This is the archival website for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). It is not kept up to date. Please visit the SFMTA website for current information. The SFMTA, SFBC and the Consulate General of the Netherlands to Host Innovative Bike Summit |
|
Release date: Sept. 16, 2011 *** Press Release ***San Francisco and the Netherlands join forces to improve the City’s bikeability in “ThinkBike: A Dutch Vision for SF Streets”San Francisco—The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all surface transportation in the City, the San Francisco Bike Coalition (SFBC) and the Consulate General of the Netherlands will host ThinkBike workshops on Monday, Sept. 19 and Tuesday, Sept. 20. The ThinkBike workshops will bring Dutch bicycle transportation experts together with San Francisco transportation planners, engineers and cyclists to plan and discuss how the City can become more bike-friendly. The ThinkBike opening session, which is open to the public, will take place on Monday, Sept. 19 from 9 to 11 a.m. at City Hall. The general public, including local cyclists and other interested residents, are also invited to attend the closing session on Tuesday, Sept. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the War Memorial Veterans Building. Those who wish to attend are asked to reserve a spot by visiting goo.gl/v1hRs. The invitation, included below, has additional details. The Netherlands is a country committed to sustainability, where nearly 30 percent of trips up to five miles in distance are made by bike. A strong bike policy is integral to Dutch sustainability measures. Through a multi-city initiative, Dutch experts and companies are helping to increase bicycle use in the U.S. and Canada. ThinkBike workshops have also been held in Toronto, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Miami. About the Consulate General of the NetherlandsFor more than 400 years, the Netherlands and the United States have been joined by the values of freedom, justice and an entrepreneurial spirit. A vibrant economic force, the Netherlands is also the third largest investor in America and a reliable trade and investment partner to the U.S. The Royal Netherlands Embassy, Dutch Consulates General and Honorary Consuls in the U.S. promote strong bilateral relations between the United States and the Netherlands in the areas of peace and stability; international law; energy and climate; water management; international human rights; and creative industries. The Netherlands and the United States: Two countries, one spirit united by values, history and a vision of the future. About the San Francisco Bicycle CoalitionThe San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is the largest city-based bicycle advocacy group in the nation and, with more than 12,000 members, is one of the largest membership-based groups in San Francisco. With the mission of promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation, The SF Bicycle Coalition works in partnership with government and community agencies around the globe to help create safer streets and more livable communities for all San Franciscans. About the SFMTAEstablished by voter proposition in 1999, the SFMTA, a department of the City and County of San Francisco, oversees the Municipal Railway (Muni), parking and traffic and taxis.With five modes of transit, Muni has approximately 700,000 passenger boardings each day.Over 35,000 extra vehicles enter San Francisco on any given business day, and rely on the SFMTA to keep the flow of cars, transit vehicles, taxis, delivery trucks, pedestrians and bicycles moving smoothly through the streets.
You are invited to join us for ThinkBike San FranciscoThinkBike SF Opening Session Monday, September 19, 2011 City Hall Light Court ThinkBike SF Closing Session Tuesday, September 20, 2011 On September 19th and 20th, the Consulate General of the Netherlands in San Francisco, in cooperation with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, will host ThinkBike, a bicycle promotion and design workshop. Bikeway design experts from the Netherlands will lead a series of workshops in San Francisco to discuss how the Netherlands has implemented a concerted program to promote cycling and to make specific recommendations on how San Francisco can improve the comfort and safety of its bicycle route network. Over the course of two days, teams of local experts will work with Dutch bicycle planners to address challenges to cycling in San Francisco. Opening Session (September 19th from 9:00am to 10:30am): Welcome address by Consul General Bart van Bolhuis and Mayor Edwin M. Lee. Dutch guests will share with elected officials, departmentheads, and business leaders how the Netherlands has instituted programs and policies to increase bicycling. Closing Session (September 20th from 6:00am to 8:00pm): Teams of local and Dutch experts will share proposals for projects to improve cycling in San Francisco with elected officials and members of the public. Last year, a group of city leaders from the Bay Area traveled to the Netherlands on a study trip organized by Bikes Belong. There they had the chance to see first-hand how seamlessly the bicycle is incorporated into Dutch life, with bicycles routinely used for commuting, shopping, recreation andexercise. Bicycling is booming in San Francisco - an independent poll found that seven in tenresidents ride a bike at least occasionally in the city. While San Francisco leads among major US cities in terms of bike-ridership, we still have some miles to travel. That is why experts from both the Netherlands and San Francisco are partnering to find ways to help our city's infrastructure keep up with the large and growing demand for bicycling.
|
©2000-2013 San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. All rights reserved. |
311