Apple, Google Shuttles to Pay to Use Public Bus Stops in San Francisco

[G51989]

The answer is in your question.

Have you ever heard of the state owned SNCF in France? Which generates nearly a billion Euros of profit per year? And runs and maintains low and high speed trains that are available to anyone at low ticket prices?

On another note, I think light Rail transit in major cities is great. This coming from someone who owns 7 cars. I would rather take the subway than deal with traffic in a major city.

 

[Zombie Acorn]

Can they just pick up passengers a block back from the stop to avoid this?

 

[G51989]

Can they just pick up passengers a block back from the stop to avoid this?

I'm sure it would be easy.

I wonder if the Private buses were clogging up bus stops and holding up public buses?

 

[OLDCODGER]

Have you ever heard of the state owned SNCF in France? Which generates nearly a billion Euros of profit per year? And runs and maintains low and high speed trains that are available to anyone at low ticket prices?

On another note, I think light Rail transit in major cities is great. This coming from someone who owns 7 cars. I would rather take the subway than deal with traffic in a major city.

Nice cherry-picking of a complex state-owned system.

The trains may make a profit on certain lines, but the infrastructure does not - by a long shot.

 

[G51989]

Nice cherry-picking of a complex state-owned system.

The trains may make a profit on certain lines, but the infrastructure does not - by a long shot.

I know how SNCF, and I do know that some years the subsides outspend how much SNCF profits, but that does not happen every year.

Whats the difference between tax dollars going to High speed rail lines, or Highways for cars?

And of course infrastructure doesn't make a " profit " but it is required for private business's to make a profit.

I think at least in the case of France, they would be FAR worse off without their train network.

I also assume that your agonist public funding of roads as well? Roads are not profitable.

 

[Technarchy]

I wouldn't have paid a dime. I would have moved the pick up one block up or down.

They are registered vehicles, therefore a road tax has already been paid.

 

[samiwas]

So, what you're telling me is that, as full time student in a non-benefitted job you either:

1. Made the decision to have children when you were not financially stable enough to afford it.

Please define "financially stable enough to afford having children".

Look, I am very happy that both your wife and your child lived, even if I underwrote the costs. But don't expect me to be happy about the fact that you have a sense of entitlement for me to pay for your life choices.

And by reading what he wrote, define what happened as a choice.

 

[vrDrew]

I'm utterly amazed at level of hatred and opposition to this use-fee for the company shuttles.

You need to think of the bus-stops the same was as you would airport terminals. Nobody seems to think the city or state should let private airline companies use airport facilities for free. Why should privately operated buses be treated any differently.

Google and Apple aren't offering these shuttles out of pure altruism. They are offering them to make it easier/cheaper/more convenient for their employees to get to work. And having a place to shelter from the elements (sun, rain, wind) while waiting for a bus is a pretty nice benefit, as opposed standing on some unidentifiable piece of sidewalk.

A dollar per stop seems like a minimal contribution to the cost of building and maintaining the bus shelters. And I'd very shocked and amazed if the people managing the shuttle programs at Apple or Google felt they were being ripped off.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

This is more about the tug of war over the gentrification in some neighborhoods of SF rather than just shuttle buses paying for stops.

 

[barkomatic]

This is more about the tug of war over the gentrification in some neighborhoods of SF rather than just shuttle buses paying for stops.

I agree, these buses are just rallying point for activists to grab onto and make headlines. You make the news when you block a bus and confront the passengers but not so much when you try to have a press conference about affordable housing.

Unfortunately, I think this strategy is going to backfire, as the residents who seem to think they should vet who gets to move into "their" city are looking more and more discriminatory, prejudiced and irrational.

I think the focus should be on developing affordable housing, not trying to kick people out of your neighborhood or prevent them from moving in. Of course, SF will need to relax their rigid zoning restrictions for that to happen.

 

[Eraserhead]

but the infrastructure does not - by a long shot.

Neither do roads. We pay taxes to maintain them.

 

[SoAnyway]

Two points:

First; on your "progressiveness" - do it on your own dime, not mine!

Second; if you ever attain the wisdom that can only come from having lived life for a long time, you will veer sharply towards my way of thinking, as you grow weary of trying to justify a pipe-dream.

Ultimately, you only have one life, and you either live it for yourself, or let others live it for you.

Never had a heart - only a brilliantly engineered, but poorly maintained pump.

Uh yeah no..... There is no brilliance in conservative and libertarian thinking on top of no heart. These ideologies are very backward thinking that only look to bring back the middle ages where the masses are indentured to their lord.

Perhaps you might want to look the other direction, towards the 21st century and beyond. If not, perhaps the old saying is true, you really can't teach an old dog new tricks.

