Episode 206: Talking Dockless Scooters

Streets littered with bicycles and scooters represent the latest skirmish between Bay Area city administrators and the technology sector. In a region ready to confront carbon emissions and ready to embrace pedestrian-friendly streets, scooters have become the next item in an evergreen local debate on what mode of transport should dominant city streets, who should decide, and how to keep city residents safe. San Francisco's proximity to the hub of the technology sector makes it a "petri dish" for experimentation, says Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, transportation reporter for the San Francisco Examiner in conversation with UC Berkeley public policy student Reem Rayef about the issues that surround scooters. But -- while Bay Area tech companies seek to be a major player in urban transportation with its disruptive technologies, municipalities often have other goals in mind. Tune into this lively conversation on how cities are responding to scooters, how companies are trying to get around city regulation, when local residents revolt against new technologies -- and whether scooters really are a better way to get around. See show notes and full transcript here: https://gspp.berkeley.edu/research-and-impact/news/podcast/episode-2-6-talking-dockless-scooters