SF to experiment with Uber and Lyft passenger loading and pick-up zone

FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, file photo, a driver displaying Lyft and Uber stickers on his front windshield drops off a customer in downtown Los Angeles. When management upheaval, allegations of corporate espionage, and revelations of sexual harassment sent Uber into a public relations sinkhole, its long overshadowed rival Lyft shifted into overdrive. The company seized the opportunity to recruit disillusioned drivers so it could be more responsive to passengers searching for a ride-hailing alternative to Uber. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File) less FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, file photo, a driver displaying Lyft and Uber stickers on his front windshield drops off a customer in downtown Los Angeles. When management upheaval, allegations of ... more Photo: Richard Vogel, Associated Press Photo: Richard Vogel, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close SF to experiment with Uber and Lyft passenger loading and pick-up zone 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Hoping to address problems with Uber and Lyft drivers double-parking and blocking crosswalks and bike and transit lanes to pick up passengers, Mayor Ed Lee announced an experimental program Tuesday to provide the ride-hailing services designated loading zones.

The passenger pickup zones, which Uber and Lyft and their clients would be obligated to use, will be located in a yet-to-be-identified commercial corridor, Lee said in an announcement confirming the arrangement with the two companies.

“The program will address issues of double-parking and blocked bike and transit lanes and help rideshare companies provide their services in a safe, convenient way,” Lee said in a statement. “This is just the beginning of our work to make our streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists and more efficient for everyone on the road.”

The program apparently was worked out in meetings among the mayor’s office and the two companies. Letters sent by Lee to the heads of the companies Tuesday did not specify when the program would begin, which streets are being considered for the test or how long the program would last.

Advocates for bicyclists and pedestrians said the experiment is needed and long overdue to make city streets safer.

“The No. 1 complaint we hear about from our members is illegal loading and unloading by Uber and Lyft blocking the bike lanes,” said Brian Wiedenmeier, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

The companies apparently will use geofencing, a technology they have used at airports and sports events in the past to let passengers know the locations of their designated loading areas.

Drivers and passengers both will receive text notifications on their mobile phone apps alerting them to the new procedures and giving them instructions. To ensure compliance, Uber and Lyft agreed to provide data to the city, including trip information.

In emails to The Chronicle, representatives from Uber and Lyft said they are committed to the project, but said the details are still being worked out.

Wiedenmeier said he hoped the city would conduct the experiment on a street frequented by bicyclists, such as Market, Valencia or Folsom, and would provide data on collisions as well as passenger pickups and drop-offs.

Jodie Medeiros, executive director of Walk San Francisco, agreed, and said she’d like the city to ban pickups and drop-offs on the city’s deadliest streets in keeping with the Vision Zero strategy to eliminate traffic deaths by 2024.

Meanwhile, Supervisor Hillary Ronen called on Uber and Lyft to find permanent and safe drop-off and pickup locations and mandate their use, similar to the mayor’s plan.

“I am utterly fed up with Lyft and Uber ... essentially condoning their drivers’ flouting of San Francisco’s traffic and parking laws,” she said. “What I am asking these companies to do is simple, will cost them nothing, and can be implemented immediately.

“With every passing day, lives and limbs are at risk, and Lyft and Uber have the ability to prevent a potential tragedy. I urge them to act without delay.”

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan