Transportation

San Francisco’s transportation board has named a new chief: a high-profile outsider who has pledged to fix the subway, fill the bus driver shortages and bring order to an agency now famous for chaos. Jeffrey Tumlin still has to be confirmed by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s board of directors before he starts on Dec. 16, but the selection was announced on Wednesday. He would be the first LGBT leader to hold what some have called the toughest — and most thankless — job in city government. “We are in the process of hiring a star,” said SFMTA board chair Malcolm Heinicke. He noted the agency had conducted an international search to find Tumlin, who lives with his husband in Noe Valley, a short train ride from City Hall. Tumlin began his career managing the parking program at Stanford University, and went on to found Oakland’s Department of Transportation. He’s known in policy circles for taking bold ideas and making them … [Read more...] about SFMTA’s new leader: Board selects transportation consultant Jeffrey Tumlin

Uber Technologies Inc. appealed a British regulator's decision to revoke its license in London, fighting back against a move that could put its biggest market in Europe at risk. Transport for London last month denied Uber a new operating license, saying the firm had failed to adequately verify drivers' identities and safeguard the service for passengers. The ride-hailing app's appeal could take years and it will be able to continue operating in the meantime. "We are committed to Londoners and are working closely with TfL to address their concerns and requests, as we have since 2017," Jamie Heywood, Uber's regional general manager, said Friday in a statement. "When it comes to safety on our platform our work is never done and we will keep listening, learning and improving," he said. At least 14,000 trips involved drivers who weren't who they said they were, the regulator said in a statement last month. One driver found exploiting Uber's app had already had a private hire license revoked … [Read more...] about Uber files court appeal over loss of London license

Members of San Francisco’s Chinese Six Companies held a news conference for the Chinese language press to protest the effort to name the Chinatown Central Subway Station in honor of long-time neighborhood activist and City Hall insider Rose Pak, who died in 2016. “Rose Pak is not seen as a respectful person in Chinatown,” said Hop Wo Benevolent Association member Steve Ball. “We use one person’s name and then another group has another name. We don’t want any name on the station. It should just be Chinatown Station,” Ball said, adding that if the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency puts Pak’s name up opponents will launch a ballot initiative against the naming. Pak was a long time foe of the benevolent association, which pretty much ruled the roost in Chinatown prior to Pak’s ascent in the early 1980s. And while the Chinese Six Companies are respected, Pak and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce were the real powerhouse at City … [Read more...] about SF Chinatown group called out for opposing Rose Pak’s name on subway station

Workers at San Francisco e-scooter company Spin agreed to unionize on Wednesday. About 40 Spin employees — comprised of shift leads, maintenance specialists, operations specialists, neighborhood ambassadors, deployers and collectors — will now be represented by Teamsters Local 665, after a majority approved the decision. The move for the e-scooter employees to unionize is the first of its kind in San Francisco, and possibly in the nation. Spin, which is owned by Ford, is just one of four e-scooter companies allowed to operate in the city, and it's the first to unionize. READ ALSO: The invasion of the electric scooters is here. This is what you need to know "We're excited to represent the first-ever group of union scooter workers at Spin," said Tony Delorio, president of Local 665, in a statement. "The card check process was quick and went smoothly. Thanks to the Board of Supervisors ensuring labor harmony and Spin's eagerness to partner with the workers and the union, we … [Read more...] about In a first for e-scooter companies, employees at Spin agree to unionize

Most of the attention devoted to San Francisco’s Vision Zero campaign to eliminate traffic deaths by 2024 has focused on physical improvements: more visible crosswalks, wider sidewalks, new traffic signals. But the results of a study released last week suggest that a pairing of publicity and policing can have a significant effect. The study by the city Department of Public Health, working with the Municipal Transportation Agency, found that a marketing campaign — proclaiming “It stops here” and stressing that pedestrians have the right of way at intersections — was successful in increasing by 3.2 percent the number of vehicles yielding for pedestrians when paired with enforcement. Motorists failing to yield to pedestrians account for 64 percent of all accidents between people walking and driving, according to San Francisco Police Department statistics. Ed Reiskin, transportation director for the Municipal Transportation Agency, said the study’s … [Read more...] about Campaign suggests way to get more drivers to stop for pedestrians