If you've sampled, sipped, savored, and strolled previous Art Walk extravaganzas, you already know Divisadero the night of June 3rd is a must. For newbies, this dynamic scene is too good to miss. Consider the discounts, specials, and free performances provided by more than three dozen merchants up and down the corridor. Just a sample, randomly selected:

• Ziryah Mediterranean Grill: free appetizer with purchase of 2 entrees or 2 cocktails
• Country Cheese Company: 10% off all day
• Candy Bar: $4 sparkling cocktails and art show
• PACT, Inc.: art show and raffle
• Little Star Pizza: one pizza @ 50% off
• Bar 821: Happy Hour Half-Off Draft Beer and Champagne Cocktails
• Madrone Art Bar: art reception for Rock and Roll photographer Larry Schor
• Matching Half Cafe: extended Happy Hour, $1 espresso shots, art show
• Capricorn Framing: 20% off all day

For all of the above, see Divisadero Art Walk for details and restrictions.

You can get a special sneak peek at the art here.

Then there's the action on the sidewalks: sales, promotions, more art, performances, the Wigg Party (wear your wig!), and cool neighbors. NOPA's streets don't get much more livable than this (opening the street itself to art walkers seems inevitable).

Women Who Bike: Constance Cavallas

Her bike takes her everywhere. Photo: Andrew Rogers

"Why rent a truck to move 3 blocks when you can borrow a bike trailer?" Photo: Jeff Enlow

How do you characterize your bicycling style?

I am a confident rider. I am cautious and aware of my own skill level, and I don't have too much pride to give an oblivious driver my right of way if it becomes a matter of my safety. I'm also a very sweaty rider. I guess I could slow down but there is something really rewarding about getting off my bike out of breath sometimes.

How often do you bike and what for?

I bike for everything, all the time. Work, errands, shopping, meeting friends, riding just to ride -- everywhere I need to go in the city (and sometimes out of the city in combination with public transit), my bike takes me there.

What can San Francisco do to encourage more women and girls to bike?

First, more women would ride if they felt safe and comfortable, so of course continuing to make additions and improvements to the bike infrastructure is a must. For me personally, having an experienced friend show me easy routes and patiently let me develop my own pace made a world of difference. I was very nervous and intimidated when I first tried riding a bike in SF and now I look back and laugh at what I considered "hills" so I think sharing knowledge and finding a mentor can really make a difference. Lastly, normalizing bikes in the media. Media influence is huge, especially for teens and younger. So it would be great to see more main characters riding bikes, to get less biased news coverage (no more associating everything bike-related to Critical Mass or danger), and to have far fewer car commercials. (I'm talking to you, Hulu).

Have any of your best dates or friendships begun with biking?

The same week I bought my first bike, my best friend, Nick, and I rode to Golden Gate Park to have a picnic. We had been friends for awhile, but that day romantic feelings blossomed. We agree it was the bike! It changed things! From that day forward bf meant best friend and boyfriend. That was three years ago. Now we are planning to go on a long distance bike tour this fall.

I get upset when I'm biking when ...

Someone intentionally passes me (to boost their ego?) and then they go slow in front of me.

My message to women who to try biking:

Do it! It's fun, it's easy, it's healthy, and you will feel great inside and out.

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Women Who Bike is a collaborative effort by BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City that features San Francisco women and their bicycles. Each Monday and Wednesday, check both sites for the experiences, stories, and ideas of women who bike the city. For previous posts in the series check here.

B2B at 100: NOPA Residents Upset with Mayhem, Register Alarm at NOPNA meeting and Cite the Problems in Survey

Editor's Note: This post is part of a series about neighborhood efforts to reclaim Bay to Breakers as a foot race and party that San Franciscans can support and celebrate for all the edgy, quirky, and fabulous things it has represented for most of its 99 year history.

B2B at 100: News with Commentary

For a great many residents in the North Panhandle, especially those who live near Fell Street, Bay to Breakers is no longer a whimsical, outrageous, and fun annual event. For the last four years the party following the foot race has attracted crowds of unruly, drunken revelers. They disrupt the neighborhood, threaten residents, and disrespect property. Their numbers are too great for the limited event management mounted each year. NOPA neighbors -- along with many residents in Alamo Square, the Divisadero Corridor, Hayes Valley, and the Lower Haight -- feel the city has essentially acquiesced to the sorry state of affairs that resembles mayhem to those who lived with it up close. All these sentiments and charges poured out during a NOPA community meeting and with comments registered in an online opinion survey.

