Transportation projects focused on public transit, bikes and pedestrians — but not cars — would get fast-tracked for construction under a bill Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, plans to announce on Monday.His goal is two-fold: ramp up sustainable transportation and stimulate the economy.“If we’re going to claw our way out of this economic collapse, public investment in infrastructure is a crucial strategy, and we need to get that investment out and implemented fast,” Wiener said. “We can’t afford delays.”SB288, the Sustainable Transportation COVID-19 Recovery Act, would exempt...…Transportation projects focused on public transit, bikes and pedestrians — but not cars — would get fast-tracked for construction under a bill Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, plans to announce on Monday.His goal is two-fold: ramp up sustainable transportation and stimulate the economy.“If we’re going to claw our way out of this economic collapse, public investment in infrastructure is a crucial strategy, and we need to get that investment out and implemented fast,” Wiener said. “We can’t afford delays.”SB288, the Sustainable Transportation COVID-19 Recovery Act, would exempt...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateAs America lurches toward reopening after weeks of shutdowns that the economy, some people, including political leaders, frame the situation in binary terms: It’s a choice between lives and livelihoods — grandma’s health or Wall Street’s wealth.But the real-time, high-stakes experiment now under way is far more complex, a calculus with innumerable variables. As politicians, business leaders and individuals weigh the risks, economists and ethicists are seeking ways to balance the competing perspectives.Some states, counties and...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateAs America lurches toward reopening after weeks of shutdowns that the economy, some people, including political leaders, frame the situation in binary terms: It’s a choice between lives and livelihoods — grandma’s health or Wall Street’s wealth.But the real-time, high-stakes experiment now under way is far more complex, a calculus with innumerable variables. As politicians, business leaders and individuals weigh the risks, economists and ethicists are seeking ways to balance the competing perspectives.Some states, counties and...WW…

Ride-hailing leader Uber, which had already lost money hand over fist even before the shelter-in-place orders sent its business plunging, is considering laying off as much as a fifth of its workforce — about 5,400 people, reported on Tuesday.“As you would expect, the company is looking at every possible scenario to ensure we get to the other side of this crisis in a stronger position than ever,” the San Francisco company said in a statement.Uber has about 27,000 employees worldwide, with roughly a third of them in San Francisco, where it is headquartered. Those figures do not include its...…Ride-hailing leader Uber, which had already lost money hand over fist even before the shelter-in-place orders sent its business plunging, is considering laying off as much as a fifth of its workforce — about 5,400 people, reported on Tuesday.“As you would expect, the company is looking at every possible scenario to ensure we get to the other side of this crisis in a stronger position than ever,” the San Francisco company said in a statement.Uber has about 27,000 employees worldwide, with roughly a third of them in San Francisco, where it is headquartered. Those figures do not include its...WW…

Update: Uber’s name-your-price feature Thursday, July 9.Uber is letting drivers in Southern California and Sacramento set their own fares, a feature it will soon bring to the Bay Area and the entire state.It’s part of the San Francisco ride-hailing company’s attempts to show that drivers are independent, and therefore should not be classified as employees under AB5, California’s new gig-work law. AB5 makes it harder for companies to claim that workers are independent contractors, the business model that Uber relies on.Uber drivers in Los Angeles, Bakersfield, San Diego, Fresno and...…Update: Uber’s name-your-price feature Thursday, July 9.Uber is letting drivers in Southern California and Sacramento set their own fares, a feature it will soon bring to the Bay Area and the entire state.It’s part of the San Francisco ride-hailing company’s attempts to show that drivers are independent, and therefore should not be classified as employees under AB5, California’s new gig-work law. AB5 makes it harder for companies to claim that workers are independent contractors, the business model that Uber relies on.Uber drivers in Los Angeles, Bakersfield, San Diego, Fresno and...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateThree marquee San Francisco tech companies — Uber, Airbnb and Lyft — which exemplified a new generation of megabillion-dollar startups, have now slashed staffs in response to the coronavirus pandemic and shelter-in-place orders.Ride-hailing company Uber, among the city’s largest employers, was the latest to do so, laying off 14% of its workforce, or 3,700 recruiting and customer support employees worldwide, on Wednesday in the biggest round of layoffs to date for a San Francisco tech company during the crisis.Uber’s smaller rival...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateThree marquee San Francisco tech companies — Uber, Airbnb and Lyft — which exemplified a new generation of megabillion-dollar startups, have now slashed staffs in response to the coronavirus pandemic and shelter-in-place orders.Ride-hailing company Uber, among the city’s largest employers, was the latest to do so, laying off 14% of its workforce, or 3,700 recruiting and customer support employees worldwide, on Wednesday in the biggest round of layoffs to date for a San Francisco tech company during the crisis.Uber’s smaller rival...