Muni Expands Service, Access for Equity Neighborhoods in January

Muni Expands Service, Access for Equity Neighborhoods in January
By Mariana Maguire

On Saturday, January 23, the SFMTA will restart T Third Muni Metro rail service and increase Muni bus service, including adding several routes based on community feedback.

Graphic: New Core Service map, effective January 23, showing new and returning Muni lines.

Temporarily modified T Third rail service will resume between Sunnydale and Embarcadero Station. This frees up the buses currently providing the temporary T Third Street Bus service to increase bus service elsewhere. This change also brings more of our rail operators back to operating Muni Metro rail service.

Temporary changes to bus service include the return of the 27 Bryant and two new lines: the 55 Dogpatch and the 15 Bayview-Hunters Point Express. The full 33 Ashbury-18th Street line will also resume to provide another vital cross-town connection.

All of these changes are the direct result of community engagement and feedback. In particular, community members, SFMTA staff and District Supervisors worked together to develop the three new routes going into service January 23– the15 Bayview-Hunters Point Express, 27 Bryant, and 55 Dogpatch. These new routes will not only add service to those neighborhoods, but will also support San Francisco’s essential workers and economic recovery.

These Muni lines increase access to essential destinations and services for communities in the Tenderloin, Bayview-Hunters Point, Potrero, and Dogpatch that depend on transit the most and are part of the Muni Service Equity Strategy. By bringing these lines into service, we expect analysis through our new Equity Toolkit to show improvements in job access via public transportation for customers in these neighborhoods.

We aim to keep phasing Muni Metro rail back into service as subway repairs continue, particularly in the Eureka Curve near Castro Station. We also continue to work on adding more service on our high-ridership lines and using available vehicles and operators to help relieve crowding.

Below is the complete list of service changes. Please note that details are subject to change. For the most up to date information with free language assistance and accessibility, please call 311 or (415) 701-4311 or visit SFMTA.com/CoreService.

January 23 Muni Service Changes

All service changes below are temporary until further notice. Service hours: 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, unless otherwise noted. Owl network service hours: 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. daily. Subway maintenance will be conducted evenings starting at 8:00 p.m. daily. For more information on frequency and hours of service, read more on the COVID-19 Muni Core Service Plan.

T Third Metro Rail: Service between Sunnydale and Embarcadero Station.

• Service will resume on 3rd Street. Vehicles will enter Embarcadero Station, serve the stati
• on, then turn back to Sunnydale. This allows us to provide connections to downtown and Market Street. For service along Market between Embarcadero and Castro, use Metro Buses or other Muni bus lines.
• T Third customers traveling toward Sunnydale will enter Embarcadero Station from one of the Market Street portals at Drumm Street or Spear Street, go to the boarding level in the station and take the train toward Sunnydale.
• T Third customers traveling into downtown San Francisco or other destination accessible via downtown will need to exit the train at Embarcadero Station and go to the street level to transfer to a Muni bus
• Starting at 8:00 p.m. daily for evening subway maintenance, bus substitutions will provide Muni Metro service and Owl service at 10:00 p.m.
• On weekends, buses will serve the T Third from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. between Sunnydale and Steuart Street. Embarcadero Station opens at 8:00 a.m.

Watch this animation of how to transfer at Embarcadero Station to and from the T Third.

N Judah Bus: Longer 60-foot coaches will help address crowding on weekends and continue to provide service on weekdays.

1 California (short): Additional service between California at Presidio streets and Clay at Drumm streets, where ridership is highest.

5 Fulton (short): Additional service between Fulton at 8th Avenue and the Salesforce Transit Center, where ridership is highest.

7 Haight-Noriega: Due to limited numbers of 60-foot motor coaches, shorter 40-foot coaches will serve the 7 Haight-Noriega on weekends. 60-foot coaches will continue to provide weekday service.

8AX Bayshore “A” Express (weekdays only): Additional service on the 8AX Bayshore between Kearny Street at Pacific Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard at Visitacion Avenue, where ridership is highest. Instead of peak hour service only, the 8AX Bayshore will be in service all day in both directions.

