The first is a report that claims that fare evasion has taken a hit since last year, as Muni has stepped up fare enforcement. Now, this is a bit tricky in that, as you may recall from a discussion on this issue in 2009, Muni hadn't been keeping the kind of detailed records on fare enforcement vs. costs, leading to that misleading "bounty hunter" meme we still keep having to listen to.
That said, if more people are bothering to pay the fares they should be, instead of stealing, that's better for everyone because it means Muni is getting more of the money that it's actually owed. Now is not the time for the clucking of tongues - it's time to build on the success and expand it to more lines to make people take responsibility for themselves.
The fact that it's doing as well as it has, despite political opposition from so-called "Progressive" Supervisors like David Campos, who successfully stalled the fare enforcement plan to make people "feel better" says a lot. So-Called "Progressives" love to meddle with the SFMTA and Muni, but they never accomplish much, aside from proposals to cut the agency's funding even more than it already is. Doesn't it make more sense to have people simply pay their stupid fares so we can avoid fare increases in the future? Bueller? BUELLER?
Anyway, onwwards to some more news, this time from the San Francisco Police Department. In a report issued on Jan. 23rd, the SFPD noted the closure rate of cases related to Muni crimes (assaults, thefts, etc). and it looks like the record is pretty good. There's always room for improvement when it comes to combating violent crimes on Muni, but again, this is better than other agencies. It is interesting to note, once again, that the areas that had the most crime are represented by Supervisors who've opposed upgrades in law enforcement on Muni. To me, that is insane.
I'd love for someone to tell me how it's a San Francisco Value to allow punk kids to trash our buses and trains, or to assault people on Muni Metro platforms, and be allowed to get away with it. I simply do not understand why people on the T-line should be victims of crime (Remember all those assaults of elderly Asian Americans last year?) just because some politicians think that's acceptable behavior. It's not, and it costs all of us money, and when that happens it is those least able to afford fare and Fast Pass increases who take a bigger hit. How that's "fair" is lost on me.
However, one thing to also keep in mind is that if you must use your smartphone or MP3 player on a bus or train, you really need to be careful about it. After all, that new iPhone or Droid is worth several hundred dollars, and if you're buried in a tough Angry Birds level it's easy to not notice someone ready to take it away from you. It's best to pay attention to your surroundings, especially late at night when you might be one of a few people on a streetcar or bus. Be safe, and always, if you see something going on that shouldn't, call 911 and report it.
]]>This also caused my email to go out, so I'm only now reading many, many tales of woe thanks to this idiot, one of several over the years who've said "hey look Maw! A tunnel! Why I'm going to drives through it despite an array of signs saying not to! Derp!" While these stories provide some amusement, here's something that's NOT amusing - unless this bozo gets a DUI charge, whatever penalty he faces is minuscule, and won't cover the costs Muni incurred cleaning up after his mess. Thus, you have a situation where not only was yesterday's Big Fail not at all Muni's fault - now they have to pay the costs, at a time when money isn't exactly growing on trees.
If anyone at the MTA or the City had a clue, they wouldn't let this happen. At the very least, Doofus Driver should be forced to pay the MTA the full cost of his dumb-ass driving - lost fares, overtime, and more - at the very least. If we had judges or DAs that fought crime, I'd have them sentence this guy either to a real jail sentence, or better yet, force him to wear a sandwich board saying "Im the jerk that drove his SUV into the Muni Tunnel" at key N Judah stops where he'd have to face the many, many commuters whose morning he f*cked up with his foolishness. This would be an opportunity for N Judah riders to repay him the favor with civil discourse (preferably involving a tomato or rotten fruits & vegetables) as they pass this doofus by.
What would you suggest the punishment be? Come on, San Francsico! We really can't keep coddling criminals who cause problems and cost us money all the time.
]]>For now, however, I'm soliciting people to endure but a mere email interview regarding what I call an Extreme Commute for a new feature I'd like to do. How do I describe an Extreme Commute? It can be one of many things: maybe you commute from SF via Muni to Places Elsewhere on other transit systems, or perhaps you just have one within SF that requires that ever-so-elusive series of transfers than can either make your day or ruin it. Or something else.
