Mayor Lee on SFGov TV during question and answer time yesterday.

The future CEO and executive director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) should be a visionary who can focus on implementing a labor agreement with transit operators, improve Muni reliability, make more taxis available, focus on pedestrian safety and expand bike facilities, Mayor Ed Lee told the Board of Supervisors yesterday.

“There is not just one person that can lead the MTA. It’s got to be a very dedicated team. I also want to make sure that the person exhibits a high level of collaboration,” Lee said during question and answer time. He was responding to a question from District 4 Supervisor Carmen Chu.

Lee’s mention of Muni centered around meeting on-time performance, a feat that has seemed impossible since San Francisco voters first passed the 85 percent on-time mandate in 1999. He mentioned the labor agreement first and reliability and on-time performance second.

“Even the on-time performance is not just Muni alone. There are so many other entities that affect the streets,” he said. “We also want to make sure that someone has the ability and the willingness to…build relationships with everybody and strong relationships with its own workforce.”

This week, SFMTA Chair Tom Nolan, who has said that he would prefer someone local, began sifting through the resumes of more than 30 people who have applied for the job since the agency begin accepting applications three weeks ago. Ed Reiskin, the head of the Department of Public Works, is seen as the inside favorite, but sources told Streetsblog that Transportation Authority Executive Director José Luis Moscovich, SFMTA Transit Director John Haley and Acting SFMTA Chief Debra Johnson have also applied for the job.

The SFMTA Board is charged with naming the head of the agency, but no doubt the Mayor will exercise significant influence. Nolan told Streetsblog that directors have given him the authority to narrow the list of candidates, and he expects that up to four top picks will be interviewed in closed session at the board’s regular meeting Tuesday. However, Nolan said directors will not vote on a candidate at that time, but would aim to have someone in place by September 1.

“We have to do some kind of background checks on people, especially if we don’t know the person, and also references. And then there’s the matter of negotiations. We might pick someone who we think is just wonderful and that person might have a different idea of what the compensation should be,” said Nolan, who predicted the salary “won’t be cheap,” and should be comparable to what transit directors are making at other agencies.

SFDPW Chief Ed Reiskin is seen as the inside favorite to head the SFMTA. Photo: San Francisco Water

Former CEO Nat Ford, who was asked to leave the agency July 1 after a five-year stint, was among the city’s highest-paid employees, earning more than $300,000 a year. He was given a $384,000 severance package, which was blasted  as a golden parachute by several critics, including State Senator and mayoral candidate Leland Yee.

The speedy process of picking Ford’s replacement has drawn scrutiny from Supervisor John Avalos, who feels things are moving too quickly. In an interview with Streetsblog, Avalos said there should be a more robust public discussion about what kind of person “we want to see in there.” He thinks Reiskin is a “great public servant” but that other candidates should be given serious consideration.

“I don’t just want him to be considered as the heir apparent. I think there should be a process and it should be a thorough process and one that is at the national level,” Avalos said. “I’m not sure we’re giving it enough time to make that happen.”

Nolan said he is consulting with several transit advocates and community groups, and has asked for feedback from a broad spectrum of people, including Avalos and his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors.

“We’ve invited all kinds of stakeholders to tell us what they think. We’ve sent out a fairly elaborate questionnaire to all MTA employees, to a number of the interest groups,” including the San Francisco Bike Coalition, Walk SF, disabled and senior groups, and others, said Nolan. There’s also an online “employee and stakeholder survey.”

District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener said given the uncertainty at the SFMTA, it was better that the board make a decision as soon as possible.

“I’m not saying rush at the expense of having the best candidate you can have, but I think there are a number of very good candidates that have surfaced and in my view the sooner the better,” he said.

A staffer for State Senator Leland Yee presents signatures to the SFMTA Board opposing Nat Ford's severance package.

In a unanimous vote, the SFMTA Board of Directors this afternoon approved a $384,000 severance package for outgoing Executive Director/CEO Nat Ford, and announced that the agency will accept applications for the top job until July 1, when he is scheduled to depart.

The vote came without any discussion among board members. The only person to testify against the payout was a staffer for State Senator and mayoral candidate Leland Yee, who said he was presenting 1,200 signatures to the board from San Francisco voters opposing what the campaign has been calling a golden parachute.

Yee showed up at City Hall after the meeting to tell reporters he was disappointed with the vote.

