SF Supervisor Jeff Sheehy, myself, and Ben Bear, Spin’s Head of BD & Partnerships.
From the outset, Spin has been committed to working closely with the cities we operate in, leading the way in drafting the nation’s first responsible stationless permit in Seattle together with then-SDOT official Kyle Rowe, now a full-time member of our team. Our fast-growing team is working hard to bring smart, safe, and sustainable mobility programs to fit the needs of each individual community and address any concerns that may arise. Many in the industry are claiming to be responsible actors — but actions speak louder than words. We do things the right way and have demonstrated that.
Our competitors’ recent overtures, including a recent “Save our Sidewalks” campaign, come off as insincere given recent criminal complaints and settlements. Other stationless operators weighing in now have been guilty themselves of dumping thousands of bikes in cities unannounced and backing bills that preempt local regulations on bikesharing. Spin has always worked with cities, not against them, and will continue to focus on our own efforts in creating responsible and sustainable scooter and bike-share systems in conjunction with cities. To this end, we will be mindful about which partners we align with.
We are the only stationless operator based in San Francisco — this is our home. Our offices are right across from AT&T Park in SOMA, and all three of us co-founders have lived in San Francisco for most of the past decade. We are proud to have been working with the City of San Francisco since we first began exploring scooter-share. Over the past couple months, we have worked closely — and been completely transparent — with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), Metropolitan Transportation Committee (MTC), and members of the Board of Supervisors.
Unlike the other operators, we reached out to the appropriate stakeholders before operating in San Francisco. After we solicited feedback and suggestions from them on piloting our scooters in a safe, responsible way, we began deploying small batches of scooters to test and collect data. Since then, we’ve been providing regular updates to and sharing data with SFMTA and other city stakeholders. As we introduce more scooters, we’ll continue what we’ve already been doing by involving SFMTA, MTC, and the Board of Supervisors each step of the way. SFMTA knows we’re committed to working with them as the city considers regulations, and we are excited to continue collaborating with them.
Spin on,
Euwyn
