History Races Through NOPA May 15th

Look for the Ambassadors in T-shirts; better yet: wear one

2010 racers on Fell near Masonic Photo: Michael Helquist

Brits Get Traction, Or Friction Photo: Michael Helquist

Countdown to 100th Anniversary Bay to Breakers Race

10 days

16 hours

17 minutes

05 seconds

Bay to Breakers is back and this is the big 100th. The longest continuously operating footrace zips through the North Panhandle on Sunday, May 15th. The party -- all wacky, bare, and safe -- continues long after the sprinters flash through on Fell Street. Hopes are stoked and

last year's flare-ups are tamped down. Everyone seems poised for a good time, even with different takes on what that will mean.

A coalition of eight neighborhood associations has worked to ensure the 100th race is crazy fun without the trash behavior many felt followed last year's romp. Besides the precautions for limiting participation in the race, the ban on alcohol in the race, more monitoring and more portable toilets, the group leaders have launched a Neighborhood Ambassador program for the centennial 12k run.

According to Jarie Bolander, President of NOPNA, the Neighborhood Ambassadors will help participants and visitors with the basic information they need

• Locations of restrooms
• Locations of trash collection areas
• Location of EMS services
• General event information
• General directions related to the neighborhood and course
• Provide the hotline number for neighbors and participants

Ambassadors then agree to

• Assist with clean-up efforts
• Assist with identification of problem situations or locations

But volunteers will by no means police or enforce any laws. Instead, they will observe, report and have a great time. All while wearing the limited-edition Zazzle Bay to Breakers Volunteer T-shirts.

Sound like work? Shifts are only for two hours and you can't beat the people watching. Organizers urge, "Be Part of History." Sign up at the Zazzle Bay to Breakers site .

Check more stories in the B2B at 100 series here.

B2B at 100: AEG Pitches Management Plan But Who Will Step Up for the After-Party?

2010 Bay to Breakers on Fell Street approaching Masonic Avenue

Bay to Breakers' 100th anniversary is only seven months and a few days away, and corporate manager AEG has stepped up with plans for a more closely monitored and controlled foot race. Yet the out-of-control "binge fest" atmosphere of the after-party of the last few years remains the trouble spot with neither AEG or, so far, the city assuming responsibility for full coordination of it. The 100th Bay to Breakers Neighborhood Task Force remains optimistic that both the foot race and the party will get the attention they require, but the group's leaders will protest granting B2B a permit if the sponsor or city doesn't follow through with a plan.

On September 16th, AEG representatives Angela Fang and Sam Singer pitched their management plan to the Task Force that has spearheaded a push to make the iconic celebration -- especially the after-party -- safer and more respectful to neighborhood residents along the route.* AEG had previously announced much of its strategy in community meetings and to the media. The major elements include prohibition of alcohol, required registration to be on the course, no floats, and all streets open to traffic by noon, additional fencing along the race course, increased private security and a greater SF Police Department presence. AEG will also conduct extensive marketing and community outreach to emphasize the fun and safety aspects of the race.

Neighborhood leaders were generally pleased with AEG's plans -- as far as they went. AEG's strategy primarily focuses on the race itself, while the groups want AEG to commit additional resources to help manage the tens of thousands attracted to the spectacle. Jarie Bolander, President of the North Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA), commented, "AEG still has some responsibility for the after-party." He added, with some frustration, "Someone has to step forward to manage the after-party. That can either be AEG or the city. We will protest B2B if the plan presented at ISCOTT does not include resources to manage the after-party." Bolander said the party time is the biggest issue before the stakeholder representatives and will be the topic of their next meeting.

Bolander said the group has primarily worked with Mike Farrah of the Mayor's Office as a contact for the meetings. He allowed that the November election and the possibility of getting a new mayor may slow planning for how to deal with next year's Bay to Breakers. The Neighborhood Task Force has yet to meet one of its own goals: to recruit a group leader to take its agenda to the city. For now, Bolander said leaders will meet more frequently in the months ahead and will increase their focus on neighborhood outreach and the after-party.