“This is not really about Nat Ford. It’s about the MTA commission,” Yee said. “The fact that they arranged this particular deal whereby someone who is now going to get this humongous amount of money, and at the same time, we’re looking at not enough money to provide for the basic services for many riders throughout San Francisco. It’s rather disheartening.”

Yee has been claiming that with $384,000 “the entire city of San Francisco could park free of charge for 3 days. Or MUNI could be entirely free for a whole day. Or we could stripe 7 miles of new bike lanes.”

Yee’s figures might resonate with some voters, but they don’t exactly add up. Considering Muni has 700,000 daily boardings, $384,000 would not cover a free day of Muni, nor would it cover 3 days of free parking considering the SFMTA generates about $200 million in annual parking revenue.

Numbers aside, Yee’s press releases mention free parking before free transit, a troubling sign that he thinks good public relations is pandering to drivers, despite the city’s Transit First policy. Yee has also voted with state legislators to cut funding for Muni, and other Bay Area transit agencies.

Deputy Director Carter Rohan Resigns

Carter Rohan at Transportation Camp, sponsored by Streetsblog's parent non-profit, OpenPlans. Photo: transportation camp

The agency was caught by surprise this morning when Carter Rohan, the deputy director, announced his resignation. Carter had been seen as a possible replacement for Ford, and has been at the agency for 5 and a half years.

In an interview with Streetsblog, Rohan said he made the decision with his wife over the weekend, and was officially leaving for “personal reasons.” It apparently had nothing to do with the rumor that Ed Reiskin, the head of the San Francisco Department of Public Works, has emerged as the favorite to replace Ford.

Despite the recent turmoil at the top, Rohan said he believed SFMTA staff was enduring the changes well, and that morale was not down because of the uncertainty.

“We’ve got some of the best professionals in the industry in this agency,” Rohan said. “It’s mired with political connections and problems, and being a city department, and not an authority like most agencies around the U.S., but it survives and it survives because of the people.”

Rohan will remain with the agency as interim executive director until July 22.

Call for Applications

After today’s meeting, SFMTA Board Chair Tom Nolan announced the agency would open up the applications process, and consider candidates from outside San Francisco, even though a number of board members continued to indicate it should be a San Franciscan.

“Personally, I would hope to see someone who is wedded to the city. Someone who believes in the city, and for whom the city is sentimental,” Director Joél Ramos told Streetsblog. “We’re a visionary city. We’ve got visionary people here and I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”

“Two of the things I’m looking for are someone who can be a good day to day manager and at the same time inspire the core of our agency, which is of course our workforce,” said Director Malcolm Heinicke.

Nolan said the agency was not considering hiring a firm to conduct a nationwide search. He said the board would hold a special meeting July 19th to tackle hiring a replacement, and that he would appoint a subcommittee to hash out a contract with the new director, something he believed was required by the city charter.

Ford is one of the city’s highest paid employees. His salary this year, after a small pay cut, was $315,000. As the Bay Citizen pointed out, the city was not required to pay Ford a severance, but the directors opted to to avoid a potential lawsuit and because “he’s done a very good job under extremely difficult circumstances.”

Nolan was asked today what the salary should be for the next SFMTA chief.

“The job deserves a really good salary because it’s a 24/7 thing, for sure,” Nolan told reporters. “Even when Nat was out of town, he was texting all the time, and emailing and was never very far away. It really is that kind of job where you’re called in the middle of the night, you know, if there’s an accident or something happens, and you need to pay for the right person to do that.”

If the board does not name a permanent replacement by the time Rohan leaves, Nolan said SFMTA Sustainable Streets Director Bond Yee, or SFMTA Director of Administration Debra Johnson would step into the role on a temporary basis.

“It behooves us to act as quickly and responsibly as we can to fill it,” Nolan said.

SFMTA Chief Nat Ford in his office at 1 South Van Ness. Photo: Bryan Goebel

After months of insisting that he is focused on San Francisco and the SFMTA, Muni Chief Nat Ford has reached an agreement with the agency’s Board of Directors to leave at the end of the month, Streetsblog has confirmed.

The story was first reported by Rachel Gordon in the San Francisco Chronicle this afternoon. According to Gordon:

Ford’s negotiated severance package amounts to $384,000. That’s one year of his base salary of $308,837 – the highest in the city – plus deferred compensation, a payout for unused vacation time and three extra months of health benefits for Ford and his family.

The SFMTA Board met with Ford several times over the last few months behind closed doors. Ford told the Chronicle that he is looking for a “smooth transition.”

