Muni Diaries

Photo by Brandon Doran

A survey of 600 Muni riders found that half of them have never heard of the Geary Corridor Bus Rapid Transit project, according to a Bay Citizen report. Some 57 percent of those surveyed by the San Francisco Transit Riders Union did not know about the project.

So, for the curious minds wondering WTF we’re talking about:

San Francisco County Transportation Authority planners say that the bus rapid transit project would transform the line that carries 50,000 riders a day, the most in the system, into something more like a train. With a dedicated bus lane in each direction, low-floor buses would arrive at more regular intervals to carry passengers between the quiet west side of the city and downtown. It’s scheduled to open in 2019.

There you have it: it’ll happen seven years from now. The Bay Citizen explains the resources that are being spent on rider outreach about the project:

The authority is paying a pretty penny for publicizing the project. A total of $270,000 is going to two big-name consulting firms – Barbary Coast Consulting, based in San Francisco, and Circlepoint in Oakland – to handle communications and outreach from 2008 through 2013, according to the transportation authority.

The planners told the Bay Citizen that they have bought ads, sent mailings, hung posters, and held meetings to “more than 25 community groups this summer about the bus rapid transit on Geary.”

They’re looking to do something similar on Van Ness. Editor’s note: PLEASE GOD MAKE IT SO!

Photo courtesy of Epiphany Dance

Don’t be surprised if you see some incredibly agile dancers on the T line this weekend. Today and tomorrow, you can hop on for a free tour of dance performance on the bus. Board the T-line between 11 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. from the Powell Street station toward Bay View, or meet the tour guides at Intersection for the Arts / 5M Project at the San Francisco Chronicle Building, 925 Mission Street, to get a wristband if you want to make sure you catch the dancers on their way.

This year’s performers:

• Epiphany Productions Sonic Dance Theater
• Campo Santo with Mix’d Ingrdnts
• Carpetbag Brigade with accordionist/composer Diana Strong
• Diamano Coura West African Company
• Anne Bluethenthal and Dancers
• Alleluia Panis Dance Theater
• Mas Makers Massive

Photo courtesy of Epiphany Dance

Check out the details and a handy FAQ on the Trolley Dances website.