For example, a few years ago I had a client whom I had to be on-site for in Layfayette. It was an excellent gig, but I also had to literally be on the first N inbound every morning, to ensure I made my transfer to BART, and get to the office out there by 7:30. Since there was no bus along the main drag in Lafayette, I had to walk a little over a mile to get to the office. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining (aside from the days that it rained LOL) but it was a bit of a hustle, and it did make for one Muni or BART #FAIL to ruin my morning. (Fortunately that only happened a few times and on days when it didn't matter). The plus side was that I got at least 2 miles a day of walking in, and I had a great client who I enjoyed working for.
That's but one example. I want to tell stories about more. Please contact me via email, and let's share some stories!
]]>It's difficult for some to imagine just how radical a notion it was to create Muni back then. It was the first municipally owned transit system in the United States, with the truly radical notion that a transit system should be dedicated to serving the needs of a city's residents first, and to be a tool with which to enhance the lives of everyone.
Yes, there have been private companies that have come and gone, but their primary mission was to serve stockholders. In the post-quake years, Muni would become not just a form of transportation, but a way to encourage development in parts of the city not yet settled (particularly places like West Portal and the Sunset), and to always put the people first.
It's safe to say, we've come a long way, baby. Not always in a good way, either.
That's why we as the owners and riders of Muni need to make 2012 the year we take it back. We don't need to pitch a tent city downtown to do it, either. It is, however, critical that no matter who's in office or what the economy is like that those of us who live and/or work in San Francisco start to make this the year we did something, instead of just bitching at blogs or going to some "meeting."
For too long, many at the SFMTA, Room 200, and City Hall have been content to kill our system, either through neglect, active mismanagement, or through the endless emotional blabbering that passes for "politics" in the Enlightened City. This has not been working, and it's time for people to actively put it all in the trash.
What does this mean?
It means when you see cheap politicians running for re-election this year, cramming your mailbox with piles of junk mail, that you throw it away in the recycle bin. Instead, challenge the politicians yourself when they come to your neighborhood. Ask them why they supported huge increases in fares, and why they refuse to support reasoned and balanced solutions to Muni's perpetual funding issues. Ask them why they are happen to engage in endless rhetoric, but the sad fact is after four years in office, Muni has become worse under their watch (that is, when some of them weren't off spending your money to run for mayor). It also means you need to tell our Mayor* that while he was content to ignore Muni during his temp term in office and during the campaign, he can't do so now.
It means something else, though. When you're on a bus or streetcar, you be sure to give up a seat in the designated area to those who need it. If some youthful numbskull is too plugged into his MP3 player, remind them to do so. If you have an operator that is doing a good job, tell them so when you leave the bus. (even better, send in a note to the SFMTA for what it's worth). Take your backpack off on a crowded bus so everyone can fit in. Avoid the urge to eat that burrito. Set a good example. While I don't advocate violence (well...) if you see someone behaving badly and can't bonk 'em on the head, use that fancified phone to take a picture or video and shame them online. While it's easy for us to bitch about Muni, we have to start taking it back not just from the politicians and bureaucrats, but also from the public trolls that ruin our city for us and those who choose to visit Our Fair City.
We have a lot to feel good about our 100 year experiment - and a lot that needs to be done better and smarter. For my part, I plan on pointing out the nonsense and relying on a mix of reason, history, and investigation to do my best to help us all stay informed and to look back at the end of this year and be able to say we did something.
Happy 2012 and let's kick some ass.
PS: If you've not yet purchased a copy of the latest Muni history book, I urge you to do so at Market Street Railway Foundation's store. I got a copy for Christmas and it has a lot of interesting historical notes not covered in some of the other books, and the old photos are awesome!
