The Reach of the Bay Area's 'Tech Buses'

In February, a group of activists gathered at the bus stop on corner of Cesar Chavez and Valencia streets in San Francisco’s Mission district. It was 8:45 in the morning. Signs reading “Save Our Homes” hung from their hands, waiting to be waved in front of the fleet of tech buses carting workers to and from Silicon Valley.

Protesting the Bay Area’s tech buses was not a new concept—according to organizers, that day in February marked the 26th anniversary of the first time activists attempted to block a Silicon Valley bus to speak out against the tech industry’s amplification of inequality in the area. The demonstrations have caused a racket, but not enough of one to remove the buses from the road—in fact, according to a first-of-its-kind report from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), they’re proliferating.