San Francisco, CA
Bay Area bike program pays commuters to ditch their cars
Between surging gas prices and ransom-level parking fees, the cost of the daily grind adds up.
But AbdAllah Abou-Ismail has found a way to make the city foot the bill.
“I was like, you know what? This my reason for biking every day,” he said.
Every morning, he hops on his bike and pedals his way toward a free lunch. Call it a bit of roadside economics: The city of Palo Alto pays him to stay out of traffic. And instead of low-grade road rage, he starts his day on the right foot.
“Actually, my energy levels got a lot better once I started biking. Before I would get to work a lot more sleepy, but with the bike, I come into work 100% I can hit the floor. No downtime, no nothing,” he said.
It’s all thanks to a program called “Bike Love,” which tracks his commute and pays him $5 a day — up to $600 a year — to spend at local businesses. It’s one of several efforts the city has rolled out to get drivers to shift gears. The initiative runs through an app called Motion, which tracks trips automatically on your phone, whether you’re on a bike, e-bike or scooter.
Pat Burt, a Palo Alto city council member who serves on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, said the goal is simple.
“We want this to be a means where they get addicted to biking and as a result, they’re healthier, mentally and physically, and happier,” he said.
According to the Palo Alto Transportation Management Association, the program kept nearly three million car miles off local roads last year and cut more than a thousand tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Not everyone thinks it goes far enough. Billy Riggs, a professor at the University of San Francisco who studies transportation innovation, says these programs tend to target people who are already biking.
“This is cute, it just can’t be about cute solutions,” he said.
As for Abou-Ismail, the payoff is simple — and daily.
“By the time I reach work, I’ve already had a small little adventure, and five bucks into my account,” he said.
Two of San Francisco’s favorite summer events return to the city’s streets next month.
The merrymaking begins with one of the longest running street festivals in San Francisco.
Union Street Festival(Courtesy of Sunset Mercantile)
The two-day long Union Street Festival, presented by Sunset Mercantile in partnership with the Union Street Association, brings together neighbors, locals, and visitors alike to celebrate local business, culture, and community on June 6th and 7th from 11am to 7pm
That weekend, the charming and walkable Cow Hollow neighborhood’s Union Street will transform into an open-air market between Fillmore and Gough with live music, dance, food, art, cocktails and mocktails, plus family-friendly games and activities.
Don’t miss out on San Francisco traditions like the iconic Waiter Relay Race on June 7th at 12pm. The high-energy, crowd-favorite competition where local restaurant, bar, and hospitality teams run a relay race while balancing trays is an only-in-SF-style homage to the city’s vibrant service industry and community spirit.
Just two weeks later, on Saturday, June 20th, and Sunday, June 21st, from 11am to 7pm, is the 70th anniversary of the North Beach Festival, presented by Zoox.
North Beach Festival(Courtesy of Sunset Mercantile)
The heart of the festival is at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Green Street, and this year it will be bigger than ever with more than 200 vendors spread out across 11 blocks. Along with live music, delicious food, and outdoor bars featuring craft beer, wine, and cocktails, you’ll find activities for all ages, including jewelry making, live silk screening, and a kid-friendly zone with Legos, bubbles, chalk drawing, and more.
The Blessing of the Animals, a cherished San Francisco tradition where pet owners are encouraged to bring their furry friends for a special ceremony, will be held at 1pm on both Saturday and Sunday. There’s plenty to do while you’re in the neighborhood, too, like checking out the epic views from Coit Tower and browsing the stacks at City Lights Bookstore.
Even if Karl gets his way, the summer vibes at both events will be powerful enough to cut through the June gloom.
// Learn more at sunsetmercantilesf.com
SAN FRANCISCO – The children in one of San Francisco’s most historically challenged neighborhoods now have a new playground to call their own. The park has undergone its first major overhaul since it was opened in 1995, and is now officially kid approved.
Revitalized family-friendly space
What we know:
The children of San Francisco’s Tenderloin welcomed visitors to the newly renovated Tenderloin Children’s’ Playground. Upgrades include a new basketball court, new mini-soccer field just in time for the World Cup, and a new climbing structure that will thrill a new generation of kids.
Azzam Alameri, the District 5 youth commissioner, grew up just blocks from Tenderloin Children’s Playground and he remembers the outdated old park.
“It’s a drastic difference. Before, it was very desolate. It was very dark,” said Alameri.
Now he said the kids would have a destination. “I can relate to these kid,” Alamaeri said. “This place is like their safe spot. Their parents can drop them off and have not too many worries about the neighborhood and have them be kids, you know.”
The park reopened earlier than anticipated following a $3.8 million public private partnership. Sarah Madland from San Francisco Recreation and Parks said: “For more than three decades, Tenderloin Rec has not received a full renovation. But, with the support of our park partners, today we are celebrating this completely reimagined space.”
Upgrade ‘long overdue’
Supervisor Bilal Mahmood said the upgrade was long overdue. “This is a neighborhood with 3,500 hundred kids and it deserves to see the same love as the rest of the city does as well.”
The park drew fans big and small, including Mayor Daniel Lurie. “I want to be brief because I want to go up there,” he said, pointing to the top of the slide.
The new park brought out the kid in Mayor Lurie who couldn’t resist a quick climb into the structure, and a slide to the bottom. The mayor says this park is only the beginning. “This community deserves all of this and so much more and so, this is just a start.”
What’s next:
Until now, the park was only available Monday through Friday, but now it will be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to welcome as many kids as the park can hold.
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