Participants at the meeting represented the following city offices, departments, and organizations:

• Mayor's Office
• SFPD Park Station, SFPD Northern Station
• AEG
• Citizens for Bay to Breakers
• Alamo Square Neighborhood Association
• Divisadero Merchants Association
• Cole Valley Improvement Association
• Haight Ashbury Improvement Association
• Buena Vista Neighborhood Association
• Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association
• Lower Haight Merchants & Neighbors Association

** ISCOTT: the Interdepartmental Staff Committee on Traffic and Transportation that discusses possible street closures for private or public events. For large events, like Bay to Breakers, the ISCOTT meeting serves as a public hearing.

For other articles in the B2B at 100 series, check here.

B2B at 100: Eight Neighborhood Groups Take Lead For Fun, Safe 100th Year Race

Representatives from eight neighborhoods along the Bay-to-Breakers route are setting the course for a successful and less contentious race and after-party in the centennial celebration next year. Presidents of the District 5 neighborhood associations developed strategies to counter this year's problems that range from outreach and promotion to a central command center and more extensive enforcement.

The group also wants to take a look at the economics of the race and the negotiations for the race permit. They have stepped-up their involvement in event planning after what many consider a disastrous after-party that trashed several neighborhoods. "There needs to be an action plan for either controlling or abating the after-party," Jarie Bolander, president of the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA), said. "It can no longer be left to neighborhoods to fend for themselves when so many problems overtake the event."

The associations call for a city-wide task force that includes all stakeholders including elected officials, city department heads and the chief of police, race managers and sponsors, race participants, and neighborhood representatives. The local representatives developed several proposals for the task force to consider:

• More involvement by SFPD District Captains, as well as the Chief of Police, with a central command center and an "on the ground" focus that directs resources to hot spots
• Prepare for the after-party as if it were a protest with visible paddy wagons along the course and with resources staged throughout the day not just until the end of the race
• Trained volunteers to "observe and report" illegal or dangerous activities to the police
• Possible sealing off of the race from side streets from Fillmore to Stanyan streets
• Promotion of the event to warn that infractions will result in fine
• Opening the permit negotiations now conducted between the Mayor's office and race manager AEG to more public review before the proposal is submitted to the city's hearing committee
• Opening the books on profit and loss of the Bay to Breakers
• Placement of port-o-potties off the course on neighborhood streets
• Reduction of the environmental impact with major reduction of trash along the course

The local leaders presented their recommendations to Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi last week and obtained his support of the process. "It's clear that Supervisor Mirkarimi shares our concerns and will help us in any way possible," Bolander wrote in a summary of the meeting. "We have seen that when Supervisor Mirkarimi is part of the process positive outcomes happen." Mirkarimi was closely involved with planning -- and setting limits on activities -- for the 2009 race, but pulled back from this year's event. Following the troubles with the out-of-control after-party this year, the supervisor's office said AEG had not consulted with them.

The neighborhood leaders are not alone in urging a re-thinking of B2B with involvement across the city. BIKE NOPA spoke with Supervisor Bevan Dufty about his district's experience with the Castro Halloween party that was discontinued after violence disrupted the event in 2006. District 5 leaders frequently cite what happened with Halloween in the Castro as a harbinger of what could befall Bay to Breakers. "It's so pleasurable the last two years (in the Castro at Halloween)," Dufty said. "There's not the huge drinking party, but you can walk on the sidewalks and streets and be with friends and have your party that way." Regarding the Bay to Breakers, Dufty commented, "I do believe this is a multi-district issue. I think the stakeholders need to make a comittment to make their voices heard and be part of the process."

The neighborhood groups believe they have initiated that process in an effort to protect neighbors from unsafe conditions, bring all stakeholders together, urge positive solutions to current event problems, hold responsible parties accountable, and make the 100th Bay to Breakers a phenomenally fun event for everyone.

The following organizations are participating in the B2B planning:

• Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association
• Divisadero Merchants Association
• Alamo Square Neighborhood Association
• Lower Haight Merchants and Neighborhood Association
• Haight Ashbury Improvement Association
• Buena Vista Neighborhood Association
• Cole Valley Improvement Association
• North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association

Jarie Bolander requests that anyone who wants to get involved with making the 100th Bay to Breakers "Fun for Everyone" to send an email to b2b@nopna.org

Check here for previous stories in BIKE NOPA's series B2B at 100.

