Hog heaven -- not!
BY ADRIEL HAMPTON
07/19/2002
Of The Examiner Staff
San Francisco Examiner Extra 

It's the hog, the holy Harley, the buzz and the roar that flashes by on the freeway. It's also one of the most overlooked means of alternative transportation, say city motorcyclists.

Motorcycles suck down half the gas of cars (about 45 miles per gallon compared to 25) and take up less space on the street. They also get a big break at city meters, five cents an hour for up to 10 hours in metered spaces vs. up to $1 per hour with a limit of two hours for cars. All this sounds like a great way to beat The City's traffic congestion problems.

A closer look, however, reveals that from crotch rocket to Harley to moped, motorbikes have a tough go of it in these 49 square miles.

Numbers from The City's Department of Parking and Traffic tell the tale:

• One designated parking space for every 10 motorcycles registered in San Francisco
• Five designated motorcycle parking spots in The City's outer neighborhoods
• A $75 fine for parking a bike on the sidewalk

Hunter S. Thompson, the gonzo journalist who wrote the authoritative text on the Hell's Angels and who loved to push 100 down the Great Highway, would not be pleased. Supervisor Matt Gonzalez told The Examiner he is working with the months-old San Francisco Motorcycle and Scooter Coalition to address the parking war between motorcyclists and car drivers.

The question is, Gonzalez said, "Have we accommodated motorcycles?" Nearly 4,000 bikers who've signed a petition at local cycle shops or online certainly don't think so. And last month, about 75 of them visited City Hall to make their presence known. Founder Marc Marchioli says on the coalition's Web site that he took action after parking officers started

aggressively citing him for parking his bike in front of his home. Sidewalk parking has long been illegal for cars and bikes, but the fine recently went up from $25 to $75, and jumps to $100 in June 2003. "The issue is that when you are riding a bike a lot, your options are to park between cars or on the sidewalk," said rider Chris Gramly of the coalition. Then you either

face the fine, or park in a full-size spot and risk another driver knocking over your bike, Gramly said. "If someone sees a spot, they are determined to squeeze in there," Gramly said. "When (a motorcycle) gets knocked over it can cost thousands of dollars." The Board of Supervisors expects next month to hold a hearing on legislation to tow cars illegally parked in motorcycle spots and to prioritize new motorcycle parking. Gonzalez also has a board legislative analyst looking at the number of bikes in The City and ways to provide safe parking.

That report is due out next month.

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