PS2: On an unrelated note: I had a rather kick-ass ride on Muni last night. I was over at Stonestown and wanted to join some friends back home in the Inner Sunset. This meant taking the M to Forest Hill, then catching a bus back home. These kinds of connections can be fraught with crazy, but instead, not only did my M arrive in time for me to catch the 44, the 44 operator was one of those "kick ass" ones that got sh!t done.
She kept things moving, helped the passengers out, and when some jerk-ass double parked on 9th, she used her professional skills to asses the road situation, and passed them so we didn't get stuck at the red. Needless to say, I profusely thanked her and my friends were surprised I got there so quickly.
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Normally I wouldn't interrupt my vacation for something like this, but this is such a good deal, I had to pass it on. Starting today through January 4th you can get 20.12% off anything in our Zazzle Store using code 2012NEWYEARS when you check out online.
This includes the "N is Near" shirt, the extensive line of Muni Failwhale items, and more. Buy something today and show folks in 2012 how cool you are with your new apparel!
]]>I mean, seriously, this latest "budget crisis" has the same old BS being pumped out on all sides, you can basically re-read anything I wrote on the subject and it's more or less the same now as it was in the last few years. Too much BS, and no one being serious about fixing Muni, because as always we have a "Mayor" who doesn't care, an SFMTA Board that doesn't seem to want to challenge said "Mayor," and the usual folks bloviating at the Board who are also full of BS.
Needless to say it doesn't exactly motivate me to write about these folks and how their antics ruin your Muni. Plus, I really could use a nice vacation where my biggest concern is whether to go to the beach or go to the movies or the comic book store, and nothing else.
On that cheery note, have a great holiday season and be safe when you're out celebrating! See you all in 2012.
EDIT: I'm going to my old stomping grounds aka West LA/Venice and will be riding the Big Blue Bus, possibly one of the most functional transit agencies in America. I know, right? WHO KNEW LA could pwn a 7x7 college town in Northern California? IT BOGGLES THE MIND OMG!
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Can anyone see what's wrong with this picture?
It was taken in a flash because I couldn't believe what was happening, but if you look closely you'll see that the N-Judah train is making a left turn onto 9th. The problem is that pedestrians were given a "walk" signal at the same time.
Yes, you read that right. I only wish the photo were better but I (and other persons walking) were all about to step off the sidewalk when we all realized "wtf?" and stopped. This is not the first time I've seen this happening, and while personal observations do not indicate a greater trend necessarily, if it's already happened twice in the last two weeks, then I can't believe it hasn't happened at other times too.
This is all mind blowing because as we all know, after lobbying by then-Supervisor Mirkarimi, residents, and myself, and after a horrific accident involving a woman being run over by the N-Judah train, the SFCTA swung into action* and installed a new light system, which was to ensure that pedestrians crossed without having to worry about an N killing them.
Thus, it's bit troubling to see N operators just blasting through against the light, or seeing the light system malfunction, or whatever, because all it will take is ONE accident and BAM! Muni has another lawsuit to pay off and some poor person is maimed or killed. I put in a call to Muni to find out what is up, and if I ever hear back, I'll let you know what I find.
Until then, always pay attention to your surrounding when crossing here (or anywhere). Just because you have the right and the light doesn't mean things can't f--k up anyway, and be safe out there.
PS: Some have noted that the system as is does create some odd delays for people crossing the north side of Irving/9th. That may be so, but that is because for the SFCTA to install a "perfect" system of sensors, they would have had to dig up the entire intersection and tracks to do so. The system as is relies on a series of sensors and optical cameras to tell when the N trains are there, and when they are not and sync the walk signals as needed. At any rate, it beats old ladies getting killed by trains.
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While waiting for the N last week I noticed that the old-style bus shelter was wrapped with ads for K-Mart, replete with QR codes, wrapping the glass on the shelter. It seems a bit strange the MTA would be doing this now, all the while tearing down these shelters for the new ones, albeit on a slowwwww timetable.
Anyone seen these wraps anywhere else?
