Protest on April 1 that drew attention to the private nature of the buses.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the SFMTA has rejected the appeal that opposition to the buses filed earlier this year.

Environmentalists and union representatives said the city planning department should not have exempted the program from reviews under the California Environmental Quality Act.

Opponents could still go to court over the 18-month pilot program, which is set to begin in July and would allow shuttles with permits to stop in certain red zones for $1 per stop per day. READ MORE.

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7 Comments

  1. All but two supes could not cross Google and the tech giants.

    Bet any money they all have deals with the tech companies for something or other. Little favor here and there.

    But – it’s not just up to the lame supes to decide. More actions to come.

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    1. Unlike you, I actually listened to the debate. And the arguments made by the opponents of the shuttles were very weak, and were refuted by the Supervisors.

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  2. Google’s databases are brimming with juicy details on almost everybody.

    If I was an SF Supervisor with drug, bribe and prostitute habits, I sure wouldn’t want to cross Google!

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  3. DPW study shows extreme wear on SF streets from tech buses among other issues. It shouldn’t be surprising, right? On top of that they are very tall leading to visibility issues in our already pedestrian and biker maiming city.

    Interesting fact, the smaller UCSF shuttles are free for everyone. But that would be the difference between a nonprofit saving human lives vs say corporations extracting private citizen data for free and selling ads.

    All you tech bus comrades, are you planning to add lanes to our bridges and highways? What about when tech behemoths double in size in next years?

    Anyway the lack of housing, transport, and general expense of this area will stifle growth… Perhaps just nature at work.

    http://www.socketsite.com/archives/2014/04/private_shuttles_are_easing_congestion_but_causing_more.html#more

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    1. And how exactly did DPW differentiate between the wear from the tech shuttles and the wear from the far higher numbers of trucks, tourists buses, Recology trucks and so on?

      Seems a tad too convenient to me.

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  4. Good to know that all the supes aren’t insane. No surprise that Campos and Avalos voted with the rabble rousers…

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  5. It was the correct decision, and only two Supes opposed the trial going ahead.

    Early in the debate Wiener totally destroyed the anti-bus lawyer with a barrage of incisive questions, and it was all over then.

    You may not like Wiener, but he is very effective.

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