Six dollar F line??
SFMTA is including in its budget proposals a suggestion to charge six dollars for a ride on the F-Market line, the same as the cable cars. This is a terrible idea! The F-line is vital public transportation for the Market Street and Embarcadero corridors, for tens of thousands of commuters (18,520 in 2006 when the TEP research was done) as well as tourists, many of whom pay cash. We stand with Market Street Railway in urging SFMTA not to target one specific set of riders for fare increases!
Oh dear – blame the google bus AND the F line and tourists for the social and budgetary “inequality”, not the height restrictions, ill informed populace of TOD and feeder bus problems. Part of the allure of trains is that it’s probably affordable. But this, along with the fact that cable car operators don’t sell/tell people about the day/week pass will deter tourists from using the other lines. “for $6 I might as well take a cab” = more congestion, but the Pabst drinking hip-unists will be glad they got to stick it to the man. Oh well, keep the mission druggy too so people won’t have to move to the east bay.
You’ll have to increase housing unit construction to soak up the demand and level off prices. That means TOD with mandated 5 levels underground in exchange for greater height than currently allowed. But the populace will rally around some bearded Vonage guy who says “no! we are a victorian first city!”