S.F. supes OK program to give unclaimed bikes to poor

San Francisco will soon have a process to unite the hundreds of stolen bicycles recovered every year by police with a well-deserving owner - even if it's not the original owner.

Under a proposal approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, the Police Department will be required to offer unclaimed bikes worth $500 or less to the Human Services Agency, which will help connect those bicycles with low-income San Franciscans - at-risk juveniles will get priority. Hundreds of bikes now sit unused at a Police Department warehouse at any given time.

The law, which must be approved a second time by the board and signed by Mayor Ed Lee, will actually just formalize an existing program pioneered by the city, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and a number of community organizations. That program has already connected nearly 400 people - many of them kids - with free transportation at events known as community bike builds.

At those events, adults and youths pick a bike, learn from experienced bike mechanics how to fix it up and undergo bike safety training, said Beatriz Herrera, organizing director at the community group POWER, which has hosted a number of the workshops.

"It's been really amazing, especially in the Bayview," she said, noting that every event her group has sponsored has been filled to its 30-person maximum and had a waiting list. "In the Bayview, there's a crisis around transportation - the neighborhood is isolated and largely low-income. A lot of families don't have cars and Muni is expensive. ... We are really excited to build bike ridership."

The Bicycle Coalition is also excited to get more people on two wheels, said Deputy Director Kit Hodge, and has been working with community groups such as POWER to make sure recipients are equipped with everything they need "to have a wonderful experience."

"That includes making sure they know the rules of the road, have safety training, a working bike and basic materials such as helmets and locks," she said, adding that those resources have been made possible because of donations. "This is really changing people's lives and opening up opportunities. ... We are eager to bring it to more communities."

Supervisor John Avalos said that in addition to giving families a free way to get around, the proposal also promotes healthy lifestyles. He said it's been a great example of city agencies working together to help the community.

"A lot of working families wouldn't be able to afford a bike - this gets them access, and we already have cooperation of the Police Department. This just makes it official," he said. "We are talking about bikes that have been sitting in a warehouse for a long time, and there's been a lot of efforts made to reach their owners - it's time for them to get out and do some good."

Hodge said once the legislation becomes law, the coalition will work with the city to create a more formal process for setting up community bike build events.