San Francisco Is Going to Charge the Google Bus to Use Its Bus Stops

Earlier this week, the city of San Francisco reached a detente with the Silicon Valley tech firms whose private buses have become a major source of traffic and civic discord. For several years, companies like Google and Apple have been running what amounts to a parallel private transportation network – with much nicer amenities – from the heart of the city to their far-flung campuses, often using public bus stops in the process. And the congestion has only grown worse as protesters have descended on the buses as a symbol of the mixed blessings of a new tech boom.

Now, under an 18-month pilot agreement, the tech companies and shuttle operators will have to acquire – and pay for – permits to use some designated public Muni bus stops (the busiest stops won't be available to them). And the shuttles will be required to yield to Muni buses while they're there. The city has said the average permit will likely cost each company around $100,000 per year, a figure that will surely prompt more dispute over what constitutes a "fair share" for private use of public infrastructure.