Dearly departed: A call for Muni Obituaries
Photo by Flickr user smadden
Some of your favorite lines are going the way of the dinosaur come October, folks. But since the SF Municipal Transit Agency is banking on the fact that you don’t even know they exist, it perhaps ain’t no thang to you.
When in October? Mid-October. We can’t get more specific than that. Neither can SFMTA, apparently.
Anyhoo, we’re putting out a call for obituaries* for these dearly departed lines. Though I’ve personally stopped in my tracks and pointed at such oddities as the 53-Southern Heights (southern who?), some of you rode these lines regularly. And, undoubtedly, some of you will rightly miss their presence. Whenever they decided to grace you with their presence, that is.
It’s tragic, really. I barely got to know that 26-Valencia, save for a handful of times it happened to show up faster than the 14-Mission or the 49-Van Ness. I’ll miss its newness, those swanky red seats, and how it was by far the cleanest bus in the Mission. But what about you? Seriously, tell us all about why life won’t be the same without that 4-Sutter.
As a reminder, per the SFMTA website, these lines are getting the axe this fall:
* 4-Sutter
* 7-Haight
* 16AX-Noriega “A” Express
* 20-Columbus
* 26-Valencia
* 53-Southern Heights
* 74X-CultureBus
* 89-Laguna Honda
Deadline’s pretty loose; we hope to go live with them as soon as the lines go kaput, so let’s say you have until Oct. 18 to send them in. Thanks!
* Post these Muni Obituaries the way you would any other Muni Diary, only indicate somehow in the title that that’s what it is.
I’m thinking of organizing a Flash Mob on the 20 and the 7 lines around that time…
The 7 is getting axed? Man, that’s going to make it an even bigger pain in the ass to get to and from Haight Street to and from downtown.
Thank goodness they are finally doing away with the 74X Culture bus. That was a complete waste.
Why is the 16AX getting cut! It is pretty important to my morning commute!
Right, then my ride on the 16BX will be extremely crowded by the time it reaches Sunset Blvd.
Is it too late to wish that the 15 be resurrected from the dead, like a brilliant North Beach to Dogpatch phoenix?
Yes flashmob! I’m a sucker for that kind of thing. Meanwhile I am really bummed about the 4-Sutter, which stops a block away from my house. Why oh why?
Oh no, not the 53! How am I going to get up Potrero Hill’s nefarious hill now?
They’re extending the 10-Townsend to cover the east portion of the hill, and through the projects.
Perhaps someone ought to hammer on Muni management for their sabotage of kids’ counting skills. The way I learned to count was by memorizing the line #s (1-Calif., 2-Clement, 3-Jackson, 4-Sutter, 5-McAllister, 6-Masonic, 7-Haight, 8-Market, 9-Richland?, 10-Monterey, etc. – I know I’m dating myself). I’ve missed the 15-Third+Kearny – the T on a good day barely matches the 15’s average day.
I’ve never seen the parrots of telegraph hill, but I was able to catch a glimpse of the 26 Valencia once.
Actually, I’m relieved, if that list is accurate. They were threatening to do away with the 38 Geary Ocean Beach line, which takes a turn on to Balboa. That’s the one I like to ride home when my shift ends at 11:30, so I was pretty bummed about that– it stops right across the street from my house.
Admittedly, I’m usually the only one left riding by that point.
Actually, Sara, if my reading is right, they are getting rid of that version of the 38. Go here and scroll down to the second row in the column, under “Eliminate Route Segment.” Sorry!
Ah, that figures. Too bad. It’s a long, cold hike down the hill from Geary to Balboa when you ride home after midnight, and the 31 Balboa just doesn’t run often enough. I’m always happy when the bus makes that turn at 33rd Avenue.
And there’s just no way in hell I’m going to get off and wait for an 18 bus that will run– how often? Not often enough, I’m sure.
Someday, when waiting for the 31 with my young son, I’ll wax nostalgic for the time when the 38 went all the way to Ocean Beach. He’ll look up at me, roll his eyes, and say, “Whatever, dad.”
What the hell is the 53? Good riddance!
I’ve seen it around the Mission. Never ridden it, but just might try to sneak a few in before she calls it a run.
89 Laguna Honda? Visitors of the residents of LHH, take the 44 or 52 & get off near Idora St. & walk towards the back parking lot near the 5th floor entrance.
I look forward to actually being able to use some of those pimp-daddy brand new buses MUNI used to use on the 74X-Culture line.
A great part about living in the Richmond off Geary Blvd. is that my main Muni line is the 38 and 38L which will be receiving additional buses and pickup times. Yes, they did eliminate the 38 to Ocean Beach, but this is freaking sweet because now I don’t have to worry in a drunken stupor that I may have gotten on the wrong bus and therefore have to walk up an unforgiving hill. Plus the 38L has been expanded to operate to Downtown until 7:50 p.m. and from Downtown until 8:55 p.m. Fortunately for me and my other Geary Blvd. neighbors there are no Muni deaths worth crying over. But, we do feel bad for everyone else….we have souls!!
I rely on the 38 to Ocean Beach daily to take my son to school and to pick him up. Now we’ll have to wait forever to transfer to the 18 which runs every 20 min on a good day. Maybe not a big deal in the grand scheme of life’s miseries, but on a rainy windy day like today, it will really suck!