Downtown San Francisco is adding a bit of luxury to its public transit offerings. In conjunction with Leap, the city has begun offering bus routes on its morning and evening commute schedule running from the Marina district to downtown that offer spacious seating, free Wi-Fi and attendants who deliver snacks.
Leap, following the example made by Chariot’s deluxe passenger van service in the area that charges $3 to $5 per ride, hosts buses that seat only up to 27 riders. Stops are limited and for commuters coming out fo the tech corridor and heading home the ride takes about 25 min rather than 45 min on public transit. Rides are $5 each if bought in bulk.
Advocates—even those within the Municipal Transit system—see Leap as an opportunity to offer a two-tiered public transportation system that can accommodate riders of all income brackets. A single-fare bus ticket on the citywide Municipal Railway is $2.25. Critics, however, say the private rides are just another sign of the growing gap between wealthy tech workers and everyone else in a city where starter homes often go for $1 million.
On the Leap service, two rides cost $10, with the price declining if bought in bulk. A monthly pass costs $93. The services cannot use public bus stops; drivers need to collect and drop off passengers at shuttle or loading zones.
In a time when public transit needs are generally exceeding offerings matched to accommodate them, such a model, if successful, might well see application in other high-density urban corridors.
