Thursday, March 4, 2021

Applications are now open for SFMTA's 2021 Powered Scooter Share Program

Applications are now open for SFMTA's 2021 Powered Scooter Share Program
By Richard Aicardi

Today the SFMTA opens applications for the next round of Powered Scooter Share permits. The current permits for operators expire in June 2021 and the next round will go into effect as soon as the current permits expire.

Powered scooters are an increasingly popular way for San Franciscans to move around the city.

Powered scooters are an increasingly popular way for San Franciscans to move around the city.

SFMTA’s Powered Share Scooter program is aligned with San Francisco’s goal to provide numerous, reliable transportation choices for people moving in and around San Francisco. This is particularly important given the significant reduction in Muni service as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Powered Scooter Share Permit program builds on the lessons learned from the current permit program and feedback from our community stakeholders to create a more useful, safe, and equitable citywide program. As part of the development of the updated application process, staff conducted community outreach and solicited input via a public survey on aspects of the program that staff considered in need of refinement. Full details on the survey can be found in the Report for 2021 Scooter Share Permit Issuance.

The application is accompanied by a series of supporting documents to establish additional guidance and clear requirements around three key issues:

  • 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 scooter pilot program to a permanent program.

The SFMTA expects to issue approximately three new scooter permits to applicants that meet San Francisco’s high standards for safety, equity and accountability. We anticipate announcing successful applicants in spring 2021, and the new permits will take effect on July 1, 2021.

New permits will be effective for an approximately one-year term, with the option to extend for another year at the discretion of the SFMTA. We will establish a cap on the number of authorized scooters – anticipated to initially be between 1,000 and 2,500 scooters per permittee. As of February 2021, the three current permitees are allowed to operate the following numbers of scooters

  • Lime up to 2,000
  • Spin up to 2,000
  • Scoot up to 1,000

About the Application

All interested operators are encouraged to apply by the final deadline on March 29th, 2021. Candidates are encouraged to submit clarifying questions in writing to ScooterShare@SFMTA.com by 5 p.m. on March 9th, which will be addressed in a Question and Answer Session on March 11th.   Applications will be evaluated against a standardized evaluation scorecard to determine the strongest proposals.

The Permit Application and accompanying guidance documents can be found on the SFMTA Powered Scooter Share Permit Application website.



Published March 05, 2021 at 02:52AM
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Wednesday, March 3, 2021

An Update on Cable Cars and Muni's Historic Fleet

An Update on Cable Cars and Muni's Historic Fleet
By Erica Kato

Unbeatable views. Unforgettable trips. No experience is more uniquely San Francisco than a ride on a cable car. Cable cars have come to symbolize our great city.  

Phot of the Powell/Hyde Cable Car above Fishermans Wharf

The Powell/Hyde Cable Car turnaround at Fisherman's Wharf

Last March, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we temporarily halted cable car service as part of the city’s emergency response. This decision was made to best protect our operators and the public. Muni resources were then shifted to a core network to serve our essential workers and accommodate physical distancing on our most utilized lines and to retain access for transit dependent neighborhoods.  

We’re excited to announce that we have a timeline to phase in cable car service, as well as bring back service on our historic F Line fleet. Thanks to the acceleration of the COVID-19 vaccine and a more optimistic outlook for federal funding for public transit, we can craft a path forward. Our plan is to resume F Line service this May, seven days a week. Cable car service will return on the Powell-Hyde line, between Market Street and Fisherman’s Wharf, first this fall — ahead of the holiday season. The cable cars run through the heart of the city and will play a fundamental role in helping the city’s economy recover. What we know is tourism is the main driver of city business, and cable cars are a huge draw to San Francisco. 

In the meantime, we have a lot of work ahead of us before service returns: retraining operators, hiring line inspectors, and preparing our infrastructure to accommodate daily ridership again.   

