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Introduction

Historically, workers have lived in suburban locations and commuted to the city for work, but Silicon Valley sees the reverse. Many knowledge workers tend to be young, educated, and in search of an urban lifestyle; they prefer to reside in the city and commute to the suburbs where the large technology companies are based. While the employees used to organize unofficial carpools and vanpools, now the tech companies manage full-fledged fleets to transport their workers over 30 miles to the job sites. The companies with the most active shuttle routes include Google, Apple, Facebook, Electronic Arts, Yahoo and eBay; the companies don't release ridership or frequency data, but according to a project by Stamen Design, these shuttles transport roughly 35% of the number of passengers that Caltrans moves each day .

Google shuttle bus

The buses tend to be fairly nondescript, and are described as comfortable and quiet inside. They all have wireless internet, which allows employees to start working during the commute

Traffic and Environmental Impacts

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority estimated that the private shuttles save a net 28.7 million VMT and replace roughly 757,000 single-passenger car trips.

• Google operates a fleet of about 95 private buses serving 35 routes in seven counties, and they recently incorporated double decker buses into their fleet. The company's transportation program includes biodiesel engines and solar-powered charging stations.
• Between 40 to 47% of Facebook's employees use alternative transportation, which includes their six shuttle routes.
• Apple estimates that its various shuttle, transit subsidy and carpool programs have taken the equivalent of 4,500 cars off the road, according to its 2008 Environmental Update.

Map of Silicon Valley bus routes

Public Perceptions

Relations with San Francisco Muni have been tense, as the large private shuttles occupy more than 200 boarding sites across the city. Although transit officials acknowledge the private shuttles help take cars off the road, they are pushing for more regulation. The shuttles often pick up workers at Muni bus stops, which creates delays for public transit riders, and neighborhood residents complain about the large buses on their streets. SFMTA is beginning to address the issue, by dedicating new loading zones away from existing transit stops and proposing a fee on the companies that use them. Additionally, some criticize the shuttles for competing directly with public transit. However, neither the employers and employees live close to the Caltrain commuter line, and passengers are unwilling to make several transfers and to wait for the train's infrequent service.

Many view the private transportation system negatively, accusing it of contributing to gentrification. Real estate seems to have been affected, with even low value homes selling at a premium because of their proximity to a private shuttle stop

Additional Reading

San Francisco County Transportation Authority. "Strategic Analysis Report: The Role of Shuttle Services in San Francisco's Transportation System"'. (2011).

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority released a report which analyzed the impacts of private shuttles in the transportation network.

Stamen Design. [http://stamen.com/zero1/ "The City from the Valley"'. (2012).

Stamen Design created a map of the shuttle buses; their process of tracking the buses is outlined here.