SF will allow additional dockless bike-share operators

Uber’s JUMP will soon no longer be the sole operator of stationless bike-share programs in San Francisco. Today, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency announced the expansion of its stationless bike-share program to allow additional companies to operate in the city.

JUMP received an exclusive, 18-month permit to operate a stationless electric bike-share service in the city last January. That meant companies like Lime and Spin, which has since gone all-in on scooters, were unable to deploy their bikes in the city. Now, following an application process, other companies may be able to operate stationless bike-share programs in San Francisco.

Interested companies can apply between now through June 24, 2019. The application requires companies to outline things like their pricing structures, proposed service area and fleet size, how they plan to ensure proper parking, and how they will ensure equal opportunity and fair wages among its labor.

While the city looks to expand its dockless bike-share offerings, the SFMTA says it has no plans to get rid of station-based bike-share systems like the one from Lyft’s Ford GoBike.

“A stationless system can help fill in the gaps where stations are yet to arrive or where stations are not required,” SFMTA’s Benjamin Barnett wrote in a blog post today. “We see the combination of both systems as the best fit for our unique City and an important part of our transportation network.”