Entitled tech bros! Disrupted sidewalks! Mass impound sweeps! Social media convulsions!
"San Francisco's city attorney on Monday issued a cease and desist order for the unlawful operation of scooters in the city," reports Cornell Barnard.
The companies on the receiving end of those cease and desist order: Bird, Lime, and Spin.
Late last week, Michael Cabanatuan reported that the city's Public Works Department had impounded 66 of the scooters and fined the companies for blocking the sidewalk. The three companies deposited the scooters onto city streets just weeks ago.
For a flavor of the public complaints about the scooters, see an article by Adam Brinklow, who crowd sources social media for photos of "scooters behaving badly."
Finally, Megan Rose Dickey reports on the status of an effort by the city to develop regulations for the e-scooter rental companies."The San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Land Use and Transportation Committee has been working with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to develop a permit process to enable the SFMTA to regulate e-scooter share companies," according to Dickey. The next step will be to take the proposed legislation to the Board of Supervisors.
FULL STORY: Electric scooters are getting closer to regulation in SF
Scooter War Now a Scooter Competition
Three scooter companies, Lime, Bird and Spin, removed their scooters from the sidewalks of San Francisco earlier this month and applied, with nine other companies, for five permits to operate up to 2,500 scooters in a tightly regulated pilot program.
New Chapter in the San Francisco Scooter Wars: Removal
The city attorney vows to bring order to the streets (and sidewalks) of San Francisco by requiring electric scooter share companies to apply for permits. First step: all e-scooters must be removed by June 4, or risk a $100 fine per day per scooter.
San Diego Merchants Call for Halt to Dockless Bikeshare Operations
Public bikeshare arrived in San Diego in 2014. Last month, three companies unleashed thousands of dockless bikes, cluttering sidewalks in three business districts to the chagrin of merchants who want a time-out so the city can develop regulations.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.
San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent
Low-cost interventions aimed at slowing traffic are making a major impact on road safety.
How Single-Family Conversions Benefit Both Homeowners and Cities
Converting single-family homes to triplexes can ease the housing crisis and offer affordable, flexible options for more households. Why is it largely illegal?
Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.
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Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
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HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research