At the May 20th meeting of the North Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA), more than 50 concerned and angry neighbors listened to B2B organizers claim that "the event won't survive" without more community support. "The race portion is fabulous," the organizers said. "For us the race is over in two hours, but the second half keeps getting worse." They blamed rowdy party-goers, "They abuse the privilege of the event." They said ING, the insurance giant who served as B2B's primary sponsor, paid out more than $300,000 to city departments for traffic and crowd control, services, and clean-up. Even with that outlay this year's race devolved into the most disruptive and damaging of any in the last several years. Everyone at the meeting appeared to agree.

Community members complained that they had to deal with an out-of-control crowd treating the neighborhood as one big drunken party with excessive drinking the norm. One Broderick Street resident said he had to construct a barrier in front of his garage and home to deter the crowds from urinating and defecating on his property. This year he left the city during B2B to avoid likely confrontations with trouble-makers. Another resident on the same block said she was afraid to leave her home as crowds became even more rowdy. Neighbors charged that there was little "active policing" by SFPD officers in the area. "They stood there and watched, but they didn't do anything with all the mayhem in front of them," one resident said. Another claimed people who lived on the nearby blocks had to endure the brunt of the bad behavior while one corner store close to the Panhandle reaped the benefits with customers buying more than 35o cases of beer. The difficulties were not confined to Fell Street or even to Hayes; a few neighbors said they dealt with harassment along Fulton Street three blocks away. One neighbor said he was considering taking legal action against the city over the havoc from the party. No one at the NOPNA meeting objected to the race itself, the occasional nudity -- "I've seen naked people before," one older woman commented -- the floats, people gathering on their blocks in itself, or drinking alcohol in moderation.

NOPNA also sought feedback about B2B experiences from residents in an online survey; 59 neighbors responded. The survey collected the opinions of a self-selected sample, and neither the survey nor the meeting represented all neighbors. And indeed seven individuals expressed satisfaction with the day and were happy to have the B2B course through the neighborhood. One respondent said "it was the price to pay for living in such a great city." Another thought the race was "too clean" and "too sanitized" and that there should be fewer regulations. All the others reported dismay or outrage over the behavior on the streets after the racers passed through. The public urination and defecation was a flashpoint for residents' anger, but several also mentioned the combativeness and sense of entitlement among the party crowd. More than a few wrote about having to spend the day fending off drunken men and women from their porches and property. One concluded, "Generally felt like the aftermath of a battle. Overall appalling."

"The event has become something that threatens the health and safety of the neighborhood and its residents," Jarie Bolander, NOPNA president, explained at the start of the May 20 meeting. "It's been going on for four years, and it keeps getting worse." He later told BIKE NOPA that he feels a responsibility to address the problem. "I live with these people, and I'm concerned with their safety. How happy would people in the Marina be if this party happened on their blocks?"

Bolander is working with other neighborhood associations representing Alamo Square, Hayes Valley, the Haight, and Divisadero merchants to present a call to action to the city. They will demand the city develop far more extensive plans for crowd control, alcohol abatement, clean-up, and taking public health hazards seriously. (See today's accompanying article on BIKE NOPA with Bolander as a guest contributor).

San Franciscans who live several blocks away from the B2B party scene might shrug off the difficulties as the nature of big celebrations in a tolerant city. Many will suggest the solution lies simply in renting more porta-potties and stepping up police enforcement. They might support some restrictions on alcohol consumption. For them the once-a-year event will likely fade into this year's contribution to civic lore. But their recommendations fall short when tens of thousands of inebriated people too drunk to bother with civil behavior or porta-potties disrupt neighborhoods.

Bay to Breakers may fade altogether, just before reaching its centennial celebration. Unless the Mayor and Board of Supervisors, the SFPD, and department heads join with concerned citizens to reclaim the city's iconic event and make the tough decisions about regulating the party and outlawing the excessive drinking. Without such comprehensive planning and restrictions, Bay to Breakers seems likely to hit the wall after 99 years.

