Sidewalk scooter war hits new high
Departments coordinate efforts; seizures increase
San Francisco officials escalated the city’s crackdown on rental scooters Thursday, seizing 159 of the slender vehicles as police were ordering riders off sidewalks.
The coordinated enforcement efforts by the Department of Public Works and the Police Department came three days after City Attorney Dennis Herrera sent LimeBike, Spin and Bird, the three scooter companies responsible for unceremoniously dropping the scooters on city streets late last month, letters ordering them to cease and desist from illegal operations.
The number of scooters confiscated Thursday for blocking sidewalks and entrances far exceeds the 66 scooters impounded last Friday and the 61 seized Wednesday. Until Thursday, there was little evidence that police had made an effort to stop riders from weaving in and around pedestrians on sidewalks in violation of state law.
Herrera acknowledged that city departments are working together to get the scooters off of
city sidewalks, where many users ride them or park them in a manner that creates a potential hazard for pedestrians or obstructs their paths.
“The cease and desist letters don’t order these companies to shut down,” he said in a statement to The Chronicle. “They direct them to stop their unlawful activities and address their business practices to ensure their scooters are used lawfully. Our office is working closely with Public Works and the Police Department to ensure that our sidewalks are safe and that the laws are enforced while a permit program is being designed.”
The motorized scooters have become both reviled and adored since the three companies deposited hundreds of them three weeks ago on city sidewalks, particularly downtown, South of Market and in the Financial and Mission districts.
The scooters have become a hit with riders who rent them, using an app for short trips between transit and workplaces, or to meetings or lunch. But they’ve become an object of scorn for people who complain that riders often leave them in the middle of sidewalks, in front of building entrances or blocking bus stops, violations of city codes.
The 159 scooters scooped up by Public Works staff Thursday were blocking pedestrian pathways, bus stops or curb ramps, said Rachel Gordon, a department spokeswoman.
“That’s 220 scooters in two days,” she said, noting the 61 scooters picked up Wednesday. “And we’ll be back out there tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, as Public Works officials focused on getting parked scooters out of the way of pedestrians, San Francisco police issued a statement vowing to keep up their sidewalk enforcement.
“Safety measures may include citations or warnings in order to educate scooter users about the regulations and public safety steps they should follow for their wellbeing and that of others,” the statement said.
David Stevenson, a department spokesman, said he didn’t know how many, if any, citations have been issued to scooter riders, noting that officers were focusing on informing them of their responsibilities.
“A lot of the emphasis has been on educating people as our officers encounter them,” he said.
San Francisco lacks laws that would allow the city to impose specific regulations on scooters or require them to seek permits — but not for long.
The Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance Tuesday granting the Municipal Transportation Agency that power. The agency expects to have applications ready in early May, with a permit process and regulations taking effect later in the month.
In response to Thursday’s seizures, Rachel Katz, a Bird spokeswoman, said the company looks forward “to engaging with city officials in a fair process to review the reasons for confiscating. We are continuing to build upon Bird’s user education efforts so that our growing user base becomes accustomed to considering their fellow San Franciscans and parks safely out of the right-of-way."