Muni Diaries

Image via Lava Mae

Remember the story about the buses that would be turned into giant showers for homeless people? No?

Well, it’s happening, you guys. SFist has the details:

“Lava Mae, the San Francisco startup that has converted a Muni bus into showers for the homeless, is ready to roll out their first mobile washroom in the Mission starting on June 28 … For the first phase, Lava Mae’s shower bus will work with the Mission Neighborhood Resource Center and will be parked on Capp Street between 16th and 17th Street from 7 a.m. until noon. The converted bus currently has two private “hygiene pods” (read: bathrooms) that include a shower, sink, toilet and a changing room. To keep things moving, users must sign up ahead of time to schedule their timed, 10-minute showers.”

We’re glad to see these out-of-commish buses being used for something other than landfill. (Though sometimes that can be purty.)

What are some other potential uses for decommissioned Muni buses you can think of?

h/t: SFist

Photo by Lynn Friedman

Today in Bay Area transit news: Learn how BART plans to bridge the gap, as it were, until its new fleet of trains arrives in 2017. Also, are you wondering why Muni has been folding up the disabled seats? Well, read on, youngins.

• BART pursues range of solutions to maintain aging fleet (SF Examiner)
• Traffic signal priority coming to 8X, N-Judah, possibly other lines (SF Examiner)
• Seats disappearing on Muni — in more ways than one (SFGate)
• Why We Need the Central Subway in North Beach and Beyond (SPUR)
• Opinion: For Better Muni and Safer Streets, Mayor Lee Must Back Vehicle License Fee (Streetsblog SF)
• Mayor’s Budget Includes 10% Service Increase For Muni (SF Appeal)
• “LightRail” Installation Aims To Illuminate Market Street (Socket Site)
• Transit Riders Union: Mayor Lee Keeps Giving Muni Riders the Short End of the Stick (Streetsblog SF)
• Curb-jumping S.F. driver hits 2 pedestrians, Muni bus (SFGate)

How would you like to drink some yummy housemade cocktails and look at fresh San Francisco art? Muni Diaries friend Nate1 (who designed our fav T-shirts) is having an art opening at Blackbird bar on Saturday. Hosted by Secession Art and Design, the new show is called Stay Awhile:

Motion and typography create a world that is electric. Splashes of spray paint purposefully pixelate a Bay Area landscape. The warmer days of summer make the evening cocktails sparkle. Nate 1 has developed a new style with a nod to old-school San Francisco graffiti that paints a city in motion having a beautiful time. Drinks, please!

Celebrate and meet Nate 1 at the opening party Saturday. All art is available for purchase online too at the Secession online store.

Details
Stay Awhile, art opening at Blackbird Bar
Saturday, June 7, 2014, 6 p.m.
2124 Market St
Take Muni there: Church Street Station, or take 22 or 37 lines.