Comments on: MTA To Get Greater Management Role Over SFPD’s Traffic Company http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/20/mta-to-get-greater-management-role-over-sfpds-traffic-company/ Covering San Francisco's livable streets movement Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:38:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Adrienne http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/20/mta-to-get-greater-management-role-over-sfpds-traffic-company/comment-page-1/#comment-5697 Adrienne Fri, 22 May 2009 06:50:54 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1980#comment-5697 I wonder why in a time of budget shortage, the SFPD, the MTA and whoever the hell else can do it, refuse to write tickets to people double parked in bike lanes!!!! It is easy money that would go a long way toward improving transit times for bikes, cars, buses.... and yet, they all act like this is impossible. I wonder why in a time of budget shortage, the SFPD, the MTA and whoever the hell else can do it, refuse to write tickets to people double parked in bike lanes!!!! It is easy money that would go a long way toward improving transit times for bikes, cars, buses…. and yet, they all act like this is impossible.

]]> By: marcos http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/20/mta-to-get-greater-management-role-over-sfpds-traffic-company/comment-page-1/#comment-4859 marcos Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:22:26 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1980#comment-4859 Since the DPT IS currently under the MTA's control, and the DPT does not keep the streets clear for transit, how do you figure that insulating the Traffic Company from the City's most responsive policy makers, the Board of Supervisors, will get a recalcitrant SFPD and a disinterested MTA to do the job. It seems like we're rewarding failure several times over with this one, "hoping for the thing we wish to want." -marc Since the DPT IS currently under the MTA’s control, and the DPT does not keep the streets clear for transit, how do you figure that insulating the Traffic Company from the City’s most responsive policy makers, the Board of Supervisors, will get a recalcitrant SFPD and a disinterested MTA to do the job.

It seems like we’re rewarding failure several times over with this one, “hoping for the thing we wish to want.”

-marc

]]> By: Junior http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/20/mta-to-get-greater-management-role-over-sfpds-traffic-company/comment-page-1/#comment-4844 Junior Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:03:04 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1980#comment-4844 Shifting traffic management functions from the SFPD over to MTA (and its predecessors) has been a long battle over the past several decades. It sounds like we are almost there, with the Safe Path of Travel and late night enforcement duties now rightfully under MTA's jurisdiction. MTA can perform these functions with enthusiasm, and more efficiently (i.e. cheaper overtime). I believe the last holdout is construction parking permits, which will be the most difficult to pry from SFPD's paws because those permit$ are a real racket! Agreed, just because the traffic division is now under MTA's "control" does not mean we will see cops on buses or actual enforcement of transit lanes...but it might! Shifting traffic management functions from the SFPD over to MTA (and its predecessors) has been a long battle over the past several decades. It sounds like we are almost there, with the Safe Path of Travel and late night enforcement duties now rightfully under MTA’s jurisdiction. MTA can perform these functions with enthusiasm, and more efficiently (i.e. cheaper overtime). I believe the last holdout is construction parking permits, which will be the most difficult to pry from SFPD’s paws because those permit$ are a real racket!

Agreed, just because the traffic division is now under MTA’s “control” does not mean we will see cops on buses or actual enforcement of transit lanes…but it might!

]]> By: mikesonn http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/20/mta-to-get-greater-management-role-over-sfpds-traffic-company/comment-page-1/#comment-4843 mikesonn Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:49:06 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1980#comment-4843 Marc, He's not around enough to be recalled. Marc,

He’s not around enough to be recalled.

]]> By: marcos http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/20/mta-to-get-greater-management-role-over-sfpds-traffic-company/comment-page-1/#comment-4840 marcos Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:44:22 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1980#comment-4840 It really is time to recall Gavin Newsom. -marc It really is time to recall Gavin Newsom.

-marc

]]> By: Banjo K http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/20/mta-to-get-greater-management-role-over-sfpds-traffic-company/comment-page-1/#comment-4839 Banjo K Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:39:42 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1980#comment-4839 The more city government gets swallowed by MTA, the more I despair. The more city government gets swallowed by MTA, the more I despair.

