Today’s Headlines

  • Bird Scooters Coming Back After Acquiring Scoot (SFExaminer, LATimes)
  • SFMTA Holds Off Issuing Bikeshare Permits (SFExaminer)
  • New BART Fare Gates Clamp Down on Disabled People (SFExaminer)
  • Judge Again Clears Bay Area Bridge Toll Hike (SFChron)
  • Plans for San Francisco Waterfront (SFChron)
  • North Beach’s Empty Storefronts (SFChron)
  • Coliseum BART’s Pedestrian Walkway (SFChron)
  • Condos Planned Near San Leandro BART (EastBayTimes)
  • Lafayette BART to Exchange Car Storage for Bike Station (EastBayTimes)
  • Gas Leak Shuts Down ACE Train (SFChron)
  • Remembering the Embarcadero Freeway (SFChron)

Get state headlines at Streetsblog CA, national headlines at Streetsblog USA

  • mx

    “Bird Scooters Coming Back After Acquiring Scoot”

    This really underscores how badly the city has managed its micromobility program. They gave permits to preferred vendors to spite the big companies they dislike, only to see those companies buy up the permit-holders anyway. Supply is artificially capped well below demand while prices are unregulated, which has allowed the permit-holders to impose huge price increases: GoBike is one of the most expensive bike share systems in the world (https://medium.com/@Eclipsed830/san-franciscans-get-taken-for-a-ride-a-price-comparison-of-other-bike-shares-from-around-the-e14d75dea769 ); JUMP just more than doubled prices (taking it from one of the cheapest ways to get around the eastern half of the city to one more expensive than transit); and Skip raised its rates from $9 to $15/hour not long after being granted a permit. Scoot’s kick scooter prices are still the same, but despite the limited service area, at this moment, the Dogpatch, Bayview, and Mission are home to a grand total of two Scoot kick scooters between them.

    If they can get past the lawsuit, I fear they’re about to make the same mistakes with the new round of permits. Permits need to go to vendors with the capability to deliver and come with enforced contractual commitments for service quality, pricing, and equity so that these services actually work as transportation for city residents instead of just business opportunities.

  • With taxi medallions no longer being a retirement package for the owner, maybe they’re trying to use the same techniques to create a similar program for the scooter permit holders.

  • aioctal

    ”
    New BART Fare Gates Clamp Down on Disabled People”

    That mutation is the best that BART could do?