SAN FRANCISCO—After an hour-long public debate on Tuesday, February 21, the Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors unanimously voted to approve the corporate shuttle program.
The program allows corporate shuttles—frequently utilized by tech companies—to pick up passengers at selected MUNI stops and white-painted curb zones, and ferry them to offices in the South Bay. The number of stops available for shuttles will not exceed 125, and there will be a $7.31 fee every time a bus stops to pick up or drop off a passenger. The program was first implemented by the MTA in 2014 as part of an effort to reduce congestion and environmental impact. It serves approximately 10,000 San Francisco residents.
There was criticism of the program during Tuesday’s debate. Stuart Watts, while supportive of the program, qualified his opinion by suggesting a per-mile fee should be imposed on the shuttles to help repair roads. 400 commuter buses are deployed throughout the city, including residential districts, each day.
MTA coordinator Francesca Napolitan argued that the program allows for better regulation of corporate buses, and that without it, “you would have more illegal behavior [by shuttles] and less enforcement to catch them.”