City-based Bikeshare is great for short distances in dense, urban settings, but what if you’re traveling to a neighboring city for work, school, or that bakery with the delicious scones? Well, SVBC has some exciting (non-scone related) news for you!

In one word, it’s all about “micromobility” – transportation over short distances via lightweight, usually single-person vehicles, such as bicycles and scooters.

In December, the City/County of Association of Governments (C/CAG) Board of Directors adopted the agency’s “San Mateo County Shared Micromobility Study and Implementation Plan,” a guiding document to develop a cohesive, interjurisdictional micromobility program between cities and townships.

The ambitious document lays the foundation for a network of micromobility offerings that can be seamlessly used to travel between communities in San Mateo County. To explore the challenges of working with multiple jurisdictions, the plan includes a pilot program in five San Mateo County cities. Similar to the Bay Wheel’s Bike Share program, it aims to reduce commute by vehicle and places a focus on equity priority areas and accessibility for underserved communities and those with disabilities.

Over the last year, C/CAG engaged stakeholders and community partners to assess the feasibility and to draft recommendations on implementing such a program. SVBC’s advocacy team was a member of the agency’s Ad Hoc Advisory Group (AHAG), providing input at virtual workshops and feedback throughout the drafting process.

For a quick summary, SVBC encourages you to review the executive summary and continue reading on for plan highlights, analysis, and what this can mean for micromobility in the greater Bay Area.

Recommendations and Plan

While workshopping this plan, C/CAG prioritized governance, defining the roles and responsibilities for 1) local jurisdictions 2) the program manager (C/CAG), and 3) the vendor/operator. These are the three key stakeholders that will ensure the program is successful and sustainable.

In addition, SVBC highlighted the guidelines for the pilot, which will be an e-bike pilot likely to start in Daly City, Broadmoor, and Colma, and Redwood City and North Fair Oaks. There is also guidance on the number of stations, the service areas, and funding. And you can get more granular reviewing the plan, but SVBC took the liberty of whittling down the most important guidelines for you.

Governance

Recommend the program manager be C/CAG, which will have broad management and oversight responsibilities over the multi-jurisdictional program (p.42)
Program manager responsibilities include; pre-procurement, procurement, contract management, managing issues, and public communication. (p. 47)
Jurisdictions could opt into the program and determine certain operating requirements, such as no-ride areas, speed limited areas, and restricted parking areas. (p.42)
Jurisdictions will retain the ability to fine the operator or impound vehicles in instances of violations. (p.42)
Establish a governance committee composed of participating jurisdictions, the program manager and any other key stakeholders as needed. (p.42)
Most operational issues would be passed on to the program manager, who would work with the operator to resolve them. (p.42)

Program and Pilot

A regional micromobility program will be established as a pilot, implemented through an RFP to select a vendor who would own and run a local program. (p.64)
The pilot would run for one-to-two years, with participating jurisdictions committing to stay within that program through the duration of the pilot. (p.64)
At the end of the one-year period, each participating jurisdiction can choose to remain within the program or exit the partnership. (p.64)
Individual jurisdictions can reserve the right to suspend micromobility operations if the vendor fails to meet the contract terms and conditions. (p.64)
Increasing disadvantaged communities’ access to and participation in micromobility systems, many systems have implemented equity programs that target the various barriers, including: physical barriers, cost barriers, payment barriers, knowledge barriers, and accessibility barriers. (p.64)

SVBC’s Feedback

Overall, the guidelines provide a strong framework for jurisdictions to work together with vendors to build a program that will reflect the transportation needs in their respective cities, while supporting the long-term sustainability of the program through public investments.

Most impressively, the plan includes a strong equity lens that prioritizes service to underserved communities rather than chasing profit. During the workshops, the focus on equity was continually raised, and each iteration of the draft plan incorporated AHAG’s feedback. SVBC was thrilled to see C/CAG recommend a robust list of opportunities to improve knowledge and access, including subsidized rides for low-income populations, adaptive vehicles solutions, and educational events, programming, and partnerships. This is just one of many excellent aspects of the report, but there is always room for improvement, and the next item can be more of an indictment on the Bay Area’s transportation system as a whole.

In its feedback to C/CAG, SVBC expressed concern that the agency serving as that program manager would cause the Bay Area’s transportation system to fragment further, leading to an even more disjointed transportation network that can be cumbersome to navigate. A regionally seamless system should provide consistency in fares, a unified payment system, interoperability, a consistent user experience, as well as broadly accessible, equitable service coverage. That’s why SVBC recommended the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which already has experience coordinating regional bikeshare through the Bay Wheels Bike Share Program, serve as the program manager.

Furthermore, having several vendors with different applications for riders to download and connect to digital payment systems is an unnecessary barrier. If it is not feasible to move immediately to a regional program manager, SVBC suggested C/CAG manage the pilots and prepare a long-term plan to integrate the San Mateo County program into the MTC’s next generation regional program.

Next Steps

Now that the board has adopted the plan, C/CAG’s next steps will be to hire a micromobility professional, secure funding, and tap a vendor to run the pilot program. There is no definitive timeline yet, and it will be on advocates to ensure the plan is implemented expeditiously and equitably.

You can keep up to date on the latest news for this plan at C/CAG’s website here. Their staff are generous with their time and can answer any questions you may have.

Do you live or ride in San Mateo County? Have questions or want to nerd out about this program? Email Anthony to talk more or meet for coffee: anthony@bikesiliconvalley.org.