B2B at 100: AEG Manager Says 2011 Last Year to Get It Right; Announces Major Marketing Campaigns

AEG race director George Ridgely and B2B manager Angela Fang at NOPNA meeting

B2B at 100: An ongoing 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 zany things it has represented for most of its 99 year history.

AEG fully intends to make the 2011 Bay to Breakers footrace a successful celebration for everyone involved, but if this year's disruptive after-party on neighborhood streets repeats itself, there may be no 2012 race. Angela Fang, general manager of the Bay to Breakers for corporate giant AEG, expects next year's centennial race to be a safer, less troubled event, but if it's not, she expects AEG to abandon the race in the future. "If we have another bad year next year, I think AEG will close it down," Fang told members of the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) Thursday night. AEG has already begun its outreach to city departments and neighborhood associations, and the NOPNA meeting was one of its first stops. (In a message Fang sent today, she emphasized AEG's plans for 2011, "Our intentions are to work with the city and the neighborhoods and help to provide the resources necessary to bring this event back to it's original roots.")

Fang also announced plans for two major marketing efforts to promote the race and curtail the mayhem of the alcohol-fueled street parties. One campaign will focus on everything good about the city's iconic footrace across town, including its historical background and zany fun. The other will emphasize new restrictions on the event: no open containers of alcohol, no public intoxication, a limit on participants in the race, no floats, and a specific time for ending the race (and opening the streets to traffic).

Fang addressed the major concerns of neighbors voiced at a May meeting of NOPNA.

• AEG will pay for more police officers on the course, including adjacent neighborhood blocks
• Registration will likely be capped at 50,000 participants
• The number of porta-potties will be doubled and will be placed on NOPA and Alamo Square streets as well as in the Panhandle and on the course
• AEG won't allow floats and that will help meet their goal of opening the streets by noon. Fang noted that 96% of registrants in the race reach the top of the Hayes street hill by 10:30 a.m., allowing for closing the race by noon
• AEG will have its own clean-up crews in addition to paying the Department of Public Works to clear the area of trash which this year totaled 47 tons

Fang acknowledged that in previous years "the message has been unclear." She intends to correct that for 2011. "We'll take our message to the major media, including SFWeekly and the Bay Guardian. We'll inform colleges and we'll use Facebook."

George Ridgely, race director for B2B, reminded NOPNA members that the race was a remarkable event. "It's one of the top ten races in the country, and one of the oldest foot races in the world." He commented that the serious racers "have a great time in the race and experience none of the problems. We want everyone to have that experience."

As reported earlier this week, NOPNA participated in the first meeting of stakeholders concerned about the future of Bay to Breakers. Jarie Bolander, NOPNA's president, reported Thursday night that everyone agreed at that gathering that the race itself was the responsibility of AEG. "Who is responsible for the accompanying street party was not so clear, at least no one has been ready to step forward and assume that role." No decisions were reached among the group, and another gathering is expected in six to eight weeks. The Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services convened the meeting of neighborhood associations, merchants groups, and B2B preservation alliances. No public officials or city department heads attended.

See previous artilces in the B2B at 100 series here.

B2B at 100: "Alcohol Ban Is Not Enough To Prevent Bad Behavior"

Editor's Note: This article 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. For previous entries in the B2B at 100 series, check here.

On July 7th organizers of the Bay to Breakers announced a no-alcohol policy for the footrace that many stakeholders believe was years overdue. The restriction just might help the iconic San Francisco event cross the finish line during its centennial run in 2011. Yet Jarie Bolander, President of the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA), thinks the ban on alcohol is only the first of several changes required to ensure a safe event. "We need to plan to manage the huge number of people who will show up. It's irresponsible to just wish it will go away or to put the burden on a single stakeholder," he wrote to BIKE NOPA. He added that all the major stakeholders must take responsibility to find a solution to the problems that have dogged the event the last few years. "Everyone has some responsibility in this including participants, neighbors, AEG and the city."

