Comments on: MTA Details Proposed Historic Cuts to Muni; 2011-2012 Deficit Even Worse

By: BUm

BUm — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:05:31 +0000

sm1 tell me how the problem started and whos fault is it?

By: Andy Chow

Andy Chow — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:43:20 +0000

The counties mentioned are mostly rural counties (most of Fresno County is rural). The main industries are agriculture, military bases, and prisons.

There are poor and senior folks living in these counties because of the low cost of living, and therefore access to hospitals and other services are essential (even though transit there only operate a few trips a week). Although most of us can’t even imagine living in those places since there’s little diversity and culture.

However it does highlight how stupid the “cut spending” mentality is.

By: josé

josé — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:48:00 +0000

as someone who owns a car in sf, but hardly ever uses it, i don’t see why the city can’t pass a serious vehicle registration fee. if it were over $1000 per year, i’d probably sell my car, but if it were less i’d probably just pay it.

and keep riding the bus.

By: mikesonn

mikesonn — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:01:06 +0000

Dan, I can see how those suburban communities use up tax dollars at a higher clip. All those 50′ roads, with the sewage/water piping, police patrols, school buses, etc etc aren’t cheap to build or maintain. And when you add in the fact that density is so low, the amount of of actual taxpayers per mile of all that crap is extremely low. Soon enough they won’t be able to drive the pick-up 4 miles for a gallon of milk and they’ll be crying for gov’t subsidies. The American “dream” won’t go softly into the good night.

By: Dan Volski

Dan Volski — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:57:03 +0000

This is a wrong channel for express anger over MUNI cuts. While the City carries part of the blame of the mess the MUNI is in, it was Sacramento that cut our funds w/o much of a notice or justification. Thus, Sacramento is the right venue for this discussion. San Francisco is, after all, in the tree top contributors of tax dollars in our state, which all seem to go disproportionally to counties like Fresno with per-capita spending 5 times as high.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-02-06/news/17189630_1_rural-counties-fresno-county-district

And to add insult to injury visit fresno.teapartynexus.com.

By: mikesonn

mikesonn — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:10:13 +0000

Just wait til they cut off their arm with the central subway. I know people hate it when I bring up the CS during operating cost discussions, but I have seen NO evidence that they are going to be able to afford adding that thing and not have it sink MUNI. The only way it won’t sink MUNI is if MUNI is already at the bottom and couldn’t go lower. Maybe turn the CS tunnel into an underground bike/ped path.

By: chobakasan

chobakasan — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:06:32 +0000

For a city (and a mayor) who wants to be perceived to be ‘green’; SF Muni is embarrassing. Poor service record; occasionally on time; and always more expensive. At this point, it seems as though SF needs to do some serious money adjustments. Perhaps with some of Muni’s upper management. Or better yet; a sales tax on gasoline (citywide); or a business tax areawise. There has got to be long term solutions, b/c this band aid treatment is starting to hemorrhage.

By: MO PEACE

MO PEACE — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:30:54 +0000

Muni really burns me. I feel myself getting red each time I come into a terminal the buses are notoriously late and I am continuously being let off or dropped off in the rain or the cold of the night to walk home which is not that close by the way..All the money they have spent on wages security gadgets that beep, screens that are unreadable and we never have asked for anything more than a few m0ore buses and the buses they have to be on time uncrowded and enough seats for seniors and the disabled. which by the way is not the case, the youth take seats and look down and or away instead of engaging and asking if ” would you like a seat?’ they just plug in and tune out….

By: mikesonn

mikesonn — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:55:06 +0000

Horray to empty streets!

By: taomom

taomom — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:29:32 +0000

I guess if we emptied San Francisco out of people altogether, Muni would work great!

By: mikesonn

mikesonn — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:06:59 +0000

On that same note, the less muni picks up the more people drive so the slower it goes.

