Rescue Muni

In SFGate’ open forum, SF Supervisor Scott Wiener says that Muni simply can’t afford to shell out $8M for free rides for all youth’s when the SFMTA doesn’t even have the funding to provide essential operations and maintenance. Supervisor Wiener says that  Muni needs to focus on having a more reliable system first, and that “Every time the system melts down because a switch fails, a vehicle door won’t close, stairs won’t rise, or a derailment occurs, you can be assured that the problem results from Muni not having the funds to maintain its infrastructure properly.”

Today the SFMTA board will vote on being more open about route on time information. The quarterly reports will also include revised goals involving customer service, maintenance, and other objectives. Currently, the public can view a daily run report on the SFMTA site.

The 14L-Mission Limited buses that used to stop tantalizingly close to the Daly City BART station finally will take people the rest of the way during AM and PM commute hours.  Temporarily, the morning runs will be connected by a shuttle between Daly City BART and the 14L at Goethe Street, though eventually the 14L will make morning and evening runs available both ways.  Free transfers will be available inside the paid area of the BART station.

Muni is also promising better maintenance and supervision of the 14L buses.

62% of all trips in the city are made with cars, a factor that the MTA would like to see shrink to 50% by the end of the decade, reports the Chronicle. This is one of the goals of the agency’s 6 year strategic plan, adopted on Tuesday. The cost of the changes will set the agency back $87m, a gap that is yet to find funding. “To have a world-class transportation system that people want to use, we have to be resourced adequately,” said SFMTA’s Ed Reiskin. This will be a challenging goal for the MTA, with a budget gap of $28 million this fiscal year, $34 million next year and $46 million after that.

Want faster transit on Van Ness? Take a look at the EIS-EIR for Bus Rapid Transit on Van Ness, which is now available for public review. Rescue Muni is a long-time supporter of this project, which could speed service by many minutes per trip on this important transit corridor. Please review and comment on this important study! Details are at the project webpage, and we hope to hold a general meeting to provide an update on this project soon.

Update: SPUR is holding a lunchtime forum on this today, November 7.