What's Happening in San Francisco, CA…

San Francisco is running a pilot program to try and ease traffic congestion by allowing certain shuttle operators to stop at Municipal bus stops.

The program will be 18 months long, during which time eleven approved shuttle companies, which provide transportation to technology and intracity companies in Silicon Valley, will pay a fee to use 99 of the city's bus stops.

Recently, lime-green decals began appearing on specified Municipal bus stops, signaling to shuttle operators that the stop is for certain users only. The decals read ‘Commuter Shuttle Pilot’ and ‘Permitted Users Only’. Carli Paine, who is with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the manager of the new program, says that despite protests and what are sure to be growing pains, the new system promises to be better for everyone than the ‘Wild West environment’ common throughout the city in recent years.

The transportation agency approved the program in January, but it took longer than expected to get things up and running, since street inspectors and parking control officers had to be trained, and 10 officers specifically assigned to enforce the rules regarding commuter shuttles during peak hours.

The transit agency could work with brochure printers to create a mailer for city residents explaining the new system, the reasons for it, and how to use it.