[Carfreeliving] sf weekly article

[Mike Sallaberry]

http://www.sfweekly.com/issues/2005-06-08/news/smith.html

Lately, I've had a feeling in my gut that we are indeed at a tipping point 
when it comes to getting bikes mainstream in SF.  There seems to be so 
much going on in a number of different but inter-connected arenas these 
days, all pointed to one or both goals of getting people out of their cars 
and onto bikes.  Pretty exciting!  I hope we will continue to add to this 
momentum...

And in a related note, I was recently thinking how my last few postings 
have been, shall we say, buzz-killers.  My goal was not to squash 
enthusiasm or pour water on any well meant fires, but to promote 
accuracy...perhaps to a fault.  There's a lot of energy out there to 
really push the transportation scene in the right direction, and while I'm 
all for this or that department/person getting criticized when criticism 
is deserved, I feel sometimes that that energy/focus is misdirected.

Given the history of transportation engineering in the US, I can 
understand how people may still think DPT is the "bad guy" but I work here 
everyday and hear and see all the discussions and efforts to make this 
city's travelways work, and I'm actually really impressed by the level of 
mature and well-meaning efforts we make to make the travelways in SF work 
for everyone.  So, it frustrates me when I hear misguided criticisms 
pointed our way.  Like I said, if we deserve criticism, we deserve it, but 
when we don't, I'm not going to just sit there and take it.

Having said all that, I know it's hard for folks to know all the details 
of what every department does.  I do appreciate all the energy and well 
meaning efforts that people contribute to making this city more livable, 
and really, without those efforts, it would be so much more difficult, if 
not impossible, to get these positive changes in.  So, thanks for all your 
efforts, and let's keep this train a rollin!

Mike

Michael Sallaberry, P.E.
Associate Transportation Engineer
San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 345
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554 2351
(415) 554 2352 (fax)
Bicycle Hotline (415) 585-BIKE
http://www.bicycle.sfgov.org
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