The Political Evolution of San Francisco's Bicycling Community
Good bike story from planetizen
"The political influence of San Francisco's pro-bike movement has risen steadily over the past decade to the point where the chief advocate for cyclists sits on a powerful city commission and elected officials rarely tell them no.
"We've achieved a lot. There's no doubt about it,'' said Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, which boasts a membership on the plus side of 6,000, making it one of the largest advocacy groups in the city.
It was Shahum whom Mayor Gavin Newsom tapped last year to serve as a commissioner overseeing the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which is in charge of transit, traffic and parking operations in the city."
Just this month, the alliance claimed a long-fought victory by pushing a plan through the Board of Supervisors to ban cars along some roadways in Golden Gate Park on Saturdays, despite a two-time loss at the polls in 2000.
"The City Charter, San Francisco's bible for governance, now mandates that "bicycling shall be promoted'' when it comes to crafting plans for traffic flow and public safety."
