Muni Diaries

Photo by Telstar Logistics

You remember TEP, right? No? It was the result of extensive studies on how to improve Muni, in a dreamy little nutshell. It was unveiled with great fanfare in 2006, but it ran off the rails when that whole recession thingy started shitting money and jobs in 2008.

Now, SFMTA has brought TEP back to the forefront. SFGate reports:

The Municipal Transportation Agency launched the 18-month Transit Effectiveness Project — with great fanfare, extensive research and many community meetings — in 2006 and adopted it in 2008. Since then, with the agency facing budget crises, the plan sat idle, used only to help decide where service should be slashed.

Now Muni is dusting off the recommendations, beginning a required environmental review process that could take up to two years and restarting community meetings to discuss such controversial proposals as consolidating bus stops to speed service and stringing new overhead wires so Muni can change routes.

Read the rest of the story at SFGate. And tell us: What do you think about TEP’s plans to improve Muni? And how on earth will they find the funding to implement this?

We understand the “OMG I HATE MUNI” sentiment, but this could be your chance to offer realistic suggestions on how we can make it better. More back-door boarding crackdowns? Working with the driver’s union? Eating cake? Weigh in down in the comments.

Update (10:02 a.m.): According to some very observant Muni Diaries readers (as well as SFist’s Leanne Maxwell), that’s District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener in the foreground of the video above. Wonder when Sup. Wiener will convene another hearing about Muni’s inadequacies.

Original post: Muni rider Alex warns: “if this video i took friday night doesnt make your jaw drop i dont know what will.”

Jaw, dropped. Glad no one was hurt.

Apparently, the story made it to the esteemed halls of a couple of local television news empires. Wonder what they’re really saying about this at SFMTA.