Archived Headlines (2003)

Archived Headlines (2003)

These are archived headlines from the RESCUE MUNI home page for 2003.

19 Dec 2003

Central Subway in the News

Headline: Pelosi secures federal money for S.F. subway
"Light rail to go from ballpark to Chinatown"
(Edward Epstein, SF Chronicle Washington Bureau)

Headline: Subwaylaid
"Why the new mayor should spend his political honeymoon taking the doggle out of a boondoggle known as the Central Subway"
(Matthew Smith, SF Weekly)

12 Nov 2003

Friday: Public Hearing on N-Judah Stop Consolidation

The Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT) is holding a public hearing on reducing inbound N-Judah stops in the area of Carl, Hillway, and Willard streets from 3 to 2, and moving both inbound and outbound stops. Please attend on Friday, November 14, at City Hall, Room 416, to show public support for faster light rail transit and to provide input as to how best implement improvements. Public input is a strong driving factor in the decision-making process; your active participation will make a difference. The Rescue Muni Metro Committee suggested consolidation long ago to reduce passenger delays, which in this area include a number of passenger stops, track crossovers, and turns. If you cannot attend, you may also mail or fax comments to:

Muni Service Planning
1145 Market Street, Suite 402
San Francisco, CA 94103
Fax: (415) 934-5747

There has been some neighbor concern about speeding light rail vehicles in this area. Muni collected some data which does not seem to indicate a strong link between extra passenger stops and less speeding, and which also shows that LRV traffic stays within a few miles an hour of the speed limit. The raw data (Excel format) is available for your inspection.

Mayoral Candidates' Forum and General Meeting 8/21/03
8/9/03: Who should be SF's next Mayor? Help us find out! Join us for a Mayoral Candidates' Forum on Transportation Issues on Thursday, August 21, 2003 at 5:30 PM SHARP. We'll quiz the leading mayoral candidates on crucial SF transportation issues including Muni, the Caltrain extension, parking vs. transit lanes, and more. Bring your tough questions! Refreshments will be served. [The time has been moved up from 6pm to accommodate the candidates; don't be late!]

8/20/03: Some candidates have responded to our questionnaire (see below). Read responses from Angela Alioto (HTML, RTF), Tom Ammiano (MS Word, HTML), Susan Leal (MS Word, HTML), Gavin Newsom (HTML, MS Word), Tony Ribera (HTML), and Jim Reid (HTML, MS Word).

8/20/03: We'll also be considering Proposition K (Expenditure Plan and Sales Tax Extension); the Steering Committee recommends a YES vote.

Note to Candidates: We are asking all candidates to fill out our questionnaire - if you haven't already been invited, please submit it to board at rescuemuni.org as soon as possible to be considered for the event. All questionnaire answers will be posted here and distributed at the forum.

Metro Committee 8/13, 6 p.m.
8/9/03: The Metro Committee meets on Wednesday, August 13, at 6 p.m., at SPUR (312 Sutter).

General Meeting 6/25 on Expenditure Plan
6/17/03: San Francisco is considering a possible 30-year extension of the current 1/2 cent sales tax, based on a draft Expenditure Plan developed by the SF County Transportation Authority with input from an Advisory Committee including several Rescue Muni members. (Project highlights include Bus Rapid Transit, Geary Rail, and the Caltrain Downtown Extension. See RM recommendations.)

We will be holding a General Meeting with a detailed briefing on this subject on Wednesday, June 25, at 6 pm at SPUR (312 Sutter, 5th floor). Guests will include Jose Luis Moscovich, Executive Director of SFCTA; Jose Cisneros, head of Capital Planning at Muni; and Tom Radulovich, chair of the Expenditure Plan Advisory Committee. Bring your tough questions on how SF taxpayer dollars will be used. (Refreshments will be served!)

Rescue Muni's Recommendations Concerning Proposed Sales Tax Extension
5/18/03: We passed detailed recommendations concerning the proposed Expenditure Plan this week at the Steering Committee. This is based on our Service Expansion Resolution, still formal Rescue Muni policy.

