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.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
San Diego County Sees a Rise in Urban Coyotes
San Diego County experiences a rise in urban coyotes, as sightings become prevalent throughout its urban neighbourhoods and surrounding areas.
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Planning for Universal Design
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Smith Gee Studio
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