Today, the SFMTA issued permits to four scooter-share operators: Scoot, Jump, Lime and Spin through the new Powered Scooter Share Permit Program. With the pilot program set to expire on Monday, October 14, the new permit will take effect on Tuesday, October 15 to avoid a disruption in service.
We are grateful for all the constructive feedback received throughout this process and will be rolling out a phased approach to the expansion of shared scooters on San Francisco’s streets.
New permittees (Jump, Lime and Spin) will be authorized to deploy up to 500 scooters each. This cap is scheduled to increase to 750 on December 15 and again to 1,000 on February 15, contingent on each respective company meeting stringent permit terms and conditions.
As the only incumbent operator, Scoot will be permitted to operate up to 1,000 scooters (they are currently allowed to operate 1,250). The company has been in good standing and has undertaken extensive community outreach, including exceeding SFMTA’s goal of having at least one low-income membership plan for every two permitted scooters.
During the course of the pilot, we have heard from the public about the need for more bicycle racks to safely accommodate the increased number of scooters on our city streets. As part of the permit fee, each operator will pay $75 per scooter to support the installation of new racks throughout the city. For our part, the SFMTA commits to install a minimum of 100 new bike racks per month (doubling our current rate).
The safety of scooter riders and pedestrians will always be our first priority.
The new Powered Scooter Share Permit includes a more stringent complaint tracking process through a shared complaint database. Operators will be required to track all complaints (and the resolution of these complaints) and provide this information to SFMTA on a regular basis. Operators will also be required to take proactive measures to ensure that their customers are aware that sidewalk riding is both unsafe and illegal and implement deterrent measures, including graduated monetary penalties and suspensions for those who engage in unsafe riding behavior.
One thing the public can do to curb "bad scooter behavior" is to report violations to 311. Please be sure to note the time, location, scooter brand or color and if possible, a description of the rider. You can also use our webpage on emerging mobility to file a complaint directly with the companies, which will also be shared with the SFMTA through the complaints database.
We are grateful to Supervisor Peskin, the entire Board of Supervisors and members of the public who have provided valuable feedback through the course of this process.
