Access For All Fund
The SFMTA is seeking eligible applicants (Applicants) to provide proposals that increase the availability of on-demand wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) service in the City and County of San Francisco (City). Proposals must establish or increase the availability of on-demand transportation programs or partnerships to meet the needs of persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users who rely on WAV transportation. See RFP Section II for additional information on the scope of potential proposals and Applicant eligibility requirements.
Proposals must meet the Minimum Qualifications (see RFP Section III) of this RFP and score a minimum of 60 points to be eligible for award. Applicants must provide documentation that clearly demonstrate that each Minimum Qualification has been met. Any Proposal that does not meet the Minimum Qualifications will be deemed non-responsive.
The SFMTA encourages Applicants to attend a virtual Pre-Proposal Conference via Microsoft Teams on March 28, 2024, at 1:00 PM PT. Applicants may register for the Pre-Proposal Conference and submit questions following the instructions included in RFP Section VI.A. The SFMTA will address Applicants’ questions and will provide any new or additional information concerning the RFP or selection process at the Pre-Proposal Conference.
The Request for Proposals and attachments are available here.
Please review the RFP and all related documents. If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please follow the submission instructions provided in the RFP document. Bids will not be accepted through the City and County of San Francisco's Supplier Portal website.
Since 2013, ride-hail companies, also known as Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), have become increasingly visible on San Francisco’s streets. While the SFMTA does not regulate these services—a job entrusted statewide to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)—the agency pays close attention to the impact they have on our transportation network.
San Francisco is proud to support the TNC Access for All Act, which was signed into law in 2018 by Senate Bill 1376. The bill requires the CPUC to develop regulations relating to accessibility for persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users who need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV). The goal of the bill is to expand and improve on-demand WAV transportation in California.
The bill also created a financial incentive for TNCs to increase accessibility by imposing a $0.10 per-trip fee on all TNC rides in the state. The funds from this fee are then used to reimburse ride-hailing companies for their expenses if they demonstrate they are improving access to WAVs on their platforms.
Any remaining funds not claimed by TNCs are set aside by the CPUC in a fund called the Access Fund. In July 2021, the CPUC designated the SFMTA as the Local Access Funds Administrator. These funds are distributed to Access Providers, which are transportation carriers that directly provide on-demand WAV or contract with another entity to provide this service.
Local Allocation
Every year, San Francisco will receive new funding from the Access Fund based on the number of TNC trips in the county in the previous year. This will begin in funding year 2023-2024. San Francisco is in the process of selecting Access Providers that will be awarded Access for All funds.
If you're an interested transportation provider please fill out our survey to help us structure this program.
For more information on the Access for All Program, please visit the TNC Access for All website.