By: taomom

taomom — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:20:17 +0000

To be sure, some of the Muni stop spacing is absolutely ridiculous. On some stretches there are stops every block, and I can think of at least one location where there are two stops on one block. Having traffic lights give Muni precedence (especially on the T and N between the Embarcadero and the train station) would also be a very good idea that wouldn’t take much technology or effort. But to be somewhat fair to Muni, private cars in San Francisco don’t average much more than 12 mph. And the more successful Muni is–the more passengers it picks up–the slower it goes, especially the buses.

By: mikesonn

mikesonn — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:18:52 +0000

Spokker, it isn’t much of a stretch to see class warfare in nearly everything coming from the MTC. The rich suburbs rule over the poorer/dense urban centers. BART to San Jose? BART extentions while station infill would help lower income neighborhoods in Oakland and the Mission.

Yes, all infrastructure is lacking at the moment, but to systematically destroy our public transportation without regard to other funding options (i.e. parking meter increases and hour extensions) is pretty close to criminal.

By: Spokker

Spokker — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:55:26 +0000

Class warfare? Haha, you do know that the freeways are crumbling too, right? You do know that few freeways have actually been built in the last couple of decades? You do understand that your ride on Muni is heavily subsidized, a justified subsidy, but a subsidy nonetheless, just like highways?

Maybe the transit problems in the state are based on incompetence or lack of foresight, but class warfare? Hahaha. Bullshit.

By: Spokker

Spokker — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:52:01 +0000

“Read about the 1955-56 Montgomery Bus Boycott. If African Americans in Alabama can boycott the buses for over a year to protest segregation, why can’t we organize to protest the class warfare the mayor is waging against Muni riders?”

Are you really comparing the Montgomery Bus Boycotts to shitty service on Muni that was spurred by cuts at the state level? Holy crap.

By: Eric Fischer

Eric Fischer — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:22:09 +0000

About the street speed of Muni: it's not just since the 1960s. The 1913 Report on the Improvement and Development of Transportation Facilities goes on about how the average transit speed downtown is just 4.4 miles per hour and even out on the fringes is 11.3 miles per hour, and that the only way it can go faster is to increase the spacing between stops. Probably in another 100 years reports will still be saying the same thing. The interesting twist is that in 1913 the speed limit laws allowed higher speeds for transit vehicles than for other vehicles. Transit could legally go 10 mph downtown, 12 mph beyond Larkin or Division, and 15 mph beyond Divisadero, Castro, or 18th, while cars were limited to 8 mph downtown or 12 mph elsewhere.

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:36:34 +0000

One of the greatest characteristics of San Francisco is the community and its foundation is set on the people’s ability to stay connected. They stay connected by public transit. I hope that the decision makers involved realize that this drastic decline in service fundamentally begins to dissolve the San Francisco community, possibly driving them away. Without community San Francisco becomes just another empty shell of a city with no real reason to attract potential citizens, businesses, etc.

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:27:10 +0000

I have discovered a mode of transportation that:
- takes me door-to-door wherever I want to go
- is always available to me whenever I want
- is now safer, than taking MUNI or BART
- and it is immune to ‘service cuts’, ‘fare increases’ and bad decisions

It’s my bike. And I use it everyday, rain or shine because I can count on it.

By: the greasybear

the greasybear — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:28:56 +0000

What about a lawsuit? Can we sue for an EIR on these draconian proposals that, if passed, are certain to dump thousands of former transit riders into taxis, bicycles, scooters, motorcycles and private automobiles?

In any case, the political battle must be explosive–and effective. Local and state politicians must be put on notice: preside over the death of San Francisco’s public transit system, and lose not just your job but also your career. An organized Muni Majority must be willing and able to burn down the entire system and rebuild it from scratch if necessary. The very essence of this city is at stake.

San Francisco is, with these proposals, perilously close to a tipping point. “Transit first” is a political lie, but there’s no doubt when most residents ride the bus and train, most residents have a vested interest in supporting and growing the system. If these cuts tank ridership enough, there won’t be a vested electoral majority to protect Muni from total, permanent decline. We’re right on the edge.

By: Russell Stevens

Russell Stevens — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:03:46 +0000

Muni has been having this problem since the 60s. It never ran on time. It never will run on time. Live with it.