Ed Reiskin, the head of the San Francisco Department of Public Works, is widely rumored to be the favorite to replace Ford. If no one is named by the board by the end of this month, Carter Rohan, the agency’s deputy director, will step into the role.

According to Gordon, Ford does not have a new job lined up.

Update: Here’s the letter [pdf] from SFTMA Board Chair Tom Nolan announcing Ford’s departure.

Updated: 6pm.

Photo: Bryan Goebel

Now that it appears unlikely SFMTA Executive Director/CEO Nat Ford is headed to D.C., the focus turns to whether the veteran transit professional can keep his job in San Francisco. While no one we spoke to at City Hall was willing to publicly talk about whether Ford should stay or go, there is a growing concern that he has lost credibility.

“You can’t help asking yourself, ‘does Nat want to be in San Francisco?’ And because of his actions of wanting to move on to somewhere else does San Francisco want Nat?” Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi remarked.

The decision will ultimately be up to the SFMTA Board of Directors, which has the power to hire and fire the executive director. Chair Tom Nolan told the Chronicle that buying out Ford’s contract, at a cost of $390,000, was “in the range of logical possibilities” but so is “maintaining the status quo.”

However, Mirkarimi, the chair of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) Board, said “they can’t pretend that everything is okay just because Nat didn’t get the job in Washington.”

“The bell has already been rung. The question is what do you do about that, and is there an honest relationship that can be brokered either temporarily or for a structured period of time that makes it very clear what we want within that time frame, or that framework,” said Mirkarimi.

Supervisor Scott Wiener said it was an especially critical time for the SFMTA, considering the agency is currently in the midst of collective bargaining and reforming work rules for Muni operators.

“I like and respect Nat Ford but it’s also very important that we have an executive director of the MTA who is completely focused on the agency, and who wants the job. And it seems like Mr. Ford is looking elsewhere and we need a complete focus on MTA,” Wiener told Streetsblog.

Mirkarimi also raised concerns about the pay history of SFMTA executive directors “who are always looking for the next best thing.” Ford, the highest paid city employee, currently earns a $309,000 annual salary, and his five years at the SFMTA seems to be the industry’s average for transit executives.

“That’s a self perpetuating cycle by the transit directors themselves and by the industry that supports the rotation of these transit directors so that they keep earning more money each time they relocate, and there is no end in sight,” said Mirkarimi. “The theory behind this is in order to get someone that’s competitive and comprable to the industry standard we have to spend $50,000 more each time we get a new director. Pretty soon we’re gonna be at $400,000 for a new director. I find that absurd.”

The SFMTA Board has a closed-door meeting scheduled for Tuesday to talk about Ford, who has not returned our phone calls. Mayor Ed Lee told the Chronicle he would support whatever the board decides.

SFDPW Director Ed Reiskin has emerged as one of the top potential candidates to replace Ford should the board choose to buy out Ford’s contract. SFMTA Deputy Executive Director Carter Rohan has also been mentioned.

SFMTA Director Cheryl Brinkman has been impressed with the way Ford has handled the situation, noting that she thought he did a great job this week and last representing San Francisco at the American Public Transportation Association legislative conference in Washington D.C. However, she said the board must do what’s in the best interest of the SFMTA and the city.

“For me, and I would imagine for the rest of the board, we have to consider all the possibilities,” Brinkman said.

Nat Ford in his office at 1 South Van Ness. Photo: Bryan Goebel

Ford, who is in Washington for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) legislative conference, told Streetsblog last month that he was recruited by the MWAA, citing his “national reputation” as a transit executive. Rumors about Ford’s potential departure have been circulating for years, though.

An MWAA spokesperson said the board of directors is scheduled to meet for three hours tomorrow, and if there’s a decision it would be announced in the afternoon.

According to the San Francisco Examiner, Ford is in D.C. with SFMTA Board Chair Tom Nolan, who has confirmed that closed-door meetings have been held about a possible replacement. Among the names circulating is SFDPW Chief Ed Reiskin and SFMTA Deputy Executive Director Carter Rohan.

But what if Ford doesn’t get the job? Does he have the political support to stick around, or will there be an effort to boot him?

Stay tuned.

Nat Ford testifying before the Board of Supervisors last year. Photo: Bryan Goebel

SFMTA Chief Nat Ford told Streetsblog today that heading up the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is actually the first job that he’s been interested in taking, despite steady rumors that he’s been applying for a number of positions over the years.

