Tell SF’s City Government Where The Google Buses Should Be

Now that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has approved a pilot program to oversee tech commuter buses from the peninsula, they’re asking for feedback from the community.

A few weeks ago, the board of the SFMTA approved a program where tech companies like Apple, Google and Facebook would have to pay $1 for every stop they made.

This week, the agency just opened up a page here where San Francisco residents can offer input on where buses should stop.

Should they be centralized at one place or distributed throughout a neighborhood?

Should certain stops be prohibited because the buses are causing too many congestion issues?

Whoever you are — whether you a San Francisco-based tech worker that commutes down to Mountain View or Menlo Park or someone who feels their rents are disproportionately impacted by an influx of Silicon Valley-based workers or a bicyclist that has to get around these buses — you should participate.

There are also two hearings open houses on February 10 on South Van Ness Avenue and February 22 at Mission High School by Dolores Park.

Why? Because San Francisco city policy does actually get decided sometimes by whoever can pack a hearing room with the most people. (Really.)

Even though the city’s supervisors and MTA board members are trying to represent the best long-term interests of people living here, they are human too and can be psychologically affected by people yelling at them in a room. There will be neighborhood organizations and local advocacy groups that will be rallying to eliminate or move stops.

So if you really care about this issue, please have your say too.

(Photo by Jim Greer)