AARoads Forum

Non-Road Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: bing101 on March 19, 2014, 10:53:19 AM

Title: Private Buses aka "Google Buses" and Wealth inequality in San Francisco
Post by: bing101 on March 19, 2014, 10:53:19 AM
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/how-private-buses-became-a-symbol-of-san-franciscos-divide/ (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/how-private-buses-became-a-symbol-of-san-franciscos-divide/) I find this article too NIMBY sounding Note My city Vallejo was mentioned in the report for odd reasons. It was about the Tech buses were supposed to be used to demonstrate that the investors of Genentech, Google, Facebook and others did this to show they are not victims of Bart Strike. But this ended up as a wedge issue between Income classes in San Francisco and Tour Bus Stops were blocked for political reasons.

But Wait one second I see Biotech Buses, Discovery Kingdom Buses, Wine and Casino Buses in Vallejo using the Vallejo Ferry Terminal, I-780 @ Curtola stop, Seafood City Making stops there and Wal-Mart on Sereno yet no NIMBY Activists in Vallejo. This has more to do with how San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and Berkeley handles with housing and income in the area. For Odd Reasons the Expert from San Francisco on PBS Newshour failed to mention Bus Route 80 and bus route 200 by Soltrans going to the Bay Area.
Title: Re: Private Buses aka "Google Buses" and Wealth inequality in San Francisco
Post by: NE2 on March 19, 2014, 10:54:35 AM
Postwhore CP scooped you weeks ago.
Title: Re: Private Buses aka "Google Buses" and Wealth inequality in San Francisco
Post by: citrus on March 19, 2014, 11:45:17 AM
I ride one of these buses (indeed, I am about to get on one in 15 minutes). It's pretty well understood among everyone that they're a convenient symptom of larger problems.

Rebecca Solnit, as much as I like her writing otherwise, may be the first person to refer to a bus as a "a cross between a limousine and an armored personnel carrier". She obviously hasn't been on one of these when 70 people are on it.

With public transit unwilling (or unable - mostly due to Peninsula folk with more $$$ than anyone this article mentions) to fill this need, there's no clear solution. There are many who say I should just move closer to my job, but that moves my partner farther from hers, and the rest of my life is in the city regardless. In the meantime, I'm grateful I don't have drive myself the 35 miles down 101 in rush hour traffic every day.

It is pretty fun to watch this timelapse at one stop, though: http://vimeo.com/88424080
Title: Re: Private Buses aka "Google Buses" and Wealth inequality in San Francisco
Post by: Pete from Boston on March 19, 2014, 01:20:22 PM

Quote from: NE2 on March 19, 2014, 10:54:35 AM
Postwhore CP scooped you weeks ago.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=11518

Title: Re: Private Buses aka "Google Buses" and Wealth inequality in San Francisco
Post by: NE2 on March 19, 2014, 01:37:05 PM
Holy crap, not even CP. My bad.
Title: Re: Private Buses aka "Google Buses" and Wealth inequality in San Francisco
Post by: bing101 on March 19, 2014, 03:15:21 PM
Quote from: citrus on March 19, 2014, 11:45:17 AM
I ride one of these buses (indeed, I am about to get on one in 15 minutes). It's pretty well understood among everyone that they're a convenient symptom of larger problems.

Rebecca Solnit, as much as I like her writing otherwise, may be the first person to refer to a bus as a "a cross between a limousine and an armored personnel carrier". She obviously hasn't been on one of these when 70 people are on it.

With public transit unwilling (or unable - mostly due to Peninsula folk with more $$$ than anyone this article mentions) to fill this need, there's no clear solution. There are many who say I should just move closer to my job, but that moves my partner farther from hers, and the rest of my life is in the city regardless. In the meantime, I'm grateful I don't have drive myself the 35 miles down 101 in rush hour traffic every day.

It is pretty fun to watch this timelapse at one stop, though: http://vimeo.com/88424080 (http://vimeo.com/88424080)

Well What if these Employee buses were Banned and Bart Went on Strike? I-280, US-101 and I-880 would be jammed by this.
Title: Re: Private Buses aka "Google Buses" and Wealth inequality in San Francisco
Post by: Scott5114 on March 20, 2014, 12:18:40 AM
My employer has a small fleet of buses, mostly used to shuttle employees and customers to outlying parts of the property, but the buses have been used for longer-range trips, mostly for off-site training. It would be nice if I could just take a company shuttle to work.

I am not sure why this needs to be an issue at all. If they are clogging up bus stops, they can simply be required to pick up passengers elsewhere (perhaps in a parking lot that has the room to spare, if there is one anywhere in San Francisco). Or they could be required to use  particular, otherwise low-volume stops. Really, it seems like a nice perk that the company would be willing to handle its employees' commuting costs, and we should be encouraging employers to do things such as this.
Title: Re: Private Buses aka "Google Buses" and Wealth inequality in San Francisco
Post by: bing101 on March 20, 2014, 11:11:04 AM
Geez we need to wait for the Nimby People from San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and San Jose to play the Chris Christie Card to block Every San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose area Freeway for Political Retribution at the Tech Companies for this income issues, Housing and Political issues at play here.
Title: Re: Private Buses aka "Google Buses" and Wealth inequality in San Francisco
Post by: NE2 on March 20, 2014, 11:50:50 AM
what
Title: Re: Private Buses aka "Google Buses" and Wealth inequality in San Francisco
Post by: Alps on March 21, 2014, 01:08:45 AM
Quote from: NE2 on March 20, 2014, 11:50:50 AM
what
obama
Title: Re: Private Buses aka "Google Buses" and Wealth inequality in San Francisco
Post by: Scott5114 on March 21, 2014, 02:27:04 AM
Quote from: Alps on March 21, 2014, 01:08:45 AM
Quote from: NE2 on March 20, 2014, 11:50:50 AM
what
obama
A m e r i c a