“I am not seeking to leave the MTA. I was approached by the Metropolitan Airports Authority. They sought me out. So, it’s never been the case in any of these cases of me actually seeking a job,” said Ford, who we caught while he was attending the Chinatown Community Development Center’s Lunar New Year luncheon today.

He went on: “I have a national reputation and from time to time people seek me out for positions and it’s been pretty much consistent that I’ve turned them down for the most part. However, this is one that did get my interest.”

Ford, in his first public comments about the possible new gig, said he needed to do what was in the best interests of his career and his family. “From a career standpoint and from a personal standpoint, this was something that was worth my attention.”

Meantime, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, who was also at the CCDC event, said he is very concerned about the situation.

“Many of us are concerned about the long-term and short-term management of the MTA and if he is interviewing in lots of places we hope that gets resolved quickly because we need someone at the helm who will be focused on the huge challenges facing the MTA right now.”

According to reports, MWAA officials are expected to make a decision by next week.

Myleen Hollero/Orange Photography

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, in an interview with Streetsblog this week, pledged to make the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP) implementation his number one Muni priority. That’ll be no easy task, however. More than three years after the SFMTA Board unanimously approved a plan to give Muni its first major revamp in 20 years, the TEP — at a cost of over $3 million so far — remains just another plan collecting dust.

SFMTA staffers who worked on the TEP examined what’s wrong with Muni and what needs to be done to turn it into a more efficient transit system. It was adopted after an ambitious process of gathering ridership data and community input and considered best practices at other transit agencies.

The goals to dramatically improve service and reliability focus on Muni’s busiest corridors. Recommendations include establishing networks of faster routes, restructuring routes and expanding limited-stop service, among other improvements, to shave delays and increase speed. So far, though, it’s only been used to inform the process for making service cuts and restorations.

The two major obstacles to quick implementation are California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review and a detailed funding strategy. Add political will as the third. If Mayor Lee is serious about implementing the TEP, he will have to direct the SFMTA and other city departments to move immediately to expedite the process, including major environmental analysis.

“He needs to tell the SFMTA executive director (Nat Ford) to implement the TEP immediately and that he will take the heat for any public push back on its elements,” said transit advocate Dave Snyder, who is also a member of the Golden Gate Bridge District Board of Directors.

Ford, who is now looking to leave the agency, has a record of moving slowly on bold actions unless he is directed to do so by the Mayor’s Office. Some transit advocates said the SFMTA Board of Directors and the Board of Supervisors should also step up to the plate, and put pressure on the agency.

So far, the SFMTA — which is still internally debating what parts of the TEP it wants to move forward on — hasn’t submitted it to the Planning Department for environmental review. Sources say the city is nervous and wants to take a careful route in light of the bicycle injunction fiasco but the time frame being talked about inside the agency for environmental review is two years. That’s quite a delay for hundreds of thousands of Muni riders desperate to see the transit agency turned around.

“I think it’s an utter failure of our administrators at the SFMTA and at the Planning Department who do the environmental analysis that it takes so long,” said Snyder. “It’s not what CEQA was meant to do, which is subject transit improvements to two years of delay.”

The SFMTA has been distracted by budget woes, but as Livable City’s Tom Radulovich points out, the TEP will ultimately help pull the agency out of the red.

“One of the only ways to get out of their operating budget hole is to make their service faster and more reliable, and the TEP is the way to do that. So, the TEP is actually essential to their operating budget rather than cutting and cutting and cutting,” said Radulovich.

Image: SFMTA

Last week, SFMTA Transit Director John Haley gave this Power Point presentation [pdf] to the SFMTA Board of Directors but it offered no real update on where the TEP stands and when we could actually see implementation. Asked for an official response, SFMTA spokesperson Paul Rose sent the following statement:

We remain committed to our objective to implement the TEP and develop a roadmap that will transform Muni service and better meet customer demand. The findings proved that the 15 busiest corridors account for 75 percent of Muni boardings and the vast majority of our customers would benefit from shifting resources from very low ridership routes to the most crowded routes. Going forward, we will continue to work on reliability initiatives; review existing stop spacing and all door boarding; continue to implement environmental analysis; and develop detailed design of travel time improvements and other needed capital improvements.

Mayor Lee himself expressed frustration in our interview that it “takes such a long time to make these improvements,” but he agreed that TEP has to be “implemented all the way.” How soon before the Mayor can force the SFMTA to act remains an open question, but one that can’t wait any longer.