12 Pacific: Adjusted frequency to provide consistent service during the midday hours when ridership is high.

14 Mission: Additional service and frequency to address crowding.

14R Mission Rapid: Some 14R Mission Rapid buses will end at Mission at Lowell streets to relieve terminal congestion due to high frequency at Daly City BART Station. 

14 Mission Owl: Longer 60-foot coaches with increased frequency to address crowding.

15 Bayview-Hunters Point Express (BHPX): Community members directly shaped the design and planning of this new line to provide a faster trip between Bayview-Hunters Point and downtown. The route between Palou and 3rd streets to Market and 3rd streets via Hunters Point reflects the community’s travel patterns and priorities. See more information about this new line.

22 Fillmore: Modified route and additional service to address crowding.

• As part of the completion of the first phase of the 16th Street Improvement Project, the new modified route will travel east on 16th Street and north on 3rd Street to the new terminal on Mission Bay Boulevard North.
• Once the 22 Fillmore moves to serve Mission Bay, the new 55 Dogpatch will begin service to continue to provide bus connectivity for the Dogpatch and Potrero Hill neighborhoods. See more about the 55 Dogpatch below.

27 Bryant: The full route will go back into service with modifications in response to community feedback and engagement.

• To improve reliability by using temporary emergency transit lanes, the route will be modified to travel southbound on 8th Street between Market and Harrison streets and northbound on 7th Street between Market and Folsom streets. The temporary emergency transit lanes are restricted for Muni service only so they can keep buses moving even if there is traffic congestion, which helps manage crowding.
• The reroute will maintain access to BART and Muni Metro and will provide a connection to new destinations like FoodsCo on Folsom at 14th Street.
• Over the next few months, SFMTA staff will ask for feedback from community members and evaluate the performance of the 27 Bryant on this temporary modified route.

30 Stockton (short): A short line between Caltrain and Van Ness Avenue at North Point Street will add service in segments of the line that consistently experiences crowding. The route will travel south on 4th Street, west on Harrison Street, south on 5th Street, then east on Townsend Street to its terminal.

33 Ashbury/18th Street: The full route will return to service as a trolley coach in response to customer feedback about cross-town connections that the route provides to a number of medical facilities.

37 Corbett: The regular route will come back between Parkridge Drive at Burnett Avenue, and Masonic Avenue at Haight Street.

38 Geary: Increased frequency on weekdays and weekends to address crowding. 

43 Masonic: The route will be extended slightly to connect to the 1 California on California Street at Masonic Avenue while maintaining the same number of bus resources.

55 Dogpatch: The former 55 16th Street will become the 55 Dogpatch, a modified route between 16th and Mission streets and 20th and 3rd streets to replace the eastern segment of the 22 Fillmore modified route to Mission Bay. This route was developed with community members from the Dogpatch and Potrero Hill neighborhoods. Visit SFMTA.com/55Dogpatch for more information.

 

Published January 20, 2021 at 08:45PM
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Twin Peaks: A New Vision for All

Twin Peaks: A New Vision for All
By Benjamin Barnett

SFMTA staff are recommending a proposal for Twin Peaks access aimed at balancing the diverse needs of the community, which they selected based on park usage data, feedback from neighbors and other stakeholders, as well as a public survey with over 1,700 responses.

Map showing the proposed configuration of Twin Peaks Boulevard. See our website for a more detailed map or to read our report.

Recommendation: Open Portola Drive Gate at All Times, Close Burnett Avenue Gate

The proposal includes opening the gate at Portola Drive to traffic at all times and keeping the gate at Burnett Avenue closed. This option (also called Option 2) provides the best combination of safety and access, and addresses the negative impacts affecting neighbors.

This preferred option closes the northern Burnett Avenue gate to vehicles at all times, creating dedicated space for people walking, rolling and biking all the way to Christmas Tree Point Road.

