[sustran] Re: Google buses

[Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory]

Hi,

To look at this story a bit more broadly, it is about corporate and also 
personal responsibility...

While it is clear that it is better for employees to go by this shuttle 
bus rather than in their own cars, the main issue is that Google and its 
fellow Silicon Valley resident companies have their HQs in a low-density 
area with possibly inadequate public transport to the front door. The 
very successful CalTrain commuter railway - which goes from San 
Francisco to Silicon Valley - is not mentioned directly.

The sitings of these Internet behemoths was the first mistake. So now 
everyone has to pay the price for that. And only a minority is using 
public transport. These companies should move to denser population 
centres - perhaps with incentives. Maybe one big facility should be 
split, e.g. with communication between a Google North and Google South 
done electronically or via the railway with local feeders (including 
cycling), which should be much more efficient per passenger than using a 
small shuttle bus.

The greener mode of transport - I would call it "boutique public 
transport" - which is the main focus of the article does not mention the 
other problems with long-distance commuting, from the difficulties it 
creates for people staying connected - physically - to the places they 
live (including their children), and also to their colleagues. Both are 
important, and achieving both with a motorised solution - even a kind of 
communal one using bioDiesel (from what sources?) - is not necessarily 
sustainable.

In proximity,
T


Carlos F. Pardo SUTP wrote:
> March 10, 2007
> original source: 
> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/10/technology/10google.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5088&en=dcb412d03d29e1f6&ex=1331182800&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
>
>
>   Google’s Buses Help Its Workers Beat the Rush
>
> By MIGUEL HELFT 
> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/h/miguel_helft/index.html?inline=nyt-per>
>
> MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — The perks of working at Google 
> <http://www.nytimes.com/mem/MWredirect.html?MW=http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp&symb=GOOG> 
> are the envy of Silicon Valley. Unlimited amounts of free 
> chef-prepared food at all times of day. A climbing wall, a volleyball 
> court and two lap pools. On-site car washes, oil changes and haircuts, 
> not to mention free doctor checkups.
>
> But the biggest perk may come with the morning commute...[...]
>

-- 
--------------------------------------------

Todd Edelman
Director
Green Idea Factory

Korunní 72
CZ-10100 Praha 10
Czech Republic

++420 605 915 970
++420 222 517 832
Skype: toddedelman

edelman at greenidea.eu
http://www.worldcarfree.net/onthetrain

Green Idea Factory,
a member of World Carfree Network