After an evening of socializing in Santa Barbara, Margaret Schimmel and her brother, Joseph, hailed an Uber to take them home, but the ride turned into a nightmare, according to a lawsuit they filed against Uber and the driver in San Francisco Superior Court. The case illustrates Uber’s use of secrecy in responding to lawsuits that accuse it and its drivers of injuring people — and the hurdles that accident victims can face in trying to hold the nation’s largest ride-hailing firm accountable.
Category: Transportation
Posted inElections, San Francisco 2019 Nonpartisan Election Guide, Transportation
Proposition D
A 2018 study by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority found that people take about 82 million trips in the city each year on Uber and Lyft combined, and most of those drivers live outside San Francisco.
In light of the report, legislators initially tried to take aim at Uber and Lyft with a gross receipts tax, a tax on company revenue. But after weeks of negotiations, that proposal gave way to what is now Proposition D, which the companies support: a fare tax of 3.25%, with shared rides and rides in zero-emission vehicles receiving a reduced rate of 1.5%. Passengers would pay the tax.
If you want to hear more about Proposition D, here’s an excerpt from Civic’s conversation with Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez about the proposal:
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Bay Area, Law & Justice, Transportation
BART’s Proposed Ban on Panhandling, Performing Slammed as Unconstitutional
A proposal to ban panhandling and performing on BART is slated to go before the BART board of directors in October. When it heard about the potential ban, the ACLU told the board that such a law would be a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech. Abre’ Conner, a staff attorney at […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Muni, Transportation
No Story Is Too Weird for Online Journal ‘Muni Diaries’
“Muni Diaries,” an online journal, collects and shares Muni riders’ stories in its blog, podcasts and live events around San Francisco. Co-founder Eugenia Chien and producer Peter Clarke provide a glimpse of what’s happening in the world of buses, streetcars, transit stops and stations around town.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Transportation
Bike-Friendly San Francisco Still a Work in Progress
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition promotes the bicycle as everyday transportation and pushes for better and safer streets. Executive Director Brian Wiedenmeier highlights what’s happening on the streets of San Francisco that is good, or bad, for bicyclists. He-gives a shout-out to the Bicycle Coalition’s valet bike parking at the new Chase Center, where automobile […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Muni, Neighborhoods, Transportation
Why the Mission District Bus-Only Red Lanes Bug a Lot of People
Mission Local reporter Abe Rodriguez talks about the cons, and pros — easing traffic congestion and lessening air pollution — of the red bus-only lanes in the Mission District.