]]>If you live along Carl Street, you can likely expect issues regarding parking and access, and even if you don't, this project will directly affect your day-to-day use of the N. The SFMTA is hosing a community meeting on November 9th from 6pm to 730 pm at Grattan Elementary School Auditorium, located at 165 Grattan Street San Francisco, CA, 94117, where MTA and Muni staff will be there to talk about the work, and to answer questions.
If you can't make it to the meeting on time (oh, I don't know, because the N might be delayed during rush hour commute, right?) you can also email comments about the project directly to the folks in charge of the project via this email: CarlStRail@sfmta.com. Additionally, you can contact the PR officer assigned to this project at the following email address/phone number:
Jeannette Sanchez, Public Relations Officer
Phone: 415.701.4790
Fax: 415. 701.4391
E-mail: jeannette.sanchez@sfmta.com
and, if you want to get all specific, the contact information for the project manager of the project is here:
Ha Nguyen, Project Manager
Phone: 415. 701.4296
Fax: 415.701.4208
E-mail: ha.nguyen@sfmta.com
The last meeting was held way back in July, and it's unlikely there will be another before the new year, so you might want to stop by and check it out, or at least email/phone in your questions, so there's no nasty surprises come February.
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I hadn't planned on making any endorsements this year, in an attempt to stay above the fray and perhaps launch a revamped Muni Rider Voter Guide instead. Unfortunately, various events beyond my control pushed a lot of my plans off the table. As I've watched this campaign circle the drain, fueled by some of the most dishonest campaigning I've seen in my life, I can't just sit by and keep quiet. That's why I'm asking people to vote for whomever they like, but to please not vote for Ed Lee on any of the 3 ranked choice votes they get.
There's just too much that's wrong with the Temporary Mayor's campaign, from the casual dishonesty used to get him on the ballot, to the ongoing stories of money laundering, shady voting practices, and more that make any of the other candidates a better choice. More importantly, Lee's slavish devotion to the Central Subway, at the expense of riders on every other line is enough to disqualify him, and there's nothing to suggest Muni would get any better under a second Lee administration. If anything, we'll have more corrupt pay-to-play politics and other nonsense, the kind that gave us those Breda cars under Willie's adminstration.
Several friends and I have created an informational site, Ed Lee Not For Me which I encourage you to read and pass along to your friends. None of us are working for any candidates or anything like that - this was something we came up with the other night to try and make a last stand to stop the City from circling the drain, as it has been for some time. Check it out and be sure to vote tomorrow!
Already the cost of the program (which "Supervisor" Campos never deigned to explain how to pay for) has ballooned, but again, no one at City Hall seems to care, as they passed some gutless resolution asking the MTA to do this, costs and impact be damned. Worse, while Campos puts himself out there as some saint for pushing this and making everyone "feel good," the sad fact is that Campos doesn't give a damn about the MTA, Muni, or kids.
All he cares about is putting some feel-good crap on a piece of junk mail to get re-elected. Remember, this is someone who works closely with ultra-left organizations like "POWER" who believe in cutting service to the L-Taraval, the N-Judah, the 38, the 71 and other lines, all for a vague sense of "justice." If he wasn't getting "free Muni for the kids" he'd have found some other feel good cause to bankrupt Muni with. All he cares about is himself. I mean, even So-Called Progressive John Avalos, running for mayor, has said that the scheme is a "pipe dream."
The SFMTA board was right in suggesting that they'd be open to the idea, if Money From Elsewhere Not the SFMTA ponied up the cash. However, therein lies another policy FAIL that SF politicians love to engage in - grant funded projects with a time limit.
You can almost predict what will happen. Somehow, somewhere, in our broke-ass economy, someone will find some one-time money source to pay for this so-called "pilot project." People will get great press conferences, the special interest groups will sing praises to the politicians at election time, unicorns and magical frogs will pervade the city landscape, and everyone will think everything is Super OK.
Then reality kicks in when the one-time money runs out. By now, the politicians who pushed this have moved on to the next job. The special interests scream murder, and the kids are trotted out to cry on cue for the cameras. People scramble to "save the program" (which, come on, do you really think the economy's going to be better in 3 years) and the mess will have been made.
