Contact: Eric Young, San Francisco County Transportation Authority 
Office: 415-522-4816
Cell: 415-306-4509

Download this press release (PDF)

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority has released a draft “Emerging Mobility Evaluation Report,” the first comprehensive look at the rapidly evolving emerging mobility sector in San Francisco.

Covering everything from ride-hail services to autonomous vehicles and microtransit to scooter sharing, the report outlines the range of services operating in San Francisco and evaluates how these services align with the City’s Guiding Principles. San Francisco’s Guiding Principles outline long-range transportation goals around a healthy environment, livability, safety, and world-class infrastructure. The Guiding Principles also include a focus on equity, affordability, financial impacts and other metrics. (See “Guiding Principles Detail” below.)

Among the report’s key findings are that companies that share data and partner with the City on pilots are better at helping meet City transportation goals. The report also underscores the need for the City to establish a consistent process to set up pilots and issue permits for emerging mobility providers, perform more research, and enact stronger rules.

“With more private mobility businesses operating on our streets, the City must make sure we’re balancing competing interests for maximum public benefit,” said Aaron Peskin, Chair of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and District 3 Supervisor. “That means developing clear congestion management regulations that prioritize public safety and accessibility, as well as continuing to invest in a robust multi-modal public transportation system for everyone.”

Working with other public agencies, the emerging mobility sector and community stakeholders, the Transportation Authority developed a methodology for evaluating how the emerging mobility services in San Francisco are helping or hindering the City’s efforts to meet its transportation goals. Based on that evaluation, the Transportation Authority has developed numerous recommendations and next steps that would allow the city to:

  • PARTNER: Proactively partner with emerging mobility providers
  • MEASURE: Collect emerging mobility data and conduct research
  • REGULATE: Regulate and recover costs
  • BRIDGE: Bridge mobility and access gaps
  • PRIORITIZE: Support and prioritize public transit
  • ENFORCE: Enforce safe streets
  • PRICE: Manage congestion at curbs and on city roadways

“This report provides an open and transparent assessment of the new mobility sector and how it is performing in San Francisco, relative to the City’s Transit First, Vision Zero, climate, and equity goals,” said Tilly Chang, Executive Director of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. “As we can see, while there is great demand for these new services, there are important gaps in data and performance that must be bridged by research, regulation and partnerships, to protect the investments we have made in our public infrastructure, and to extend the benefits of technology to all.”

Agency staff will present the report during the Transportation Authority Board meeting on May 8 at 10 a.m. in Room 250, San Francisco City Hall.
Go to sfcta.org/emerging-mobility/evaluation to download a copy of the report.

Guiding Principles Detail

The Transportation Authority and SFMTA last year developed 10 Guiding Principles, based on existing and adopted City policies, to identify goals and policies related to emerging mobility services and technologies. These principles will guide how the City evaluates these services and technologies, collaborates with the providers, and develops policy responses to new innovations.

They are:

  • Maintain roadway safety through San Francisco’s Vision Zero policy
  • Encourage mass transit through San Francisco’s Transit First policy
  • Ensure equitable access for people of all backgrounds or means
  • Increase mobility opportunities for people of all abilities
  • Improve environmental sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through San Francisco’s Climate Action Strategy
  • Reduce roadway congestion
  • Improve accountability through data-driven decision making
  • Ensure fairness in labor practices
  • Promote positive financial impacts and a state of good repair
  • Collaborate openly with public agencies, the community and innovative companies to improve our city together.

About the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (www.sfcta.org) Created in 1989, the Transportation Authority spearheads strategic planning and allocates funding for transportation-related projects in San Francisco. The Transportation Authority administers the city’s Prop. K half-cent transportation sales tax, the Prop AA $10 annual vehicle registration fee program, and the Transportation Fund for Clean Air. The Transportation Authority also serves as San Francisco’s Congestion Management Agency and is the Treasure Island Mobility Management Agency. The Transportation Authority Board consists of the 11 members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, who act as Transportation Authority Commissioners. Commissioner Aaron Peskin is Chair of the Board. Tilly Chang is the Transportation Authority’s Executive Director.