I think that dichotomy is not quite right - you're saying that without the buses, the Google and Apple folk would still be in SF, they'd just be polluting more.
The other possibility is that far more people would live close to work, in the South Bay.
I saw the latter happen. The buses enabled an exodus to SF. This puts pressure on housing cost.
it's evened out because people now live where they work instead of have EVERYONE live one place and work numerous other places.
I'm a capitalist whose fine with everything going on in SF to be honest, but I agree that Google is essentially solving a problem it is also helping to create with the buses, so while I don't think they should be criticized I'm also not sitting here cheering them for being environmentally friendly when it was evidently in their best interests to do what they did.
The other possibility is that far more people would live close to work, in the South Bay.
I saw the latter happen. The buses enabled an exodus to SF. This puts pressure on housing cost.