No one will be held accountable, and the hard work to put in to make the SFMTA self sustaining never happens. Sure doing so now would not make for good mail piece politics in 2010, but it would be the best course for THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AND THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO.
Next time you hear a So-Called Progressive talk about Muni, be very skeptical. They all have a track record of betting wildly with your money, without putting much thought into the outcome. It's easy to fall for tales of unicorns and magic frogs. Both, like the promises of politicians, are also bullsh*t.
]]>Anyway, it seems Supervisor Chu has decided to do this thing called "holding people accountable" and will have another hearing on October 24th, at 10 PM, in Room 263 at City Hall. (That's this upcoming Monday). You can imagine that there will likely again be some disinfo rehab necessary to decode what's real and what's not.
If you can't make the meeting, you can always check it out on SFGOV.tv, or you can send in comments and questions to Supervisor Chu's office online as well. I'll have to likely cover it via cable tv as I'm busy that day, but just remember that the mainstream media is in full spin mode on behalf of certain people and factions within the city, so don't expect much out of them at this point.
It would be interesting to see how many Mayoral candidates showed up, that's for sure. Even more interesting - how many know what they're talking about and how many are content to say one thing in one place and say another elsewhere.
We'll see!
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Thanks to a weird problem with Movable Type, my post-party post never made it on line. Here it is again:
Thursday's free Happy Hour celebrating the sixth (!) anniversary of the N Judah Chronicles, sponsored by Blockboard at the Blackthorn Tavern, turned out quite well. We had over 100 people RSVP and quite a few drop ins as well, and people got a chance to meet Twitter friends, neighbors and so on. I myself ended up meeting one of the new people who moved into my apartment complex a month ago, and it was fun to see many people who knew each other from The Internet in person, and to see old friends as well.
I especially liked the concept of "pouring a beer for your neighbor, not yourself" that Blockboard proposed for the party. It made people more likely to talk to each other, be they strangers or friends, and it did a great job keeping the deadbeats out who show up to any event for "free" stuff, and don't care about the sponsors or the event.
This event went well enough that I am thinking of doing some more in the future at various venues along the N or other major routes on the west side. Of course, if the SFMTA ever brings back charter F lines cars to the N to Ocean Beach, you can be sure I'll do one even if I have to pay for the entire thing out of pocket because that would be fun!
Photo courtesy of Blockboard
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If you've been busy watching the Niners game, once you're done, go out and attend the Inner Sunset Street Fair today. I was out this morning checking it out, and it is a really well produced event.
I took some photos and will take more once the phone is recharged. If you decide to do so too, post some pictures in our Flickr Group today!
]]>Thus, when i got an email from the folks at Blockboard, who make an iPhone app for neighborhood news, asking me if I'd want to go in with them on a happy hour for the neighborhood, let's just say it brightened my spirits considerably, since I was trying to figure out an anniversary party for the blog anyway. Now, thanks to Blockboard, I can invite folks from all over the neighborhood for a happy hour AND offer them a free drink!
If you've not yet tried out the Blockboard app, it's worth a look if only because in the burgeoning field of "local news" apps, it has possibly one of best user interfaces I've seen for these kinds of apps. I've been trying it out for a while and it has some potential. (If you don't have an iPhone you can still RSVP for the party - you just might need to answer some Inner Sunset trivia to attend, so please, attend anyway!)
However, to attend, you do need to RSVP via this EventBrite link in order to take advantage of this amazing offer/event. Just go to this link on EventBrite and be sure to enter in some minimal information, and you'll be all set.
This should be a fun event, where you can meet your neighbors, fellow N riders, and others.
Note: while any politicians running for office can surely RSVP, I would ask that you please not bring a pile of dead-tree pamphlets to the event, since I'd rather you all talk to the diverse crowd that will be here, instead of just leaving behind something that will go into the recycling bin.
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