The southern Portola Drive gate will be open to vehicles and tour buses at all times – improving access to the top of Twin Peaks for those with mobility challenges. The Portola Drive gate will also serve people walking, rolling and biking to and from Christmas Tree Point Road by way of the existing roadway shoulders and off-street paths. The recommended design does not require modifications to streets that currently restrict tour buses.

Five options were developed to achieve the project goals and reviewed by the SFMTA, in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, the public, and other project stakeholders. Based on data and public feedback, SFMTA staff plans to bring the recommendation to the SFMTA Board of Directors for approval at a public meeting planned for this spring.

Photo: New space between Burnett Avenue and Christmas Tree Point parking lot that would be dedicated to people walking, rolling and biking. Vehicles would not be allowed at all times.

Project Background

Twin Peaks is a beautiful and unique natural resource for San Francisco residents and visitors alike. To provide additional recreational space for physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic the Burnett Avenue and Portola Drive gates on Twin Peaks Boulevard were closed in early 2020. Based on community feedback, we initiated the Twin Peaks for All project in October 2020 to explore how to best accommodate the high demand for this natural resource.

The project goals include restoring access to the viewpoint -- especially for people with disabilities, providing a space for people walking and rolling that allows for physical distancing, reducing negative impacts on neighbors and retaining the recent extraordinary increase in new park users. We collected data including parking counts, bicycle and pedestrian counts and historic collisions, reviewed turning radii for tour buses, talked to neighbors, released a public survey, analyzed the 1700 plus responses, reviewed street widths and coordinated with partner agencies.

We Heard from You

We heard concerns from neighbors of the Burnett Avenue gate that with the top of Twin Peaks closed to vehicles, substantially more drivers began parking near the northern gate, creating noise and litter. Vehicle break-ins were also reported in the area. Based on our analysis, opening the Portola Drive gate to vehicles at all times should decrease these negative impacts. The SFMTA also commits to monitoring and evaluating conditions once the proposal’s recommendations are put into place.

Additionally, to help drivers wishing to access the peak, SFMTA staff will:

• Install additional wayfinding at the Burnett Avenue gate, directing drivers to access the top of Twin Peaks from the Portola Drive side.
• Work with navigation providers (Waze, Google, Bing, etc.) to update their maps to direct drivers to the Portola Drive gate for accessing the Christmas Tree Point parking lot and the top of Twin Peaks.

Next Steps

SFMTA staff plans to bring this recommendation to the SFMTA Board of Directors for approval at a public meeting planned for this spring. We will conduct outreach to the community once that date is finalized so that individuals will have the opportunity to provide feedback and comments at the meeting.

Currently, people walking and bicycling at the temporarily closed Burnett Avenue gate must travel over the curb into the dirt and then back over the curb to access the roadway. If approved, the permanent closure of the gate would require a more accessible path for pedestrians. In cooperation with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, SFMTA staff will improve the entrance, allowing people of all ages walking and rolling to travel through the area more easily on a level surface.

For more information on this project and its history, please visit our project page or email us at TwinPeaks4All@SFMTA.com.

Published January 19, 2021 at 10:44PM
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Twin Peaks: A New Vision for All

Twin Peaks: A New Vision for All
By Phillip Pierce

SFMTA staff are recommending a proposal for Twin Peaks access aimed at balancing the diverse needs of the community, which they selected based on park usage data, feedback from neighbors and other stakeholders, as well as a public survey with over 1,700 responses.

Map showing the proposed configuration of Twin Peaks Boulevard. See our website for a more detailed map or to read our report.

Recommendation: Open Portola Drive Gate at All Times, Close Burnett Avenue Gate

The proposal includes opening the gate at Portola Drive to traffic at all times and keeping the gate at Burnett Avenue closed. This option (also called Option 2) provides the best combination of safety and access, and addresses the negative impacts affecting neighbors.

This preferred option closes the northern Burnett Avenue gate to vehicles at all times, creating dedicated space for people walking, rolling and biking all the way to Christmas Tree Point Road.

