2019 Permit Program
The 2019-2020 Powered Scooter Share Permit Program incorporates lessons learned from the 12-month Powered Scooter Share Pilot as well as the SFMTA’s 18-month Stationless Bikeshare Permit Program with the goal of create a more useful, safe, and equitable citywide program.
The current program provides strong guidance and clear requirements regarding key issues such as the parking requirements, distribution of devices, operational sustainability, community engagement processes and data sharing and rider accountability.
As directed in the 2019-2020 Powered Scooter Share Permit Program memorandum dated September 27, 2019, the current Powered Scooter Share Program began on October 15, 2019, when the SFMTA issued permits to four companies, Spin, Scoot, Lime, and Jump, to operate for a one-year term. Key requirements of the Powered Scooter Share Program include:
- All scooters must have a lock-to device
- Clear parking guidelines and parking enforcement
- Complaints database
- Low-income plan
- Bike rack fee
- Adaptive Scooter Pilot
- Community Engagement Plan
- Labor Harmony Provision
On August 18, 2020, the SFMTA Board approved a six-month permit term extension until April 2021 to allow permittees time to recover from the emergency shutdown and expand as part of the SFMTA’s Transportation Recovery Plan.
There are currently three Scooter Share permittees in operation:
- Lime
- Scoot
- Spin
2018 to 2019 Pilot Program
SFMTA conducted a Scooter Share pilot program, from mid-October 2018 to mid-October 2019. Two companies, Scoot and Skip, were issued permits and were allowed to operate a maximum of 625 scooters for the first six months and up to a maximum of 1,250 upon meeting certain equity-based criteria. To provide transparency and insight into the agency’s evaluation and decision-making process, the SFMTA has made public a variety of pilot-related information and materials, including the Mid-Pilot Evaluation and policy memo, which provided important insights to the SFMTA about the pilot. The transition from the pilot to full permit program benefitted from many lessons learned and input from the community. Key program updates from the pilot to the full program include improved reporting requirements, the requirement to have a locking device on the scooter, the adaptive pilot, and equity requirements such as the low income plan.