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateWith the travel industry reeling from the pandemic, Airbnb will lay off a quarter of its workforce, almost 1,900 people, CEO Brian Chesky told employees of the San Francisco vacation-rental company on Tuesday.“We are collectively living through the most harrowing crisis of our lifetime, and as it began to unfold, global travel came to a standstill,” Chesky wrote in an email to workers. “Airbnb’s business has been hit hard, with revenue this year forecasted to be less than half of what we earned in 2019.”While the company has...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateWith the travel industry reeling from the pandemic, Airbnb will lay off a quarter of its workforce, almost 1,900 people, CEO Brian Chesky told employees of the San Francisco vacation-rental company on Tuesday.“We are collectively living through the most harrowing crisis of our lifetime, and as it began to unfold, global travel came to a standstill,” Chesky wrote in an email to workers. “Airbnb’s business has been hit hard, with revenue this year forecasted to be less than half of what we earned in 2019.”While the company has...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateSan Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney accused Uber of redlining after it cut off access to Uber Eats for Treasure Island residents, citing the city’s new caps on food delivery commissions.“New regulations mean we can’t deliver to you,” Uber wrote in a message to Treasure Island customers, referring to the city’s that temporarily capped delivery commissions at 15%. The order, to remain in effect during the local state of emergency or until restaurants can host in-store diners, is designed to aid struggling restaurants whose from...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateSan Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney accused Uber of redlining after it cut off access to Uber Eats for Treasure Island residents, citing the city’s new caps on food delivery commissions.“New regulations mean we can’t deliver to you,” Uber wrote in a message to Treasure Island customers, referring to the city’s that temporarily capped delivery commissions at 15%. The order, to remain in effect during the local state of emergency or until restaurants can host in-store diners, is designed to aid struggling restaurants whose from...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateThey thought they had bought the ticket to the American Dream.Then the world changed.Anyone who’s ridden a cab through San Francisco knows the city’s taxi drivers have stories to tell. Common themes weave through them: Many came here as immigrants. They fell into driving cabs and found they enjoyed the work despite the long hours.A decade ago when the city started selling taxi medallions, they dug into savings, tapped friends and family, and took out loans to buy the $250,000 permits to operate their own cabs.Owning medallions...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateThey thought they had bought the ticket to the American Dream.Then the world changed.Anyone who’s ridden a cab through San Francisco knows the city’s taxi drivers have stories to tell. Common themes weave through them: Many came here as immigrants. They fell into driving cabs and found they enjoyed the work despite the long hours.A decade ago when the city started selling taxi medallions, they dug into savings, tapped friends and family, and took out loans to buy the $250,000 permits to operate their own cabs.Owning medallions...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigatePostmates is the latest gig company to slap customers with fees to pay for Proposition 22, the measure that keeps gig workers as independent contractors.Gig companies including Postmates, Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart ponied up $220 million to push Prop. 22, which allows them to circumvent a California law that could turn their workers into employees. Prop. 22, which voters passed by 58% to 42% in November, includes some health care benefits for drivers and couriers who put in enough hours, provides accident insurance, and...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigatePostmates is the latest gig company to slap customers with fees to pay for Proposition 22, the measure that keeps gig workers as independent contractors.Gig companies including Postmates, Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart ponied up $220 million to push Prop. 22, which allows them to circumvent a California law that could turn their workers into employees. Prop. 22, which voters passed by 58% to 42% in November, includes some health care benefits for drivers and couriers who put in enough hours, provides accident insurance, and...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateShares of DoorDash, the country’s largest restaurant-delivery service, skyrocketed 85% in its initial public offering Wednesday.The San Francisco company had priced shares at $102 Tuesday night, but they began trading Wednesday at $182 per share before closing at $189.51. DoorDash raised $3.4 billion through the offering, fortifying it for what observers expect to be stiff competition against Grubhub and Uber, which recently bought Postmates. The three delivery services are expected to square off for domination of a market where...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateShares of DoorDash, the country’s largest restaurant-delivery service, skyrocketed 85% in its initial public offering Wednesday.The San Francisco company had priced shares at $102 Tuesday night, but they began trading Wednesday at $182 per share before closing at $189.51. DoorDash raised $3.4 billion through the offering, fortifying it for what observers expect to be stiff competition against Grubhub and Uber, which recently bought Postmates. The three delivery services are expected to square off for domination of a market where...WW…