4 ms·

There is the critique that if that energy and money were instead directed toward Muni and BART, everyone would benefit.

tolmasky 13y ago
This is at best an unfair critique. For example, I used to work for Apple and the BART does not get that far. That is because Cupertino decided they didn't want the BART getting there. The reasons for this are varied and complex. The fact of the matter is that buying 10 busses to shuttle your employees is easy, and getting involved in a possibly 20 year boondoggle to extend the BART is hard, probably requires approval from the voters (who will probably yet again vote against it), and even if it does get done it doesn't consider the potential downsides to the communities it brings the BART to. At the end of the day it is completely unfair and unrealistic to essentially assign the responsibility of transportation management to companies simply because they are successful and because government is incompetent (look at SF's budget and you'll see they really shouldn't need anyones help to be making transportation better). The reality is that SF is a completely mismanaged city, where we are spending 5 years extending the light rail from china town to downtown not because anyone actually needs it but because of politics, instead of focusing on the actual transportation issues people face every day. That's where the anger should be focused. Google, et al are doing their best with what they're given and I think they've done pretty well so far.
- impendia 13y ago
  I don't know the details as specifically as you, but do you really argue that Muni doesn't need improvement? As it is now, there is no efficient way to get to the northeast of the city (Chinatown, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, etc.) and Muni is barely faster than walking. You ask me --- lots of really rich people moving into town? Great! Tax 'em.
prostoalex 13y ago
So what's preventing Muni or BART from offering 4th & King - Google Campus route on their own?
- calbear81 13y ago
  Who would ride that? Google provides the service for free and you get to use WiFi while on board. MUNI operates within city limits, makes no sense to offer a bus outside of the city.
  - prostoalex 13y ago
    If there was a public route, Google would potentially reconsider. My point in response to grandparent was that no matter how much money you throw at BART and Muni, political, jurisdictional and infrastructural issues will block further development.

This is at best an unfair critique. For example, I used to work for Apple and the BART does not get that far. That is because Cupertino decided they didn't want the BART getting there. The reasons for this are varied and complex. The fact of the matter is that buying 10 busses to shuttle your employees is easy, and getting involved in a possibly 20 year boondoggle to extend the BART is hard, probably requires approval from the voters (who will probably yet again vote against it), and even if it does get done it doesn't consider the potential downsides to the communities it brings the BART to. At the end of the day it is completely unfair and unrealistic to essentially assign the responsibility of transportation management to companies simply because they are successful and because government is incompetent (look at SF's budget and you'll see they really shouldn't need anyones help to be making transportation better). The reality is that SF is a completely mismanaged city, where we are spending 5 years extending the light rail from china town to downtown not because anyone actually needs it but because of politics, instead of focusing on the actual transportation issues people face every day. That's where the anger should be focused. Google, et al are doing their best with what they're given and I think they've done pretty well so far.

impendia 13y ago
I don't know the details as specifically as you, but do you really argue that Muni doesn't need improvement? As it is now, there is no efficient way to get to the northeast of the city (Chinatown, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, etc.) and Muni is barely faster than walking. You ask me --- lots of really rich people moving into town? Great! Tax 'em.

prostoalex 13y ago

So what's preventing Muni or BART from offering 4th & King - Google Campus route on their own?

calbear81 13y ago
Who would ride that? Google provides the service for free and you get to use WiFi while on board. MUNI operates within city limits, makes no sense to offer a bus outside of the city.
- prostoalex 13y ago
  If there was a public route, Google would potentially reconsider. My point in response to grandparent was that no matter how much money you throw at BART and Muni, political, jurisdictional and infrastructural issues will block further development.