Mayor Ed Lee sat down with Streetsblog this morning. Photo: Christine Falvey

In a wide ranging interview with Streetsblog this morning, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said he is frustrated by how long it takes to implement ideas to improve transit and pedestrian safety, and pledged to make the implementation of the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP) the top Muni priority in his administration.

“The Transit Effectiveness plan and program has to be implemented all the way. There are some fantastic ideas that have been presented, some great policy reflective of the TEP. I would like those things aggressively implemented,” said Lee, who was appointed last month to fill out the remaining term of former Mayor Gavin Newsom, who is now lieutenant governor.

Lee said he is working closely with the SFMTA on several policies to better the transit system and improve conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists (we’ll have more on that part of our interview in the coming week).

“I also think that they have to quickly come up with financial schemes that would get their revenues up and make sure they’re not losing any money,” he said.

He said his comments last month that “our modern transportation system is an embarrassment” had more to do with the fact that “we haven’t really used technology to our best effort.”

“When I take the trains in Hong Kong they’re so efficient and you have the octopus card over there that you can buy things with but they take you on all the modes, including the ferry, and we haven’t gotten there yet,” he said.

“We actually have to implement these things faster just to catch up, and that’s where my frustration is. It takes such a long time to get these improvements done, and then we’re faced with things like CEQA. While we have to respect the environment, and conditions there, I just wish things could move faster, and certainly when it comes to pedestrian safety, I can’t move fast enough.”

The Mayor pointed out that speeding up Muni’s average speed from 8 miles an hour to 10 could save the agency $40 million a year. So I asked him the following question from Streetsblog reader James Figone about bus stop optimization:

If the SFMTA wanted to consolidate bus stops — and they’re now calling it optimization — would you provide the political support to make this easy, low-cost service improvement possible?

His response: “Certainly, I mean it’s so practical. Optimizing is a great word because you can just have a level of more candid discussions with people about what makes sense. I think everybody would like Muni to operate on time, to operate well, and if this gets us there, which I believe it would, I would put full backing into it, and as you know, I’m not running for any office and I want to make the city work better and if optimization is there and it works better I’m all for it.”

When asked about the possible departure of SFMTA Chief Nat Ford, Lee said that it’s routine for all departments to have solid succession plans in place, including the SFMTA, and would be prepared “in case there is an offer that is made, in case Mr. Ford wants to act on it.” He said he has been in touch with members of the SFMTA Board about the situation.

Meantime, Lee said he has not decided whether to reappoint SFMTA Board members Cameron Beach and Jerry Lee, whose terms expire next month, and is currently reviewing their credentials.

“I think they’ve been at the helm of good policy and so I want to make sure we move forward on everything. Whether that means us changing out or not I can’t say at this time but I’ll definitely be talking with each of them,” he said.

In our half-hour interview, Lee touched on parking, the SFBC’s Connecting the City vision, implementing an executive directive on pedestrian safety and many other issues. We’ll be posting the interview in its entirety tomorrow, along with more in-depth coverage of the issues we talked about.

Nat Ford in his office at 1 South Van Ness. Photo: Bryan Goebel

Rumors about whether SFMTA Chief Nat Ford plans to depart the agency have been circulating for years now.  In interviews with Streetsblog, Ford has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to leave the SFMTA, telling us in our most recent meeting last September that he is confident about the future the agency is charting “and I’d like to be here for that future.” The latest gossip about Ford, however, is more than just a rumor.

As the Chronicle’s Rachel Gordon first reported locally, Ford appears to be the top candidate to head up the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA). Although he lacks a background in aviation, the new role would have him overseeing the Metrorail extension to Dulles International Airport, among other top duties. There is some disagreement, though, among MWAA board members about whether Ford is the best candidate for the job.

SFMTA Board Chair Tom Nolan told Streetsblog that he met with the Mayor Ed Lee yesterday to talk about Ford’s possible departure. He said he’s been aware for “the last few months” that Ford was interested in the position. So why does he want to leave?

“I think it’s an extremely difficult job,” Nolan said. “But I think it’s really simpler than that. My understanding is that the average tenure of these CEOs in transit districts is about five years and it’s five years for him. I think that’s really basically it.”

He added: “The Mayor is very anxious, as am I, to let people know that we’ll be on top of things and that people won’t suffer because of any uncertainty or the possible departure of Mr. Ford.”