The southern Portola Drive gate will be open to vehicles and tour buses at all times – improving access to the top of Twin Peaks for those with mobility challenges. The Portola Drive gate will also serve people walking, rolling and biking to and from Christmas Tree Point Road by way of the existing roadway shoulders and off-street paths. The recommended design does not require modifications to streets that currently restrict tour buses.

Five options were developed to achieve the project goals and reviewed by the SFMTA, in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, the public, and other project stakeholders. Based on data and public feedback, SFMTA staff plans to bring the recommendation to the SFMTA Board of Directors for approval at a public meeting planned for this spring.

Photo: New space between Burnett Avenue and Christmas Tree Point parking lot that would be dedicated to people walking, rolling and biking. Vehicles would not be allowed at all times.

Project Background

Twin Peaks is a beautiful and unique natural resource for San Francisco residents and visitors alike. To provide additional recreational space for physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic the Burnett Avenue and Portola Drive gates on Twin Peaks Boulevard were closed in early 2020. Based on community feedback, we initiated the Twin Peaks for All project in October 2020 to explore how to best accommodate the high demand for this natural resource.

The project goals include restoring access to the viewpoint -- especially for people with disabilities, providing a space for people walking and rolling that allows for physical distancing, reducing negative impacts on neighbors and retaining the recent extraordinary increase in new park users. We collected data including parking counts, bicycle and pedestrian counts and historic collisions, reviewed turning radii for tour buses, talked to neighbors, released a public survey, analyzed the 1700 plus responses, reviewed street widths and coordinated with partner agencies.

We Heard from You

We heard concerns from neighbors of the Burnett Avenue gate that with the top of Twin Peaks closed to vehicles, substantially more drivers began parking near the northern gate, creating noise and litter. Vehicle break-ins were also reported in the area. Based on our analysis, opening the Portola Drive gate to vehicles at all times should decrease these negative impacts. The SFMTA also commits to monitoring and evaluating conditions once the proposal’s recommendations are put into place.

Additionally, to help drivers wishing to access the peak, SFMTA staff will:

• Install additional wayfinding at the Burnett Avenue gate, directing drivers to access the top of Twin Peaks from the Portola Drive side.
• Work with navigation providers (Waze, Google, Bing, etc.) to update their maps to direct drivers to the Portola Drive gate for accessing the Christmas Tree Point parking lot and the top of Twin Peaks.

Next Steps

SFMTA staff plans to bring this recommendation to the SFMTA Board of Directors for approval at a public meeting planned for this spring. We will conduct outreach to the community once that date is finalized so that individuals will have the opportunity to provide feedback and comments at the meeting.

Currently, people walking and bicycling at the temporarily closed Burnett Avenue gate must travel over the curb into the dirt and then back over the curb to access the roadway. If approved, the permanent closure of the gate would require a more accessible path for pedestrians. In cooperation with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, SFMTA staff will improve the entrance, allowing people of all ages walking and rolling to travel through the area more easily on a level surface.

For more information on this project and its history, please visit our project page or email us at TwinPeaks4All@SFMTA.com.

Published January 19, 2021 at 10:44PM
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The SFMTA and San Francisco Beautiful Kick Off Muni Art Project 2021

The SFMTA and San Francisco Beautiful Kick Off Muni Art Project 2021
By Jeanne Brophy

The SFMTA and San Francisco Beautiful  announce the kick-off of the 2021 Muni Art Project.  This year the program launch will be held virtually due to COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders.

Artwork by Agustina Caprioglio who found inspiration from COVID-19 and the frontline staff in hospitals, “They are our modern-day temples,” she states, “where people are born and die, where doctors and nurses work hard to take care of all”.

The 2021 theme, “San Francisco United” is the sixth year that the SFMTA, San Francisco Beautiful and The Poetry Society of America (sponsors of Poetry in Motion ®) have collaborated to bring art and poetry to Muni riders.  

