Weekend photos: Damn Muni can’t drive itself

At 20th - The 22 - #463
Photo by eviloars

Here we are, another Friday afternoon. That can mean only one thing: Time to revisit some of the more important goings-on of the week that ends in three, two, one …

  • We never did hear a follow-up, so we assume the woman hit by a 9-San Bruno on Tuesday is okay. She was sent to the hospital where she was treated and put in critical condition. Video of the incident was released a few days later.
  • On the lighter side of things, after some frivolous twitter-twatter (heehee), SFist went public with a contest to get a new slogan for Muni. If you haven’t weighed in yet, now’s your chance.
  • We did our best to get a report out on this week’s MTA townhall meetings to discuss upcoming service cuts and fare hikes. The next day, Streetsblog SF brought up a great point many people seemingly forgot about: bus stop consolidation.
  • Thursday evening’s commute on Muni Metro got interesting when the pantograph on an L-Taraval busted way out at 36th and Taraval, knocking over the dominoes that crippled the entire Metro system. It wudn’t purty.
  • MTA announced that it is rescheduling its next board meeting (to consider the latest budget proposal) from Feb. 16 to Feb. 26. Mark that date, and come let the board know how you feel the service cuts and fare hikes will affect you.

Okay, take a deep breath, let the magic take over and whisk you away to a more Zen-like weekend. See you Monday er, Tuesday. Which reminds us: Muni will run on a Saturday schedule on Monday, aka, tall, dead white guys’ day.

F Streetcar
Photo by tbridge

#1076 rolling down Market
Photo by brad.coy

The Watchers
Photo by Nick.Fisher

Video diary: Catching the Z train


Video by Flickr user Mike Monteiro

We asked a few weeks ago for a show of hands: Who’s fallen asleep on Muni? It’s not like a major confession or anything. Amid the racket and ruckus that often defines our public transit system, some of us (I’d bet a lot more than would admit) doze off from time to time.

Like the fella in the video above. I really love his rocking motion. Even as adults, we’re basically infants. Sweet dreams, merry F passenger.

Recap: MTA Town Hall Meetings

Muni Buses For Scrap
Photo by Whole Wheat Toast

Last Saturday and this last Tuesday, SFMTA held “town hall” meetings to inform the public of upcoming proposed service cuts and fare hikes, as well as to offer the public a chance to give MTA feedback on the cuts and hikes. Here’s a recap of the meetings from the vantage of everyday transit riders who attended:

At Saturday’s meeting:

Julianne Nigro, 22, worried that her commute from Treasure Island, where she works at the nonprofit drug treatment center Walden House, to her home in Potrero Hill would take hours. (Via The Examiner‘s report on the meeting)

and:

Howard Woo, 79, pointed out that while the price of his Muni Fast Pass increases, his social security benefits stay the same.
“Does the director of Muni ever take Muni himself?” Woo asked. “Do they know what we need as a rider? I don’t think so.”

Read more

‘T stands for terrible T line!!!’

Coming on the heels of Tuesday’s Central Subway groundbreaking ceremony, here’s a gripe about another of MTA’s recent new products, the T-Third. Muni rider Frankie has the following to say:

The T Line may be the worst thing Muni has ever planned. Coming home everyday at 5pm waiting at the Carroll station can be maddening! Eight times out of ten, the train takes half an hour to forty minutes at RUSH hour! Some trains will not even stop at Carroll but will stop at Williams. Or some trains in the other direction (on the way to Bayview) will end their destination at Williams and then return downtown. Wasn’t this line suppose to be serving the Hunter’s Point/ Bayview better? This line is only serving the Bayview/Hunter’s Point symbolically. The 15 line is sorely missed. The T-line was a HUGE waste of money. Not to mention how SLOW these trains are as well. Couldn’t some of the N Judah trains continue to Sunnydale as well? SF Muni has ALWAYS been notoriously unreliable and the T-Line is the perfect example. I’m sure I am not the only one who despises the T-line.

So, T-Third riders, let’s hear it: How has Muni’s newest toy fared for you?

Life-threatening injuries in Muni-pedestrian incident (update)

Update (4:55 p.m.) From MTA:

Final Update

As of 4:17 p.m., the scene below has cleared and all Muni buses have returned to their regular routes.

According to San Francisco General Hospital, the pedestrian is in critical condition.

Per normal procedure, the Muni Operator (hired in 2000) involved in the accident has been placed on non-driving status and will be tested for drugs and alcohol.

The investigation by the San Francisco Police Department and the SFMTA is ongoing.

Original post: This just received from MTA:

Muni Service Alert

As of 1:41 p.m., an accident between an outbound (southbound) 9 San Bruno Muni bus and a pedestrian on San Bruno Avenue at Burrows Street is causing the following Muni buses to be re-routed around the accident scene:

9 San Bruno
9L San Bruno Limited
8X Bayshore Express
8AX Bayshore Express

The injuries to the female pedestrian are described as life-threatening by the San Francisco Fire Department.

The San Francisco Police Department and the SFMTA are investigating the accident.

We’ll get updates in here as soon as we receive them.

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