How to Fix Muni? More Answers From Supervisor Candidates

Muni’s problems go beyond late buses and smelly passengers — recent crimes on Muni are just another example of the issues that face our public transit system. So, how do we fix it?

Yesterday we gave you a peek of what some of the candidates for District 10 supervisor say about fixing Muni’s ails. Today we bring you more video interviews from Chris Rogers at the San Francisco Young Democrats Supervisor candidates forum last week, where he asked the candidates: What’s wrong with Muni and how would you fix it?

Before fixing the problem, supervisors need more control over the MTA board and a “real transit-first agenda,” candidate Eric Smith says. Smith questions the budget for the Central Subway: “When I think about the hundreds and millions being spent on that, couldn’t we use that to improve Muni?” Smith says he wants to meet with the stakeholders, riders, transit activists to come up with ideas.

Candidate Chris Jackson thinks Muni needs more senior shuttles, and he also wants Muni to explore water transit options (an idea that candidate Kristin Enea also mentioned). Jackson also says that the conversation about Muni should not be about making a profit. (See Chris Jackson’s video response)

One of Muni’s major problems is that “we cannot get a balanced Muni budget,” candidate Dewitt Lacy says. The solution? “Cut out the fat” and examine middle management in the city’s transit agency. (see Dewitt Lacy’s video response)

The supervisor candidates are far from the first to jump into the fray on improving Muni’s various shortcomings –Dave Snyder’s SF Transit Riders Union, Rescue Muni, Fix Muni Now, are just a few of the advocacy groups that come to mind.

Want to know more about what your district supervisor candidates think about public transit? Greg Dewar at the N-Judah Chronicles has launched a resource called the Muni Rider Voter Guide where he has sent all candidates questions about our transit systems.

What do you think of the solutions we heard from District 10?

Video reporting from Chris Rogers. Chris has just started a website called M Ocean View Journal. These videos are in collaboration of the YouTube/ABC7 uReport project, with which Muni Diaries is also a partner. You can read more about the YouTube project in this story by Matt Baume for Poynter.org.