“Now more than ever—it’s important to appreciate and be thankful for the positives around us,” said Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “That’s why we’re looking forward to bringing Muni Art back and sparking some joy in the wake of such a difficult year.”

Begun in 2015, Muni Art is the only public art project that exclusively features San Francisco artists and poets. The artists’ original work and five poems selected by the Poetry Society of America, is presented on 100 Muni buses throughout San Francisco from January through April, 2021.

Art is the one language that unites everyone," said Darcy Brown, Executive Director of San Francisco Beautiful. "We all have lost so much, Muni Art 2021 is one project we didn't lose. We celebrate our local artists and poets and San Francisco.

The 2021 Muni artists are:

• Kundan Baidwan
• Agustina Caprioglio
• John Keating
• Deirdre Weinberg
• Wes Wellner

The 2021 Muni poets and poems are:

• Kim Addonizio
• Derrick Austin
• Jennifer Elise Foerster
• Thom Gunn
• Gary Soto

In addition to the poet panels, each artist also has three panels to freely use reflecting the theme for a total of eight original works that will line both interior display sides of the buses and conform to the specifications of Muni display space. In addition, each artist will be awarded $1,000.

For more details on the winners of the Muni Art Project, please visit www.sfbeautiful.org/MuniArt. Examples of each artist’ work can be found at SFMTA.com/MuniArt.

Published January 19, 2021 at 09:56PM
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The Embarcadero Enhancement Project: Creating a Safe and Lively Waterfront

The Embarcadero Enhancement Project: Creating a Safe and Lively Waterfront
By Benjamin Barnett

As people walking, on bikes, scooters, and in motor vehicles all compete for space on the Embarcadero, travel along the waterfront can be challenging and create conflicts, especially at peak times. To address this, the SFMTA initiated The Embarcadero Quick-Build Project in 2020 as the first part of a larger plan to improve safety and livability on that corridor.

Safety and mobility improvements have so far been completed at Pier 35, the Ferry Terminal, and in the Rincon Restaurant Zone. These projects improve the safety and enjoyment of all modes of travel and mark a pivotal starting point in creating an improved waterfront for everyone to use.

Just the Start
The next step in connecting and extending these quick-build improvements is the implementation of an even more ambitious plan, The Embarcadero Enhancement Project (EEP). On Tuesday, January 12, the SFMTA presented the phasing plan of the EEP, including details of Phase 1, to the Port Commission. The plan prioritizes the next phases of infrastructure development that will occur along the corridor.

Rendering of Phase 1 of safety improvements on the Embarcadero at Ferry Building Plaza

Safety and Mobility
The Embarcadero corridor between Townsend and Lombard streets is part of San Francisco’s Vision Zero High Injury Network (HIN), the 13 percent of streets accounting for 75 percent of severe and fatal traffic injuries. Sadly, 174 severe injury collisions and two fatalities have taken place along this corridor in the last five years. To achieve our Vision Zero safety goals of eliminating all traffic fatalities, the SFMTA will deliver the greater Embarcadero Enhancement Project through our on-going partnership with the Port of San Francisco and the input of community stakeholders. The Embarcadero Enhancement Project seeks to:

• Build a safer Embarcadero for all users
• Improve connections between the Embarcadero and nearby neighborhoods
• Elevate the Embarcadero’s role as a valued destination and workplace for locals, visitors, businesses, maritime and industrial uses
• Invest in critical infrastructure to support the renewal and recovery of our City while protecting public health

Upcoming Phases
The first phase will take place along the Central Segment between Mission Street and Broadway. The second phase will focus along the Southern Segment between Folsom and Townsend streets.

Phase 1 - Central Segment (Mission to Broadway)
The first phase (Central Segment) will be constructed in two parts, with less-intensive construction to occur in 2021, using “quick-build” techniques and city crews, followed by more substantial capital investment and construction.

This sequenced approach allows for timely implementation of key safety measures and expanded mobility options during the pandemic-related temporary shutdown of historic streetcar service. It also allows the project team time to observe and evaluate these changes prior to committing to more permanent and expensive streetscape features.