]]> By: Josh http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/20/mta-to-get-greater-management-role-over-sfpds-traffic-company/comment-page-1/#comment-4838 Josh Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:09:46 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1980#comment-4838 "The changes would allow the Department of Parking and Traffic officers to conduct late-night parking enforcement, a function currently held by the SFPD." Well one good thing will come of this. I can't tell you how many times - after being on hold for 10 minutes - I'm asked by the SFPD what the make and model of the car parked on the sidewalk is. The answer: it doesn't matter, it's the one parked on the sidewalk! If there's another one, go ahead and ticket that one as well. The idea that we're now agreeing upon a way for 311 to charge for Muni-related calls is bad bad bad. I'm sorry, but you don't create a service like MoviePhone, then start charging movie theaters for the cost of providing that service. “The changes would allow the Department of Parking and Traffic officers to conduct late-night parking enforcement, a function currently held by the SFPD.”

Well one good thing will come of this. I can’t tell you how many times – after being on hold for 10 minutes – I’m asked by the SFPD what the make and model of the car parked on the sidewalk is. The answer: it doesn’t matter, it’s the one parked on the sidewalk! If there’s another one, go ahead and ticket that one as well.

The idea that we’re now agreeing upon a way for 311 to charge for Muni-related calls is bad bad bad. I’m sorry, but you don’t create a service like MoviePhone, then start charging movie theaters for the cost of providing that service.

]]> By: SfResident http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/20/mta-to-get-greater-management-role-over-sfpds-traffic-company/comment-page-1/#comment-4837 SfResident Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:36:45 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1980#comment-4837 It doesn't bother me that police are rarely seen on buses. What bothers me is 1) That the SFPD appears to be charging MTA for services NOT rendered and 2) That the SFPD does not quickly respond to incidents on buses. Neither of these issues will be solved by these actions. I agree with the poster above. Additionally, this seems to me like slight of hand to make the problem disappear on paper but not in substance. It seems to me that the fundamental issue is that money allocated to MUNI by the voters and the supervisors should go to MUNI operations, not basic SFPD operations, even if those SFPD operations are under the vague direction of Mr. Ford. And don't even get me started on the money-pit that is 311. It doesn’t bother me that police are rarely seen on buses. What bothers me is 1) That the SFPD appears to be charging MTA for services NOT rendered and 2) That the SFPD does not quickly respond to incidents on buses. Neither of these issues will be solved by these actions.

I agree with the poster above. Additionally, this seems to me like slight of hand to make the problem disappear on paper but not in substance. It seems to me that the fundamental issue is that money allocated to MUNI by the voters and the supervisors should go to MUNI operations, not basic SFPD operations, even if those SFPD operations are under the vague direction of Mr. Ford.

And don’t even get me started on the money-pit that is 311.

]]> By: rzu http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/20/mta-to-get-greater-management-role-over-sfpds-traffic-company/comment-page-1/#comment-4835 rzu Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:06:01 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1980#comment-4835 This doesn't sound like a great idea. Chief Parra already makes a good salary, paid for by the MTA. No doubt with greater responsability he will get a hefty pay raise. Why don't we let the police do the policing and the MTA work on running the buses? I'm also not such a fan of taking parking citation increases off the table. Why don't we increase the penalty for late payment of citations? You'd immediately see an increase in revenue through on-time payment of citations without the sticker shock that usually accompanies parking citation increases. This doesn’t sound like a great idea. Chief Parra already makes a good salary, paid for by the MTA. No doubt with greater responsability he will get a hefty pay raise. Why don’t we let the police do the policing and the MTA work on running the buses?
I’m also not such a fan of taking parking citation increases off the table. Why don’t we increase the penalty for late payment of citations? You’d immediately see an increase in revenue through on-time payment of citations without the sticker shock that usually accompanies parking citation increases.

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