Comments on: Ford: Combine MTA and SFCTA? http://www.rescuemuni.org/2008/02/08/ford-combine-mta-and-sfcta/ A transit riders' association for San Francisco Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:30:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: D Vartanoff http://www.rescuemuni.org/2008/02/08/ford-combine-mta-and-sfcta/#comment-685 D Vartanoff Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:16:41 +0000 http://www.rescuemuni.org/2008/02/08/ford-combine-mta-and-sfcta/#comment-685 be careful what you wish for. until a local analog of NY's Taylor Law which bans strikes by transit workers, we cannot afford a single agency/single union setup. I should also note that Muni, Bart, AC are organised by three separate and competing unions. beyond the union issue, the various Bay Area transit systems are so different in perceived market and institutional response as to make them unlikely to coalesce easily. For example within AC Transbay service is aimed at upscale choice riders who expect polite friendly drivers... A far cry from the guys driving E 14th some of which mimics Sunnydale for civility. There is also something to be said for local ability to influence the service. Not likely if the riders in CC county would need to deal w/MTC miles from their homes/work and much of the "board" from other counties with different concerns. Dumb as SF MTA sometimes is, you don't want meddling from Marin etc. Finally, as long as Ford fields DpT officers to sabotage Muni service (see yahoo group for description of DPT stalling LRV's in favor of autos), I want him reprimanded and fined for interfering w/ service, not given a bigger fiefdom. be careful what you wish for. until a local analog of NY’s Taylor Law which bans strikes by transit workers, we cannot afford a single agency/single union setup. I should also note that Muni, Bart, AC are organised by three separate and competing unions.
beyond the union issue, the various Bay Area transit systems are so different in perceived market and institutional response as to make them unlikely to coalesce easily. For example within AC Transbay service is aimed at upscale choice riders who expect polite friendly drivers… A far cry from the guys driving E 14th some of which mimics Sunnydale for civility.
There is also something to be said for local ability to influence the service. Not likely if the riders in CC county would need to deal w/MTC miles from their homes/work and much of the “board” from other counties with different concerns. Dumb as SF MTA sometimes is, you don’t want meddling from Marin etc.
Finally, as long as Ford fields DpT officers to sabotage Muni service (see yahoo group for description of DPT stalling LRV’s in favor of autos), I want him reprimanded and fined for interfering w/ service, not given a bigger fiefdom.

]]> By: ECadvocate http://www.rescuemuni.org/2008/02/08/ford-combine-mta-and-sfcta/#comment-678 ECadvocate Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:11:32 +0000 http://www.rescuemuni.org/2008/02/08/ford-combine-mta-and-sfcta/#comment-678 He is opening up Pandora's box with consolidating. But that's a good thing because I think ALL the bay area transit agencies need to be consolidated. One HR dept, one purchasing dept, ONE UNION, one department for each and every level of duplicate, triplicate, octoplicate department in place amonst the...what is it, 18 agencies? New York did it successfully. They had the same mess of various systems and then they said "you know what? we're not going to tolerate this crap anymore" unlike the soft, passive bay area citizenry who continue to sit quietly with hands neatly folded in laps waiting for a big commitee decision on every single little thing lest somebody feel offended or discriminated against for not having their opinion heard. It's time we get New York Eye for the bay area guy! He is opening up Pandora’s box with consolidating. But that’s a good thing because I think ALL the bay area transit agencies need to be consolidated. One HR dept, one purchasing dept, ONE UNION, one department for each and every level of duplicate, triplicate, octoplicate department in place amonst the…what is it, 18 agencies?

New York did it successfully. They had the same mess of various systems and then they said “you know what? we’re not going to tolerate this crap anymore” unlike the soft, passive bay area citizenry who continue to sit quietly with hands neatly folded in laps waiting for a big commitee decision on every single little thing lest somebody feel offended or discriminated against for not having their opinion heard.

It’s time we get New York Eye for the bay area guy!

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