Aaron Bialick
Aaron was the editor of Streetsblog San Francisco from January 2012 until October 2015. He joined Streetsblog in 2010 after studying rhetoric and political communication at SF State University and spending a semester in Denmark.
Recent Posts
Gov. Brown Finally Signs Bill Requiring Drivers to Give 3 Feet to Bike Riders
| | No Comments
Looks like bicycle riders who get brushed by passing drivers can no longer call it getting “Jerry Browned.” Yesterday, the governor at last signed AB 1371, which will require drivers to provide at least three feet of leeway when passing people on bikes in California. It was the third time the legislature sent the bill […]
Watch: “People Behaving Badly” Consults Streetsblog SF on Bike Lane Safety
| | No Comments
Stanley Roberts asked me to come out yesterday for one of his “People Behaving Badly” segments and help explain how drivers should legally make a right-turn, since CBS 5 didn’t get it quite right. Roberts still didn’t touch on the point that CBS got wrong — drivers can’t just jump in front of people on […]
Donald Shoup Breaks Down Two Years of Data From Groundbreaking SFpark
| | No Comments
Donald Shoup may be known as a guru of smart parking policy, but even he has found a few surprises in the data collected so far from SFpark. “The biggest surprise I got was that prices went up and down, but overall, they stayed the same. The average price actually declined by 1 percent,” said […]
Draft CA Budget Ups Bike/Ped Funds, Leaves Safe Routes to School in Doubt
| | No Comments
The budget proposed yesterday by Governor Jerry Brown and state lawmakers includes a new “Active Transportation Program” that would increase overall funding for walking and biking improvements but may put California’s Safe Routes to Schools program at risk. Under the proposed ATP, currently separate funding streams would be consolidated into one larger program, increasing the overall pot […]
New California Transit Map Simplifies Car-Free Travel Across the State
| | No Comments
Finding a highway map for a road trip is easy, but comprehensive transit maps for car-free travel in California have always been a little harder to come by. Not to worry: Alfred Twu and his team of cartographers have created a map of transit throughout the state. The new map features “both intracity and regional rail […]
New State Bill Would Streamline CEQA Reviews for Bike Lanes
| | No Comments
More good bike news from the California legislature this week: The extensive and costly environmental reviews required for on-street bike lanes would be streamlined under a bill approved unanimously by the State Assembly on Monday. The bill, AB 2245, would relieve planners of needing to conduct environmental impact reports (EIRs) for bike lane projects, which […]
Three-Foot Bike Passing Bill Passes CA Assembly, Needs Gov’s Signature
| | No Comments
The California State Assembly passed a bill Monday that would require motorists to provide three feet of space when passing bicyclists. SB 1464, which passed with a 50-16 vote, is expected to be signed by Governor Jerry Brown in September following a “largely procedural” approval by the State Senate, which already passed the bill in May, according […]
Three-Foot Passing Bill Up for Vote at State Assembly Tomorrow
| | No Comments
A state bill that would require drivers to give three feet of leeway when passing bicyclists in California is headed to the State Assembly for a vote this Friday. TransForm and the California Bicycle Coalition are calling on supporters to email their Assembly members and urge them to vote “yes.” If approved by the Assembly, the bill […]
Bikes Are Not Cars: Why California Needs an “Idaho Stop” Law
| | No Comments
If you follow just about any major media coverage of street etiquette and safety, by now you’ve probably seen a piece vilifying people on bikes for “running” stop signs. But hop on a bike yourself, and you’ll start to see why safely rolling and yielding at stop signs makes sense. The stop sign law in […]
CA Senate Passes 3-Foot Passing Bill. Will Gov Brown Sign It This Time?
| | No Comments
The three-foot passing bill for bicyclists sailed through the California Senate today, reports the California Bicycle Coalition (CBC) on Twitter: Senate just voted 27-6 to approve SB 1464. No debate or opposition! 6 Republicans voted YES. The bill still needs to make its way through the state assembly, but all signs point to little opposition. […]
Coalition of California Advocates Headed to Sacramento to Save Transit
| | No Comments
Members of a broad coalition hailing from throughout California are headed to Sacramento next week to push policymakers to save transit funding and enact sustainable transportation planning reforms. The Oakland-based transit advocacy group TransForm has amassed about 150 advocates to descend on the capitol for its two-day Transportation Choices Summit, the first known event of its […]
Berkeley Passes Bike Anti-Harassment Law
| | No Comments
Last week, Berkeley became the second American city to implement an anti-harassment law to protect bicycle riders and allow victims to sue offenders in civil court. The ordinance, which provides greater legal recourse for bicyclists who are harassed by drivers, will be followed by an educational campaign later this year, and proponents hope it will […]