A recent article from Protocol, a newsletter devoted to the tech industry, details the twin and intertwined problems of very long commutes and the lack of adequate housing in Silicon Valley. Most of us have heard of the so-called “Google buses,” but these shuttles now carry factory workers as well as well-paid white collar programmers.
private transit
Private transit funding, public good?
Businesses have been funding private employee shuttles and buses for some time, and subsidized or fully-funded transit passes have become a common employee benefit, but sneaker company New Balance may have set a new bar for transit subsidies by building a new commuter rail station. As funding is cut and costs rise, transit agencies must decide whether the private shuttles and services funded by private sources fits with the overall transit plan for the area.
Private transit funding, public good?
Businesses have been funding private employee shuttles and buses for some time, and subsidized or fully-funded transit passes have become a common employee benefit, but sneaker company New Balance may have set a new bar for transit subsidies by building a new commuter rail station. As funding is cut and costs rise, transit agencies must decide whether the private shuttles and services funded by private sources fits with the overall transit plan for the area.
Population growth in San Francisco creates challenges for transit
A recent long-term transit strategy proposal by San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni) Director Ed Reiskin aims to cut travel times on some bus and light rail routes in half. However, this is far from the first time an idea like this has been proposed and many of the previous efforts involved controversial measures that would reduce the number of transit stops.
Silicon Valley shuttles change the face of public transit in San Francisco
Although the shuttles provided by Silicon Valley companies help alleviate congestion and air quality problems in the Bay Area, they have also created some tension in residential neighborhoods where they pick up employees. Only recently have the routes of these “ghost buses” been mapped. San Francisco transit planners and politicians are working to create rules for the popular shuttles.