Bolander and five other leaders of District 5 neighborhood groups were quick to call for a meeting with the Mayor's office after this year's B2B party in the streets left neighbors angry over the out-of-control behavior and over-consumption of alchohol. As soon as Mike Farrah, director of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services, learned of the request, he told BIKE NOPA he would convene such a meeting right away. That gathering of neighborhood groups, the Citizens for the Preservation of Bay to Breakers, and other stakeholders took place at City Hall late this afternoon for the first round of discussions about the operation of next year's event.

AEG, the owner of Bay to Breakers, already posted a set of other changes it intends to implement for next year's race:

• only registered participants will be allowed on the race course, which AEG reserves the right to fence off
• all streets may be opened by noon
• no floats will be allowed since too many have become "alcohol delivery vehicles and magnets for unacceptable behavior"
• a limit on the number of registrations for the centennial race

North Panhandle neighbors will discuss recent B2B developments at the upcoming NOPNA general meeting:

Thursday, July 15th

7pm social, 7:30 meeting begins

San Francisco Day School at 350 Masonic (use Golden Gate Avenue entrance)

7:00 pm social

7:30 pm meeting begins

B2B at 100: Six Westside Groups Charge City Allows Repeated Code Violations; Seek Meeting with Mayor and Stakeholders

No one has a problem with the footrace and its early spectators

B2B at 100: An ongoing 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.

Six neighborhood and merchant associations have had enough of the city-sanctioned havoc that accompanies the Bay to Breakers after-party. In a June 15th letter sent to Mayor Gavin Newsom, the groups describe "escalating illegal and dangerous conduct"that threatens their neighborhoods with "increasingly brazen acts of illegal activity, violence, San Francisco Municipal Code violations, and Health and Safety violations." They charge that the city continues to issue permits to the race organizers with full knowledge of the mayhem that has resulted the last several years.

In an introductory message to Newsom, Jarie Bolander, President of the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA), asked for leadership from the Mayor to end the "epidemic of defacing public and private property, harassing neighbors and using homes as urinals." He added that several other organizations have already reached out to the neighborhood collective, including AEG and Save the Bay to Breakers, to plan a safer celebration. Bolander concluded, "We all want to see the centennial Bay to Breakers celebrate our uniqueness and not our sleaziness."

Along with NOPNA, the other organizations seeking mayoral leadership and citywide involvement in the B2B solution represent the most influential neighborhood groups of the inner west side:

• Alamo Square Neighborhood Association
• Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association
• Lower Haight Merchants and Neighbors Association
• Haight Ashbury Improvement Association
• Divisadero Merchants Association

In the group's letter to the mayor -- with copies to Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and the full Board of Supervisors -- the neighborhood leaders assert their broad reach. "We represent tens of thousands of constituents, hundreds of small businesses, and many of the city's most prominent historic streets and homes, spanning over 100 city blocks."

The associations cite the relevant state and city codes that govern public nuisances, including public urination, that are flaunted every year after the footrace has concluded. By granting permits each year to the race organizers -- with full knowledge of the previous years' experience -- the city, in effect, is allowing the illegal behavior.

But the neighborhood groups make it clear their primary concerns are with the violence that holds residents hostage. They have no complaint with the "lively, boisterous, and uniquely San Francisco event." Their concern is with the "growing presence of drunk, angry, and disrespectful participants who think nothing of threatening elderly folks, urinating, defecating, and fighting in the streets." They also cite "countless reports" of residents being threatened and "mobs verbally attacking residents, children being screamed at, women afraid to venture outdoors, and individuals breaking into yards and side entrances." They conclude, "We will not allow 'business as usual' and wait for a resident or participants to get seriously injured." Their concerns reflect sentiments also expressed during last month's NOPNA meeting, reported here, as neighbors described the mayhem as "combustible" with "a spark to violence just waiting to happen."

The neighborhood associations wish to partner with the city, race organizers, sponsors and participants. They hope to get the race back to its roots and prevent the "intolerable behavior" that has become a dangerous part of its reputation. The groups seek a meeting with the mayor "within the next few weeks."

Note: Read the letter (pdf document) to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors. NOPNA's Bolander also attached to his email message to the mayor, a summary of a survey of North Panhandle residents with their reactions to this year's Bay to Breakers.

Check the other B2B at 100 articles 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.