Phase 2 - Southern Segment (Mission to Townsend)
The second phase (Southern Segment) proposes to extend the quick-build and Central Segment improvements south toward the ballpark, Caltrain, and growing Mission Rock neighborhood. This phase requires more significant capital investment and changes to the existing promenade and center medians to accommodate a fully protected two-way bikeway. As such, Phase 2 has a longer and less certain timeframe. SFMTA staff are undertaking preliminary engineering and will be coordinating with the Port’s development plans for Piers 30-32 and 38-40.

Northern Segment (Broadway to North Point)
The Embarcadero Enhancement Project's preliminary engineering phase identified several design and funding challenges to implementing the project as envisioned along The Embarcadero north of Broadway.  This segment will not move forward as part of the EEP, but the SFMTA together with the Fisherman’s Wharf/Pier 39 circulation study will perform additional public outreach and analysis later this year to determine what safety improvements might be feasible in that area.

Stay Informed as We Create a Safer Embarcadero
The Embarcadero is a special place for many in San Francisco and beyond. We look forward to engaging with the community in the months ahead to help this important project take shape. Outreach for Phase 1 is currently underway through the spring of 2021. Please visit our project website at SFMTA.com/Embarcadero to stay up to date on the latest information and sign up for updates, or contact the project team directly by emailing Embarcadero@SFMTA.com.

SFMTA Sign Shop crew installing safety posts along the Embarcadero bicycle lane in August 2020.

Published January 15, 2021 at 09:29PM
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Renewing San Francisco’s Subway for the 21st Century

Renewing San Francisco’s Subway for the 21st Century
By Jerri Diep

The Muni Metro system operates underground from Embarcadero to West Portal in tunnels that were constructed between 50 to 100 years ago. Considering their age and history, SFMTA has undertaken a Subway Renewal Program to ensure that this vital segment of our transportation network is brought into a state-of-good repair.

The SFMTA kicked off the first part of the Subway Renewal Program during the current shutdown, which began as a result of the pandemic in March 2020. Work is underway to improve the reliability of the system and reduce disruptions for years to come. While we had hoped to complete all the near-term items we identified during our evaluation period by the end of 2020, designing and procuring some of the more complex elements is taking longer than expected. As a result, some of that initial work will continue even as service is restored.

Track maintenance work being undertaken prior to the return of Muni light-rail to the subway

The Subway Renewal Program lays out a systematic approach to capital upgrades over the next ten years, targeting a backlog of repairs on the most critical systems. This work will improve our subway’s resilience and prepare it for the demands of the future. Additionally, the program provides a framework for future capital work by emphasizing continuous upgrades, as well as identifying replacement needs early and ensuring they are addressed promptly.  The critical subway infrastructure items we will replace over the next ten years include tangent (straight-line) track, crossover tracks and switches. We will also upgrade our electrical systems in the subway stations, enhance ventilation and replace and upgrade our automatic train control system. Long-awaited Wi-Fi connection inside the subway tunnel is already underway and is scheduled for completion prior to the subway reopening.

We will provide more information on future construction work as it becomes available. Stay tuned! 

Current Subway Work Details

The work of our engineering and maintenance teams on Subway Renewal includes:

• Replacing defective splices on the overhead lines, installing new wire to reduce frequency of splices and redesigning support structures to optimize alignment, eliminating slow zones
• Grinding rail to reduce wear on rolling stock, improve ride quality, and extend life of the rail
• Spot-replacing track fasteners and rails in areas of higher wear and deterioration due to ground water
• Replacing track switch machinery in the Muni Metro Turnaround area east of Embarcadero to ensure smooth operations at this critical junction
• Replacing ballast in the Eureka Curve Tunnel to address rail stability and drainage issues

• Upgrading Subway Lighting to allow for improved visibility during maintenance work and emergency response
• Providing customer Wi-Fi access

Subway Work Timeline and Rail Service Return

The timing of rail service returning will align with the completion of safety and operational improvements inside the subway tunnel. The subway will operate initially with limited hours: underground service will stop and shift to bus shuttles at 8:30 p.m. for evening and late-night service due to anticipated low ridership and the need to complete the ongoing improvements of the renewal plan.