Sources told Streetsblog that the Mayor’s Office and some City Hall insiders began compiling a list of potential candidates to replace Ford when rumors about his impending departure began intensifying last year. It’s ultimately up to the SFMTA Board of Directors to name the agency’s CEO, but the Mayor is a major influence.

Ford, a veteran public transportation manager, marked his five-year anniversary with the SFMTA last month. He began his career as a train conductor nearly 30 years ago at New York’s MTA before moving on to a number of managerial positions. He was an assistant chief transportation officer at BART before being named to oversee Atlanta’s public transit system.

Transit advocates have sometimes criticized Ford for not taking more aggressive and bold action to make San Francisco a true Transit First city. In his recent State of the SFMTA report to the board of directors, Ford cited a long list of accomplishments achieved under his leadership.

SFMTA Chief Nat Ford presented his “State of the SFMTA” [pdf] report to the board of directors at a special workshop today, a mostly glowing assessment of the past few years but one that acknowledged the pains of its funding crises and the many challenges the agency faces as it looks to the future.

It was also the beginning of a process to update the SFMTA’s strategic plan and set a framework that will guide its sustainable transportation policies and goals.

“We are working hard to shift from planning for cars to planning for people,” said Ford, reading from prepared remarks. “Like the FDA’s food pyramid, too many carbs are not good for you. And so it is true for the mobility pyramid. Too many cars are not good for our city.”

Ford pointed out that San Franciscans account for the majority of auto trips being made, particularly within the northeast part of the city, but that overall vehicle miles traveled is down because of the economy.

A slide of the SFMTA’s mobility pyramid was displayed to the board which showed that the city would need to liberate itself from the private automobile, converting a vast majority of trips to walking and bicycling followed by transit, rideshare and car sharing. The pyramid was prepared by the SFMTA’s Deputy Director of Planning Timothy Papandreou.

“As it relates to a sustainable mobility goal, we need to advance from a 65 percent auto, 15 percent transit, 20 percent pedestrian/bicycle mode split to a 30 percent auto, 30 percent transit and 40 percent pedestrian/bicycle mode split to help with congestion and create a greener, healthier San Francisco, ” said Ford.

He said land use and infrastructure alone would not meet the goals by 2030, and a concerted effort would need to be made related to “parking, road pricing and other measures.”

The sustainable pyramid did not include private autos, which provoked skeptical responses from some directors, who called the goal of walking and biking as the dominant modes “unrealistic.” The remarks were prompted by a question from Bonnie Nelson of Nelson/Nygaard, who was moderating the workshop.

“Everything in the strategic plan derives from this vision,” said Nelson, referring to the mobility pyramid. “Is this the vision that you share for San Francisco, or are there things that you feel need to be thought about more carefully as the staff begins developing their more detailed goals in the strategic plan?”

Referring to the omission of private autos, Chair Tom Nolan remarked: “I’m not sure this would be widely supported in the city of San Francisco. You remember all the struggles we’ve had with the whole issue of trying to extend parking to the evening hours. That’s a very strong voice that was heard. People are going to continue to take their cars.”

“I share that view,” Director Malcolm Heinicke chimed in. “I think the notion that most trips in San Francisco are going to be taken by walk or bike is certainly aspirational if not super aspirational.”

“We want to be aspirational but not delusional,” Nelson responded to a chorus of laughter.

“Now that’s the humorous point,” Heinicke went on. “Now I consider myself a pretty, you know, relatively transit first person, but we have to use our car. I mean, my wife can’t get our infant to the pediatrician by transferring on three bus lines.”

Heinicke said “motorists have rights too and we are the agency that oversees parking, traffic regulation and motorists and I am not only concerned that a vision like this is unrealistic but that it also sends a message of hostility and indifference to motorists.”

Director Bruce Oka said he mostly agreed with Heinicke but believed driving is not a right.

“You really don’t need to drive if you live in a city. Our transit system would get you almost anywhere you need to go,” said Oka. “If we all learn, hey, I’m going to take my car maybe twice a week instead of four times a week. That helps, okay, and I don’t see enough of that happening.”

SFMTA Board member Cheryl Brinkman gives input on the strategic plan. From left are Bonnie Nelson, Nat Ford, Cameron Beach and Brinkman. Timothy Papandreou in the background. Photo: Bryan Goebel.

