Category: News

Transit News: Muni funding, BART funding, Muni sues Muni

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news16
Photo by Mobilus In Mobili

Pour yourself a cup of coffee (or something stronger) and get caught up on your Bay Area transit news …

  • Why Muni Omitted Surnames of Safe Driver Honorees from Ads (Petrelis Files)
  • Supervisor Wiener has backup plan for Muni funding (SFGate)
  • Increased advertising on Muni buses approved despite criticism (SF Examiner)
  • BART Agrees to Pay $175,000 to Men Detained With Oscar Grant (SF Appeal)
  • BART could consider ballot measure for funds, director says (The Alamedan)
  • BART delays progress on wheelchair access in Fleet of the Future (SF Bay Guardian)
  • Trip to Oakland airport via new tram could cost $6 (ABC 7)
  • No Free Rides: Finally, Inevitably: Muni Is Suing Muni (SF Weekly)
Category: News

Muni: You aren’t responsible to pay when a Clipper card reader is broken

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This week, SFGate reported on a phenomenon that many Muni riders know all too well: when the Clipper card reader is broken and you don’t have a Fast Pass on your card, you might get a citation from fare inspectors. But yesterday, we were informed by the SFMTA again that you shouldn’t be cited in this situation.

In 2010, we asked SFMTA about the policy for fares when the Clipper card reader is broken. They told us that when the machines are broken, drivers are not supposed to make cardholders pay, regardless of whether the rider has a monthly Fast Pass loaded on the card. We even got the document SFMTA says they sent to operators notifying them of this change in procedure in 2010 (see above).

Has Muni’s fare policy changed since our 2010 story?

SFMTA spokesperson Paul Rose told us yesterday, “The policy has not changed. We are not going to hold passengers accountable if there is no way to tag your card.”

According to the SFGate story, about 55,000 people have been cited since July. And:

Since July, 8,700 Muni riders have complained they were wrongly cited for not paying the fare, many times because of broken scanners, according to appeal records. Roughly 175 of the riders succeeded in getting their ticket dismissed.

So there you go, folks. Whether the inspectors and drivers were misinformed, now you have the word (and the memo) to protest your tickets.

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Everything You Need to Know About Muni Service During Bay to Breakers Sunday

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bay to breakers muni
Photo by Nick Fisher

Our annual costumed drunk running race is back Sunday, and here’s everything you need to know about commuting during Bay to Breakers via the SFMTA. Don’t forgot to tweet your best B2B photos to @munidiaries!

Summary of Service Impacts
On Sunday the race will begin at 8 a.m.
The annual Bay to Breakers footrace will cause major reroutes and delays Sunday morning. The race starts on Howard from Steuart to 9th Street., runs on Hayes from Market to Divisadero, on Fell from Divisadero to the Golden Gate Park, and on JFK Drive all the way to the Great Highway.

If you’re not participating in the race, you are encouraged to avoid areas affected by the Bay to Breakers. Read more

Category: News

Muni tests trains with fewer seats for more capacity

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muni new train cars
Photo via SF Examiner

The SFMTA is testing new train cars with fewer seats in order to fit more passengers. The new test train cars on the N-Judah have seven seats in the front instead of 14, as seen in the photo above, as reported by the San Francisco Examiner.

“Normally on the aisle of the light-rail vehicle it allows for two rows of people, and no one can get in between them,” said Supervisor Scott Wiener, who that morning boarded the re-configured car at Ninth and Irving streets. “Now you have people holding on to the handrail and an entire row of people could file in between them. To me it seems positive.”

The idea, which Wiener first pushed for in 2011, is that two more people can fit aboard a train for every seat that’s removed. In this case, the change adds space for 10 more riders.

The single car with reconfigured seats is being deployed as part of a pilot program the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is using to gather rider feedback.

You’ll see the new train cars on the N-Judah this month, then on the L-Taraval until June 13. The SFMTA could reconfigure more train cars depending on feedback of the test.

Let’s hope Captain Morgan still finds a place to leave his foot.

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