SFCTA Considers Extension of 1989 Prop. B Sales Tax
5/4/03: To maintain and expand San Francisco's transportation system, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority has collected and distributed a half-cent sales tax since Proposition B was passed in 1989. Now, most of the funds from this tax have been spent (it expires in 2010), and the authority is considering a new Expenditure Plan and the possible renewal of the tax. An Expenditure Plan Advisory Committee has been formed to consider this; Rescue Muni chair Andrew Sullivan and Steering Committee member David Pilpel (alternate) are on it. Meetings are open to the public; the final meeting is on Tuesday, June 24, 2003, at 6:00 PM. All meetings are at the SFCTA offices, 100 Van Ness Avenue, 25th Floor.

2003 Muni Riders' Survey - Submit Your Data!
5/4/03: We are now beginning to compile the data submitted during the survey. PLEASE submit your data if you haven't already! Please use our Online Survey Form to submit them. Excel users may also submit data with the Excel Submission Form (email to [email protected]). If you observed vehicles as they go by, mail your Observation Form to [email protected].

Updated 3/26/03: Rescue Muni is once again conducting its annual survey of Muni performance. If you're a member, you'll get forms in the mail - but you can get a head start by downloading and printing out the Survey Form. Use this form every time you ride Muni in March 2003.

If you have a few hours to donate to the cause, please download our Observation Form and record when all vehicles pass a particular location during the time you observe. For best results, pick a location where major routes intersect (e.g. Geary and Fillmore, Haight and Masonic, 19th and Holloway).

Last year, Muni showed significant improvement, cutting delays to 14% of riders delayed. With the budget crunch this year, will Muni continue to get better? We need YOU to help us find out.

SFCTA Open House on Sales Tax Expenditure Plan
6/15/03: If you're interested in San Francisco's plans for public transit expansion, including a possible extension of the current 1/2 cent sales tax, come to an Open House (pdf) held by the SF County Transportation Authority Monday, June 16, at 6 pm, at 401 Van Ness (Green Room, Second Floor) at McAllister.

Rescue Muni (Andrew Sullivan, Chair, and David Pilpel, Steercom Member) has been participating in an Expenditure Plan Advisory Committee to make recommendations on how to spend 30 years' worth of sales tax revenues. (See RM recommendations.) Come see the most recent drafts and provide your feedback!

URGENT! Prevent Service Cuts - Speak On Behalf Of Parking Fines!
3/26/03: Muni's very difficult FY 2004 budget depends on, among other things, increased parking fines to close the budget gap. We need YOU to tell your Supervisor that you support increasing parking fines to prevent the service cuts that would happen it this approx. $10 million in increased revenue is not made available! Write your Supervisor or comment at this Thursday's Finance Committee meeting. ( PDF of the proposal is also available.)

25 Cent Fare Increase?
1/27/03: Rescue Muni's members passed a series of recommendations concerning the proposed fare increase at the General Meeting. In particular, we recommend that parking fees rise by the same percentage amount as Muni fares.
2/12/03: We passed additional recommendations in our February Steering Committee meeting. A letter to Muni and the MTA board is forthcoming.

General Meeting With Michael Burns 1/27
1/8/03: Muni proposed to the MTA board a fare increase to cover a $38 million budget gap. Cash fare would go up to $1.25, token to $1.05, fast pass to $43.75, cable car to $3. We'll link to Muni's detailed proposal as soon as it's on the web.

What do you think? Rescue Muni hasn't taken a position on this subject, though we have existing positions on parking fees (raise them along with fares) and the need to maintain service quality.

We've scheduled a General Meeting on the subject with Director of Transportation Michael Burns on January 27 (Monday) at 6 p.m., at SPUR (312 Sutter, 5th floor). Come hear a briefing on Muni's finances - and bring your ideas on how to fund the railway / save money!

You can also send us your comments at board at rescuemuni.org, or discuss fares and budget on our Yahoo Group (it's free to subscribe).

Help Promote Geary Rapid Transit!
1/31/03: Rescue Muni presented a vision for rapid transit on Geary at the Planning Association of the Richmond yesterday. You can see the slides here.

12/18/02: Rescue Muni urges San Francisco to build rapid transit on the Geary Corridor, first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and then Light Rail. Read our recommendations in our Service Expansion Resolution; you can see recommended routes on our draft expansion maps, phase 1 (BRT) and phase 2(rail).

We circulated a petition to promote Geary Rapid Transit on Friday, December 20, during the evening rush hour. We need YOU to participate in future events like this! To participate, please email Allison Drucker at [email protected]or the Steering Committee at board at rescuemuni.org.