 

[anonymouslurker]

I'm glad I still have my youth and have a rather progressive and selfless outlook on life. I think these two things have saved me from being a self-obsessed and self-absorbed fool. I really hope I don't grow weary, selfish, loathsome, fearful, and paranoid in my old age 40 years from now.

Appropriate...

Show me a young Conservative and I'll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old Liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains.

 

[Technarchy]

Neither do roads. We pay taxes to maintain them.

Just about every vehicle on the road in the USA pays a road tax in the form of registration.

 

[OLDCODGER]

Neither do roads. We pay taxes to maintain them.

Don't know about America, but registration and fuel tax was designed to ensure that user pays. Currently, most countries run a profit off them, and put the balance into the general fund.

Using the French train example, every taxpayer pays for its upkeep - whether they use it or not! That's the difference between Capitalism and Socialism.

----------

Uh yeah no..... There is no brilliance in conservative and libertarian thinking on top of no heart. These ideologies are very backward thinking that only look to bring back the middle ages where the masses are indentured to their lord.

Perhaps you might want to look the other direction, towards the 21st century and beyond. If not, perhaps the old saying is true, you really can't teach an old dog new tricks.

No thanks, I've looked - and it stinks of the tail wagging the dog.

 

[G51989]

Don't know about America, but registration and fuel tax was designed to ensure that user pays. Currently, most countries run a profit off them, and put the balance into the general fund.
.

You realize that fuel taxes and registering your car still does not pay for the full costs of roads?

Using the French train example, every taxpayer pays for its upkeep - whether they use it or not! That's the difference between Capitalism and Socialism.

here is the Difference, and this is a cultural one.

Nearly EVERYONE in France uses the train, its much better than a car. That is why car ownership is dropping.

Oh wait, lets say I didn't even own a car? My TAXES would still be going to those roads, even if I didn't use them. Because fuel tax and registering your car cant pay for it all.

Personally, I would be in support of tripling the fuel tax.

 

[OLDCODGER]

You realize that fuel taxes and registering your car still does not pay for the full costs of roads?



here is the Difference, and this is a cultural one.

Nearly EVERYONE in France uses the train, its much better than a car. That is why car ownership is dropping.

Oh wait, lets say I didn't even own a car? My TAXES would still be going to those roads, even if I didn't use them. Because fuel tax and registering your car cant pay for it all.

Personally, I would be in support of tripling the fuel tax.

To repeat, I don't know about America, but most countries take in much more in fuel taxes than is spent on roads. If American fuel taxes are insufficient to cover roads, then they should be raised to suit. Ditto France.

Under such a scheme, you would pay NO road taxes - if you did not run a car.

Your preference for taking the train, rather than running a car, is your business - it does not give you the right to demand that all others fall in line, merely to satisfy your desire to control the lives of others.

 

[Technarchy]

Nearly EVERYONE in France uses the train, its much better than a car.

Slow it up there.

I rode the train from Vernouillet to Paris often and it sucks compared to driving

 

[G51989]

Slow it up there.

I rode the train from Vernouillet to Paris often and it sucks compared to driving

Have you ever tried to drive From Paris to Lyon, then down to Toulon compared ot the train?

It SUCKS.

The train is about twice as fast, cheaper, and more comfy. Kuz drinking.

 

[OLDCODGER]

Have you ever tried to drive From Paris to Lyon, then down to Toulon compared ot the train?

It SUCKS.

The train is about twice as fast, cheaper, and more comfy. Kuz drinking.

Yet another reason why I loathe public transport.

 

[G51989]

Yet another reason why I loathe public transport.

So if you were in France.

You would spend 3 times the amount of fuel, and double the time to get somewhere? While the high speed train gets there before you do, carrying its passengers in much more comfort and safety than your car would? While they pay far less than you do? And you get there 3 hours later?

 

[SoAnyway]

No thanks, I've looked - and it stinks of the tail wagging the dog.

If that's how you think then I'm glad that you're old and your antiquated ideas will soon die with you.

 

[OLDCODGER]

So if you were in France.

You would spend 3 times the amount of fuel, and double the time to get somewhere? While the high speed train gets there before you do, carrying its passengers in much more comfort and safety than your car would? While they pay far less than you do? And you get there 3 hours later?

Everything costs. I prefer my own, sober, company, thanks.

 

[SoAnyway]

Appropriate...

Luckily, I'm not old like you and that other guy. I'm a young liberal so that means that I have a brain right?

These days, it's conservatives that don't have a brain.

 

[OLDCODGER]

If that's how you think then I'm glad that you're old and your antiquated ideas will soon die with you.

It won't - there are two generations ready to carry on, and pass it down the line. As long as humans continue to be born without a fleece on their back, there will be independently-minded people.