Hi everyone,
I hope you are well! I’m happy to report that we have crossed 1,500 signatures and raised approximately $1,000 to help promote this petition. Thank you so much to everyone who has shared and donated to ensure this initiative reaches as many people as possible.
I wanted to give you a quick update on my recent discussions with Sonic regarding the specific hold-ups. It turns out the "ban" on micro-trenching is actually a conversation over depth. Sonic needs to dig at 12 inches to keep costs low (which is standard in many places), but San Francisco is demanding 18 inches. That difference makes it too expensive for them to build in many neighborhoods. On top of that, the SFMTA is charging about $10,000 just to cross trolley lines, which has stalled aerial expansion.
However, there is a long-term fix in the works. In Spring 2026, Sonic plans to propose a rule change at the state level (CPUC) to officially allow the 12-inch depth. If successful, this would open up San Francisco for deployment.
To make sure that proposal passes, we need to show that residents really want this. I’m setting a long-term goal of reaching 10,000 signatures by next Spring.
I’ll be organizing some flyers to post around the city soon. I'm open to ideas for how to better share the flyers - I received feedback that people are unable to view them from the website.
In the meantime, please share this link with your friends and neighbors!
Thank you,
Alexandria