Check Out BART’s New Train Cars at Justin Herman Plaza Today

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new bart train
photo by @ashleybsnyder

BART’s new train cars are on display today at Justin Herman Plaza from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can swing by to take a look at the new design, which is slated to go into service in 2017, according to the SF Appeal. Take a virtual tour yourself in this video captured by Oakland Tribune’s @Tyska.

BART says that the new train cars have a couple of new features:

Quieter: “micro-plug” doors will help seal out noise
Cooler: cooling systems will distribute air directly to the ceilings, making it more comfortable for standees on hot days
Comfortable: padded seats will have lumbar support and will be covered with wipeable fabric for ease of cleaning
Easy to use: routes will be color coded like the BART system map, and next stop information will be readily available via automated announcements and digital screens

In another video by @Tyska, people in wheelchair test out the new BART car design.
Read more

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SFMTA Approves Free Sunday Parking But May Raise Cash Fare by 25 Cents

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muni fare gate

SFMTA approved a two-year budget that might result in an increase in Muni fares but allows drivers to park for free again. The free Sunday meters means that the agency is giving up about $11 million in annual revenue, reports SFGate.

The panel voted unanimously to scrap Sunday parking charges, setting up another showdown at the Board of Supervisors when it considers the MTA budget. The members also voted to prioritize expanded service to low-income seniors and youths, banking on some of a $15 million surplus the agency has, and delayed some planned fare increases.

More about those fare increases via the Examiner:

The transit agency’s approved two-year budget also calls for a Muni single-trip fare increase of a quarter to $2.25, a 10 percent boost in service systemwide and expanding the free Muni for low- and moderate-income youth into a permanent program that includes 18-year-olds. These and a bevy of other changes will go into effect July 1, pending approval by the Board of Supervisors. The budget is set to increase to $943.2 million next fiscal year and $962.6 million the following year.

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Officials Say Woman Jumped In Front of BART Train Last Night and Survived

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embarcadero bart station crowded after medical emergency at montgomery station
Photo via @JimMcNutty

Officials have confirmed that the woman who was under the BART train yesterday evening had jumped in front of it, but that she survived, according to SFAppeal. At about 4:50 p.m. on Monday, we got word via Twitter from witnesses that Montgomery station was closed due to a medical emergency. BART was single-tracked and bypassed Montgomery station, which reopened around 6:15 p.m. There were massive crowds at other stations. Traffic above ground was also delayed.

From SF Appeal:

Investigators used witness statements and video to reach the conclusion that the woman jumped from the platform shortly before 5 p.m., BART police Lt. Paul Kwon said. The woman was taken to San Francisco General Hospital but Kwon did not know the extent of her injuries.

SFWeekly says that the woman was treated for head injuries but was still talking. She’s expected to survive.

Category: News

Video: Gina Gold’s One Very Special BART Ride

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Every single person in the room at Muni Diaries Live was hooked when Gina Gold opens her story by saying, “I have a BART story. I’m not proud of it because usually people are telling stories about a person not acting right, but I AM that person.” Here’s the video of Gina telling her you-wouldn’t-believe-it story that started out with a perfect morning in a Beale Street penthouse.

Let’s just say that Gina’s story makes these BART twerk-a-holics look like junior varsity players.

So put your headphones on and enjoy Gina’s BART story. Oh, and it’s Gina’s birthday this month. Go to her TMI Storytelling show next week in Berkeley and give her a high five in person.

Category: Funny: Muni LOLs, Muni Diaries Live Tags: ,

News: Montgomery Station Reopened After Report of Person Under BART Train

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embarcadero bart station crowded after medical emergency at montgomery station

Update: 6 p.m.

Passengers report that Montgomery Station has re-opened after the person under the train was transported to the hospital. @SFBART says that service restoration is in progress.

KTVU reports that although the station has re-opened, other stations are still jam-packed with passengers.

Update: 5:49 p.m.
Riders are packed at other BART stations due to the Montgomery Station closure, as seen in the above photo from the Embarcadero Station from @JimMcNutty.

Original post (5:32 p.m.):
The Montgomery BART station is currently closed after reports that a person is under a BART train. Fire trucks and police vehicles are in front of the station, as witnesses on Twitter report. As of 5:32 p.m., the station is still closed and there are delays SFO, Daly City, and Millbrae bound trains, according to KRON4. In the photo below, passengers are jam-packed in the train as they await for the delay to clear up.

montgomery bart crowded
Photo by Tolebon

More from riders:

The Chronicle’s Vivian Ho tweeted that the person under the train is still alive and being transported to a hospital to treat for head injuries.

We’ll keep you updated as we find out more.

Category: News Tags: ,

Self-Cleaning Straps Keep Germs Away on the Bus?

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cyclean self cleaning bus strap for muni
Photo via Cyclean

How many people touched that nylon fabric strap you’re holding onto on Muni, and what did they touch before getting on the bus? If the thought of this gives your germaphobic self an anxiety attack, check out this self-cleaning strap designed by a group of Chinese designers who won the Red Dot Award.

How do these straps clean themselves? According to the designers:

The handle strap can be rotated through a small plastic chamber that contains a rough sponge, a cleaning and disinfecting agent, and rollers. The handle strap can be cleaned by pulling down on one side of the loop to feed it into the chamber. The rollers clean and disinfect the strap as it is fed through. The strap emerges from the chamber clean. The sponge can be replaced and the cleaning agent can be refilled.

Hmm. Replacing the sponge and cleaning agent might be where the process can break down here, but straps in the picture look pretty darn clean and enticing. The “Cyclean” straps are still just a design and haven’t been manufactured yet, according to Fast Coexist. So for now you’ll have to make do with good ole hand sanitizer gel. Look on the bright side: at least we haven’t heard about bed bugs on Muni!

H/T: @jesskuo

Category: News
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