Space on the street is limited, though, and projects to expand bike lanes typically require removing driving lanes or parking spots<\/a>, often to the dismay<\/a> of neighbors and small business owners concerned about parking difficulties, traffic, and access to storefronts (remember the whole Valencia bike lane<\/a> debate?).<\/p>\n This week\u2019s question: Where in the district, if anywhere, do you think bike lanes should be expanded or improved? Would you support those projects even if they required removing a significant number of parking spots?<\/p>\n Mission Local color codes the answers to yes\/no questions. A green background means the candidate answered yes, a red background means no, and a yellow background means that the candidate dodged the question.<\/p>\n Manny Yekutiel<\/p>\n Job: Founder and owner of Manny\u2019s, co-founder and former executive director of Civic Joy Fund<\/p>\n Age: 36<\/p>\n Residency: Renter, has lived in San Francisco since 2012 and District 8 since 2013<\/p>\n Transportation: Driving, public transit and walking<\/p>\n Education: Bachelor\u2019s degree from Williams College<\/p>\n Languages: English, Hebrew<\/p>\n District 8 should have a connected network of protected bike lanes and slow streets so people can get around safely and joyously. We need to repave the bike lanes through Upper Market, implement the better 17th Street plan, improve the Wiggle, especially at Sanchez and Steiner, adopt the Safe School Zones within the SFMTA\u2019s Biking and Rolling Plan, and build better connections between Slow Page, Noe, Sanchez, and Arlington.\u00a0<\/p>\n Where removing parking is necessary to make those routes genuinely safe, I would support it while working with neighbors and small businesses to make sure changes are thoughtful and well designed.<\/p>\n Endorsed by: District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, former Mayor Willie L. Brown Jr, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, Jane Fonda, Senator Cory Booker, Grow SF, Abundant SF, San Francisco Apartment Association \u2026 see more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gary McCoy<\/p>\n Job: Former staffer to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and former vice president of policy and public affairs at HealthRIGHT 360<\/p>\n Age: 48<\/p>\n Residency: Renter, has lived in San Francisco for 24 years and District 8 for 15 years<\/p>\n Transportation: Driving, biking, public transit and walking<\/p>\n Education: Former City College of San Francisco student, certified phlebotomy technician from Bay Area Medical Academy<\/p>\n Languages: English<\/p>\n I support extending the 17th Street protected bike lane to Jane Warner Plaza in the Castro with the Safer, Better 17th proposal, even though it removes parking.\u00a0<\/p>\n We also need to quickly deliver District 8\u2019s segments of the Biking and Rolling Plan so riders aren\u2019t dropped into fast, dangerous traffic.\u00a0<\/p>\n From my work on pedestrian and bicycle safety improvement projects at the Recreation & Park Department and with the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee, I\u2019ve learned we have to bring neighbors, the disability community, and our local merchants in early, so we\u2019re balancing parking needs thoughtfully along the way.<\/p>\n Endorsed by: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Supervisor Matt Dorsey, San Francisco Labor Council, Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, San Francisco Tenants Union \u2026 see more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Michael Nguyen<\/p>\n Job: Patent attorney<\/p>\n Age: 44<\/p>\n Residency: Renter, has lived in District 8 since 2006<\/p>\n Transportation: Driving, public transit and walking<\/p>\n Education: Bachelor\u2019s degree from Southwestern University, law degree from University of California Law San Francisco<\/p>\n Languages: English, some Spanish, some Vietnamese<\/p>\n Yes, I would support these projects. 17th Street between Castro and Valencia is my top priority, and I\u2019m proud to support the Safer, Better 17th Street Campaign. I\u2019d also make Wiggle Plaza permanent, with Sanchez and Steiner as slow streets.\u00a0<\/p>\n I believe in striving for solutions that create real balance between parking and protected bike lanes, but when we have to choose, I choose people over cars. Safe streets save lives, and D8 has lost too many neighbors to traffic violence. I\u2019ll keep pushing these projects forward, even when it means having tough conversations about parking.<\/p>\n Endorsed by: GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club (#2), San Francisco Green Party, former supervisor Dean Preston \u2026 see more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Darshini Patel<\/p>\n Job: Former DoorDash employee, worked on the 2012 Obama campaign and the 2024 Harris campaign, former Obama staffer<\/p>\n Age: 38<\/p>\n Residency: Homeowner, has lived in District 8 for 10 cumulative years since 2010<\/p>\n Transportation: Public transit, walking and biking<\/p>\n Education: Bachelor\u2019s degree from Wellesley College<\/p>\n Languages: Gujarati, English<\/p>\n Church, 17th, and Dolores. High-injury streets and the flat connected routes near them that people will actually ride \u2014 the Wiggle zigzags for a reason! \u2014 need protected lanes with physical barriers. I\u2019d make the Street Safety Act binding, so safety and related traffic abatement upgrades are included with repaving.\u00a0<\/p>\n Where parking must be removed, I\u2019d sequence changes based on curb dependency: preserve accessible spaces and commercial loading, and start where realistic alternatives exist.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hoboken has gone almost a decade without a single traffic death by systematically daylighting corners and redesigning streets. If Hoboken can do it, San Francisco can too.<\/p>\n Endorsed by: N\/A<\/p>\n Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at io@missionlocal.com<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Illustrated](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787773335_97_Manny-Yes.png\")
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