Officials in San Francisco City Hall are weighing solutions to a new phase of the homeless crisis, illustrated by scruffy RVs that spread from the Mission to the Bayview — some clearly empty, others with laundry bags dangling from their door handles and children’s bicycles affixed to their roofs. Maybe the answer is to move every van to an asphalt lot with trash cans, portable toilets and electrical hookups. Or perhaps a team of outreach workers should roam the streets, coaxing people out of their vehicles and steering them into services, the same way San Francisco dismantled its big tent encampments. If those ideas don’t pan out, the city could direct everyone to an RV campground within 50 miles, with showers and laundry facilities for $25 to $90 a night. Related Stories LocalBy Rachel SwanSmall southeast SF street becomes battleground on issue of...Biz & TechBy Wendy LeeSanctuary amid housing crisis: Churches open parking lots to...LocalBy Rachel … [Read more...] about Give them a place to park or force them out? City’s RV residents under spotlight
Electric bicycle san francisco
SF transit chief focuses on basics as critics call for visionary replacement
The chief of transportation in San Francisco wore a penitent expression, quietly emerging from a recent performance review on the fourth floor of City Hall. It had been a rough month for Ed Reiskin. He took the top job at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency seven years ago, with pledges to focus on everyday commuters and make the city’s Muni bus system more reliable. Now, with a new mayor in office, he’s come under a microscope. Bus service is erratic. Major infrastructure projects are delayed. A construction worker was struck and killed by a steel beam in the Twin Peaks Tunnel, prompting accusations that the agency isn’t vetting its contractors. Mayor London Breed described all of those problems in a scalding letter to Reiskin, which she sent Monday — the eve of his annual review from the MTA Board of Directors. At 6 the next evening, Reiskin stepped out of the closed-door meeting and into a throng of reporters. He offered a limp smile. His voice … [Read more...] about SF transit chief focuses on basics as critics call for visionary replacement
Up to 2,500 scooters hit SF streets as politicians push for stricter rules
After a ban, a reprieve and 18 contentious months of debate, San Francisco will see the number of electric rental scooters in town possibly double to as many as 2,500 Tuesday, as three new providers add their fleets to the street. Under an expansion of the city’s current pilot program, scooters from operators Lime, Jump and Spin will join those of Scoot, which gained permission to place its devices on streets after the city cracked down on scooters in early 2018. Scoot can deploy up to 1,000 scooters, about 400 more than its current number. Under their permits, Lime, Jump (owned by Uber) and Spin (owned by Ford) can each deploy up to 500 scooters. That number can increase up to 750 by Dec. 15 and to 1,000 by Feb. 15 if they meet requirements. One current scooter operator, Skip, will lose its license. Lime and Spin were among three operators that were banned last year after putting the vehicles on the street without seeking city approval. The other was Bird, which went on to … [Read more...] about Up to 2,500 scooters hit SF streets as politicians push for stricter rules
