Eugenia Chien has been eavesdropping on the 47, 49, or 1 lines since the mid-90's. She lives by the adage, "Anything can happen on Muni" (and also, "That's not water.")

New N-Judah shuttles aim to help inbound commute

n-judah-crowded-muni-diaries-by-haynes

New shuttle loops may give N-Judah commuters some relief in their typically crowded commute. Two additional one-car shuttle loops started running this week between Cole Valley and Embarcadero Station, reports SFGate. The shuttles run during morning commute hours for inbound commuters.

Just how bad was the problem? SFMTA transit director John Haley told SFGate that a recent study found that 100 to 150 passengers every morning are left waiting for a later train at the Carl and Cole streets stop. He estimates that the shuttles can carry as many as 500 additional passengers.

The N-Judah is Muni Metro’s busiest line, carrying as many as 50,000 passengers each day, according to the SFGate report. If you are a N-Judah commuter, let us know if your morning rides have been a bit better this week, please.

Photo by Chris Haynes

The future is now (er, next year): Sneak peek at new Muni trains

Subway New Trains-1

Starting next year, you might see a few of the new light-rail trains on your commute, and SFMTA has just released photos of what these trains look like! Squee. It’s so the future.

SFMTA is set to replace all the trains by 2028, which seems a long ways away. But the first of four initial trains are in production now, scheduled to arrive by the end of this year for testing in real life in 2017.

Why are these trains better? According to the SFMTA:

Compared to our current fleet, which started service in 1996, the new Siemens trains should be much more reliable. The new trains have systems that are proven to go significantly longer in between breakdowns and, therefore, require less maintenance. The new Siemens design is projected to run an average of 59,000 miles without breakdowns, which is more than double the minimum of 25,000 miles originally specified.

Officials also said that the new trains would have a lot fewer problems raising the steps up and down. So, yay!

Take another look:
New Trains 2

H/t: SFist
Photo via SFMTA

9 puppies who were the highlight of your Muni ride

A photo posted by Muni Diaries (@munidiaries) on

Here at Muni Diaries, we’re not too proud to admit our frequent weakness for dogs. Put your “muzzle your pet” trigger finger away, because here are nine pups who are way better than humans, ready to make your day, all from the Muni Diaries Instagram submission inbox.

Rock out with your tongue out.

A photo posted by Soma the Dog (@somathedog) on

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Transit news: Ch-ch-changes for Mission Street ‘red carpet’, Muni shelter beating, public meeting on city subway

inside Muni muni diaries by telliprego

What do you need to know about transit this week? Well:

The fantastic inside-the-beast photo is by @telliprego on Instagram. Follow @munidiaries on Instagram to see more.

A night in the life of BART’s cleaning crew

bart cleaner eric

You probably have an idea or two about what kind of grossness is on every BART train. It could be as innocuous as ice cream drippings from this over-the-top stoner, or toe jam (sorry!) from this shoeless rider. Or you could be cleaning up after this NSFW hot mess. last week BART interviewed some of the utility workers in a story on what it’s like to clean the trains every night.

BART interviewed Tony Gletty, who trains the utility workers to clean the trains, and Jennie Meixel, utility foreworker:

“When BART had the old carpet flooring, I used to have to get on my hands and knees to scrub spots, and bend in awkward positions.” Gletty reflected. “It’s a lot better now.” Meixel mixes it up to keep workers from strain: “I try to rotate tasks as much as possible,” she said.

Black splotches of gum, flattened into the floor by being stepped on hundreds of times, were like sticky polka dots on the floors of train cars. (Even though the new composite flooring is easier to clean than the old carpeted floors, the last of which were removed in August 2015.) Someone had left a half-drunk Big Gulp beverage on the seats as well, but the workers said that was one of the cleaner cars they typically encounter.

Hats off to these hard-working people. Read more about it here.

Photo credit: BART.gov

BART puts on a surprising light show

A video posted by amanda m (@amandamiyoshi) on

Maybe you’ve been on BART a thousand times, but did you ever notice this sneaky little light show on the platform? Filmed by @amandamiyoshi, the reflection on the metal walls as the train rolls into the station is surprising and delightful.

Got your own Muni or BART moment (like doge riding the train in little tiny boots or a random life-size ice cream sandwich waiting on the platform)? Tag us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to submit your own diary!

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