Tentative Pact To Extend Corporate Shuttle Program For Year

The ubiquitous corporate shuttle buses that have become a symbol of gentrification in San Francisco will continue operating as is for another year — at which point the controversial program could face a major overhaul. The tentative agreement lays out the conditions under which the shuttle bus program will continue for another year while indicating potential changes in the future. [...] it requires the Municipal Transportation Agency and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority to study transitioning the program to a hub model where riders would get on and off the buses at a set number of locations. [...] taking part in the negotiations were representatives from the Service Employees International Union and the Sierra Club, which wanted to challenge the program through an environmental impact review. [...] the companies were not happy to be at the negotiating table, given that the Municipal Transportation Agency’s Board of Directors unanimously voted in November to make permanent the 1½-year-long pilot program begun in August 2014 that allows the shuttles to share Muni stops, establishes shuttle routes and charges operators a fee. MTA officials, business leaders and shuttle operators have maintained that shuttles take cars off roadways and reduce congestion. Critics say the buses contribute to gentrification and the displacement of renters because the influx of tech workers has helped drive cost increases in the housing market. If the agreement is finalized and the MTA also signs on, the Board of Supervisors is expected to reject the appeal for an environmental impact review on Feb.