Transit News: Muni restrooms, BART cops, TEP funding, N-Judah shutdowns
Photo by Lynn Friedman
- Supes approve more bathrooms for Muni drivers (ABC/KGO)
- Repairs at Bus Shelter Hit by Drunk Driver (Mission Local)
- AC Transit Bus Rapid Transit Project Clears Major Milestone (AC Transit)
- BART tightens search rules after friendly-fire tragedy (SFGate)
- BART Police Identify Officer Who Shot Fellow BART Cop (SF Appeal)
- Transportation board to vote on funding for Muni TEP (SF Examiner)
- TEP Update: Muni Behind on Transit Signal Priority, But the N Is Near (SF Streetsblog)
- N-Judah faces weekend shutdowns (SFBay)
- Tuesday: Meeting to Discuss Rerouting the Muni 67 Bus on Ripley Street (Bernalwood)
So, one morning last week, I went down to my usual spot toward the end of the BART platform at Civic Center. There was a guy standing there smoking a cigarette. He wasn’t trying to be sneaky; he was quite conspicuous about the whole thing. Obviously, you’re not allowed to smoke in the subway, but I was not about to confront this person, nor was it worth missing my train to run up two flights & find a BART officer or station agent. My question/comment: considering all the terrible things that could happen very suddenly on a subway platform — far worse than taking a cigarette break — I just assumed there were cameras and someone keeping watch at all times. If not, then you’d expect physical patrols of the platforms. I’ve never seen the latter. Anyone know if there are cameras or any kind of oversight of platform activity? Plenty of fare checkers at the entrances/exits to nab you for not tagging your card, but if you get assaulted on the platform, you’re on your own?
Related story: A few days later, I thought I’d encountered ANOTHER smoker on the Muni platform. Then I smelled strawberry and realized it was an e-cigarette. But shouldn’t those be banned too? Is it that hard for people to understand why others don’t want to be around smoke or vapor of any kind when they are underground and have no choice of going elsewhere? Sheesh. A little consideration would go a long way in this town…
“BART tightens search rules after friendly-fire tragedy”
Why are BART police searching apartments? Or even operating off of BART property? Or conducting any sort of weapons-intensive operations?
Should not the BART police be patrolling BART, period? And not incidentally doing that patrolling in a way that’s welcoming and friendly to the vast majority of non-criminal passengers using the system.
The BART police have obviously become infatuated with the idea of being a paramilitary SWAT organization rather than simply patrolling the transit agency that employs them. The BART police don’t need more weapons training or new procedures for conducting off-premises operations. They instead demonstrably need to be reined in, demilitarized, and confined to BART property.
yeah, that’s what I’m saying — have you EVER seen a BART cop below ground in a station? Or on a train?