B2B at 100: "It's A Matter of Civic Pride and Safety" by NOPNA President Jarie Bolander

B2B: The race isn't the problem Photo: Michael Helquist

Only early birds drinking coffee saw these racers on Fell Street Photo: Michael Helquist

Editor's Note: This post begins a series about neighborhood efforts to reclaim Bay to Breakers as a foot race and party that San Franciscans can support and celebrate for all the edgy, quirky, and fabulous things it has represented for most of its 99 year history. BIKE NOPA is pleased to have Jarie Bolander, president of the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA), begin the discussion with this guest contribution.

This year's Bay to Breakers left several neighborhoods abused in its wake. The damage was felt particularly in the North Panhandle. NoPa residents (including home-owners, renters, guests, and friends) had to resort to defending their homes from hordes of drunken, obnoxious, and often violent revelers. The bad behavior seriously disrupted the sense of personal safety and the good will that usually prevail on our blocks. During several hours of binge drinking, the unruly crowd took the liberty of depositing the contents of their bladders and bowels on anything and everything. Most neighbors were unsuccessful in stopping this madness. When they tried, they were verbally abused and sometimes physically assaulted. The disrespect and confrontation that played out on our blocks tears at the very social fabric that binds a civilized community. As a San Franciscan and community leader, it makes me nauseous to see how this cherished tradition as been damaged.

To understand better how this year's Bay to Breakers affected NoPa, our neighborhood association convened a community meeting four days after the race to voice their experiences with the event. Fifty residents attended along with B2B representatives. Everyone felt that this year's race was the worst in recent memory. Of particular note was the spillover onto the north/south blocks between Hayes and Fell, especially on Broderick and along four blocks of Hayes. Residents complained of a raucous and dangerous frat party atmosphere that left many feeling the situation was combustible.

NOPNA also encouraged neighbors to complete a survey with their reactions to what happened on our blocks. More than 100 did so. The responses were similar to those expressed at the NOPNA meeting: people who live on or adjacent to the race route felt threatened, defenseless, scared, and abandoned. Many now feel that the event has become a public health hazard and a tinderbox just waiting for a spark.

Clearly, something must change. Now that ING has dropped out as an event sponsor, it is more important than ever that all stakeholders come together to ensure that the fun and sport of the race do not once again get overwhelmed by what becomes, in effect, a city-sanctioned drunken mob scene. It's obvious that some race stakeholders assume more of the burden and receive less of the bounty than others. Bay to Breakers is a boon for hotels, restaurants, and liquor stores, but its a bust for residents on or near the route. This inequality must be rectified.

NOPNA feels strongly that planning must start now to ensure that the Centennial Year for Bay to Breakers returns to its roots as a fun-for-everyone event. To this end, NOPNA proposes the following ideas as a starting point of discussion:

• Create a citywide Bay to Breakers task force that brings together all stakeholders (residents, race officials, runners/racers, the police and fire departments, City Hall, local businesses, and corporate sponsors)
  
• San Franciscans should agree that this is a citywide issue, not one just for a few neighborhoods or District 5. The mayor and all the supervisors must engage the issue, and the Mayor's Office must provide leadership
• Make all alcohol tax revenue on the day of the race go to clean-up efforts and to non-profits
• Limit the time period of the race and party to 2-3 hours and then close the race and open Fell Street to vehicle traffic
• Consider splitting the event into a race and a festival with the latter sponsored by the city
• Punish inappropriate behavior by enforcing laws to weed out the hooligans; make the police involvement more than a presence with a vigorous effort to cite individuals and intervene in altercations
• Make the race day an emergency preparedness drill day so that emergency service can practice controlling large crowds of people
• Enable neighborhoods to guide resources where they are needed most by creating B2B "responsibility zones" so that locals can get rapid responses to dangerous or illegal disruptions

Bay to Breakers is an iconic San Francisco tradition that should celebrate our uniqueness not our sleaziness. No one wants to see what happened to Halloween in the Castro (closed down because of dangerous, violent behavior) happen to Bay to Breakers. As San Franciscans we can come together to ensure that the Centennial event next year returns to its celebration of the uniqueness of our city that everyone can be part of. If you share my commitment to return Bay to Breakers to a spirit of camaraderie and cooperation, get involved with the planning process. Urge the mayor's office to establish a task force and participate in the discussion and planning. NOPNA will provide updates* about its involvement on its website at nopna.org .

*Editor's Note: See other articles in the B2B at 100 series here.