We are committed to restarting cable car service and are well aware of the tremendous value they have for San Francisco’s history and economy. Please subscribe to our text or e-mail updates for more information on their triumphant return to San Francisco’s hilly streets and most iconic backdrops.  



Published March 03, 2021 at 09:18PM
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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Temporary Ramps Provide a Platform for Local Artists

Temporary Ramps Provide a Platform for Local Artists
By Jonathan Streeter

San Francisco’s arts community has been hit particularly hard by the shelter-in-place guidelines that have been in place since March 2020.  Inspired by the challenges faced by the arts community during the pandemic, SFMTA staff undertook an initiative to fund public art installations on two temporary wooden rail platforms installed last summer. For the project, a partnership between the SFMTA and local arts organization Paint the Void was formed with a mission to keep artists engaged and paid as a response to COVID-19. This effort was spearheaded by SFMTA project manager Liz Brisson, who oversaw the contracting and coordinated the necessary approval from the San Francisco Arts Commission.

In consultation with the local community, two artists were selected to create murals that would be an attractive addition to the streetscape. These works, by Simón Malvaez and Emily Fromm, now greet passengers and passers-by at the temporary platforms at West Portal Station and on the 200 block of Church Street.

“East West Portal”

Emily Fromm with her work "East West Portal"

Artist Emily Fromm with her work "East West Portal"

When asked about her mural at West Portal, artist Emily Fromm replied “from a young age I have been attracted to signs, text, bright lights, storefront displays and generally speaking, the way in which the world has been designed to communicate with those in it.” She wanted her piece “to capture the street which surrounds it; a quaint, picturesque little corner of the world that feels almost unchanged by time.  (I) wanted to highlight those businesses that have served the block in these times and those prior.”

As with many artists, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted Emily’s plans for 2020, including debut exhibitions in New York and London.  She was able to remain active during shelter–in-place with several commissions and is looking forward to developing a solo exhibition in San Francisco when the city re-opens.

 One reason this mural is so important to the artist is that the platform will serve the L Taraval, her favorite Muni line. Aside from memorable trips out to the zoo, Emily met her now-fiancé on the L Taraval “when we both got on at Montgomery Station on our way home from work and struck up a conversation on the ride home. I was carrying a bunch of plywood planks to paint, and once we realized that we were both getting off at the same stop at the end of the line and that we were neighbors, he helped me carry them home and asked me for my phone number. We still ride the L all the time and are grateful for all of the wonderful folks with the SFMTA who help us all get where we need to go.”

To learn more about how Emily’s platform will be put to use, visit the West Portal LK Transfer Project page.

“Them (Ramp)”

Simón Malvaez with his work "Them (Ramp)"

Simón Malvaez with his work "Them (Ramp)"

Castro resident Simón Malvaez, who painted the Church Street platform, draws his inspiration from the Queer and Latino communities. He said of his design, “I wanted to represent how we should celebrate unity in diversity and honor all the different people that have influenced me through my life.”

When asked about his experience during the pandemic, Simón replied, “I feel like art is one of the most important tools to show the reality that we live in right now, not only in our neighborhood but also in our city, our country, and the whole world. For me it’s very interesting to know about art history in San Francisco, and how through the years a lot of artists have moved out of the city—mostly because of the rent prices going high. I feel like being an artist in the Bay Area could be sometimes very hard and challenging and I think it is important to support local artists now more than ever.”

While unable to fulfill his plan to create his first major art piece at Burning Man 2020, Simón noted that “the pandemic made me slow down on my projects and focus on growing and learning more about my artistic style and the materials that I use. And it was not only the pandemic, but also the Black Lives Matter movement and the politics around immigration that are influencing what I want to show and represent in my art.” Now that his work is completed on the J Church platform, Simón is looking forward to the subway re-opening later this year when he can use the transfer point to connect to his other favorite lines, like the L Taraval at West Portal.

For information about how Simón’s platform is assisting Muni customers, visit the J Church Transfer Improvements page.



Published March 03, 2021 at 12:08AM
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