The T Third will be first the rail line to enter the subway at Embarcadero Station, once that location is operational, tentatively scheduled for January 23, 2021. The T Third line will operate on the surface between Sunnydale and the Embarcadero, where it will terminate, until full subway service can be returned.

In spring 2021, pending subway repairs and COVID-19 developments, we will extend the T Third rail service through the subway to West Portal and we restart the N Judah. We expect the K Ingleside, L Taraval and M Ocean View to remain as bus routes through the spring while we train more rail operators and complete the first phase of the L Taraval construction project.

We know many San Franciscans rely on our light rail service and we apologize for the inconvenience the continued closure of our rail system has caused. We are working hard to bring rail service back in better shape for a more comfortable and reliable ride. And, through our Subway Renewal Program, we’re planning for more reliable rides in the long-run. We thank you Muni customers for your patience while we work to bring the system up to the standard you deserve.

For updates on rail recovery efforts, please visit SFMTA.com/RailRecovery.

 

 

 

Published January 14, 2021 at 09:31PM
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We Need Your Feedback on Scooter Share

We Need Your Feedback on Scooter Share
By Philip Cranna

The SFMTA is seeking public input as we prepare for the next round of Powered Scooter Share Program permits. We are holding an online meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 14th and also have an online surve for feedback.

The current permits for Scooter Share expire in April 2021. We expect to issue the next round of permits to take effect as soon as the current permits expire. To improve the program, the SFMTA is considering updates and wants to hear from the community about:

• Community engagement requirements: adding a mobility justice training requirement and additional outreach requirements
• Distribution requirements: emphasizing the importance of ensuring that all neighborhoods in San Francisco are served by scooters
• Adaptive scooter program requirements: transitioning from an adaptive pilot requirement to an improved accessibility requirement

The SFMTA is committed to fostering an urban environment where sustainable modes of travel are desirable, accessible, and preferred over operating a private vehicle.

Scooter riders along Valencia Street

Background on 2019 Powered Scooter Share Permit Program

The SFMTA issued permits to four companies, Spin, Scoot, Lime and Jump to operate for a one- year term, beginning October 15, 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the permits were extended by six months to April 2021.

Recent SFMTA authorization also enabled scooter companies to deploy more scooters and expand into new neighborhoods across San Francisco. This expansion aligns with the agency’s commitment to equity by increasing access to sustainable modes of transportation in underserved areas. Scooters offer an efficient travel choice that is environmentally friendly and fills transportation gaps for many. With reduced Muni service and returning traffic congestion, the city is focused on promoting sustainable ways to get around.

Companies Expanding

Spin was the first company to expand its fleet, by adding 500 scooters in September 2020. With the increase, Spin is authorized to deploy up to a total of 1,500 scooters and is required to meet a minimum distribution of scooters in three more neighborhoods: Inner/Central Richmond, Inner/Central Sunset and the Haight.

Lime acquired Jump in June 2020, and because both companies held a permit Lime is now authorized to operate up to 2,000 scooters. Their permit requires Lime to meet a minimum distribution of scooters in the Richmond and Sunset neighborhoods.

Increased Enforcement and Transparency

As the scooter companies’ fleets expanded, the SFMTA also increased our enforcement and monitoring of scooter share to address compliance and safety issues. For transparency in our effort to increase enforcement sweeps and respond to complaints, we’ve published a Scooter Share enforcement dashboard.

The SFMTA is currently standardizing the process of monthly reporting, which will be available on the Powered Scooter Share Permit Program site.

Get Involved:

• Join our online meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 14th and give public comments
• Take our online survey to share feedback – available until Friday, January 29th.

Review the Powered Scooter Share Program website for more

Published January 13, 2021 at 09:40PM
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