Cheryl Brinkman, a transit advocate who is a new member of the SFMTA Board, said she would like to see the transit block on the pyramid a little bigger.

“I like the sustainable transportation urban pyramid. I do agree that private autos are always going to have a little place at the top there,” said Brinkman. “I don’t think that cars are necessarily the most amazing and best choice for transportation. It’s just that we’ve conspired for 50 years to make them that.”

Brinkman said the goal would be not to make driving the convenient choice and that the strategic plan was a great opportunity to help make a shift to walking and bicycling. She noted that she is seeing a dramatic mode shift among families who are using bicycles to get their kids to school.

“If we have physically separated bike space for families and for children they’re going to be out there using it. I mean, Sunday Streets is a great example. We provide the space and boom, they’re out there.”

Although the goals will likely be revised based on the directors feedback, the SFMTA is encouraging the public to provide its own feedback by going to the agency’s website and taking a survey and outlining priorities. The SFMTA will begin to finalize the plan in the coming months.

Today’s state of the SFMTA report coincided with Nat Ford’s annual performance review, which the board discussed in closed session. Ford, the city’s highest paid employee, agreed to give back some of his salary last year and a raise is not currently being considered. There are also reports that he is also being wooed for the top transit job in Washington D.C.

The interior of one of the damaged LRVs that will be rebuilt.

The SFMTA Board last week approved a $32 million, six-year contract (PDF) with AnseldoBreda to repair and rebuild seven damaged light-rail vehicles, including four LRVs described as “piles of rubble.” At least one board director, however, Malcolm Heinicke, wanted to know if the agency would be better off buying new LRVs, instead of spending all that money to repair damaged cars.

“The additional thing that concerns me about this is six years. That’s six years or up to six years with seven of our…LRVs that it could take to repair versus buying them new. I realize you don’t just go down to Cal Worthington’s LRV lot and drive seven home,” said Heinicke.

Carter Rohan, the director of SFMTA’s capital program and construction projects, responded by saying a new LRV might cost about $4 million, but only if it were part of a bigger deal. Minneapolis, he pointed out, recently approved a $153 million contract with Siemens to build 41 LRVs at its light-rail manufacturing plant in Sacramento. SFMTA Chief Nat Ford said purchasing only seven LRVs wouldn’t make much sense, and might even cost more and take longer, considering the RFP process, the design and the engineering.

“You really don’t get the economies of scales on these rail cars until you get to the 40, 50 and above number. So, we’re in a very difficult situation here as it relates to these seven cars,” said Ford, who added that he also wanted to make sure the agency had enough vehicles in time for the 2018 opening of the Central Subway.

The LRVs sent in for restoration include two vehicles involved in last year’s West Portal crash that injured dozens of passengers, one damaged in a June 15, 2008 collision at 4th and King streets than sent 12 people to the hospital, an M-line LRV involved in a crash with a garbage truck on April 20, 2006, two LRVs that collided on the M-line on June 3, 2004, a J train involved in a September 23, 2003 crash, and two LRVs that collided at St. Francis Circle in 2002.

Rohan said three of the LRVs will be repaired for $2 million each and should return to service “within 20 months.” The remaining four vehicles could take up to six years to rebuild. At least two of them will get new propulsion systems.

“The main reason is the propulsion system in the old generation of cars is no longer made. Parts are no longer available. That makes it extremely difficult to restore something and put it back when you know that a product is no longer in line or being tooled out,” said Rohan.

Added Director Cameron Beach: “These seven cars have to still be able to couple and train-line with the existing fleet. You couldn’t do that with new cars at any kind of an economical spot. As you know, I’ve always opposed sole-source contracts. In this case, I think this is the best way to go with this.”

The board later approved the contract in a unanimous vote. Since the contract is over $10 million, it will require further approval by the Board of Supervisors and the Civil Service Commission.

Last year, the SFMTA Board approved another contract with Breda to upgrade 143 LRVs at its Pittsburg facility in the East Bay.  Ford said at any given time eight to ten LRVs are out of service getting their doors, steps, couplers and other components overhauled. One year ago, the agency also approved $217,000 in funding to repair two other damaged LRVs.

“We’re also not rebuilding in-kind. We’re going to take this as an opportunity to look at new technologies for the next fleet of vehicles for this system. There’s also that piece of this program, which is to look at what the new design is in terms of piloting these cars for the future,” said Ford.

Muni’s current fleet of 151 LRVs has a life span that doesn’t end until 2020, which means the agency cannot use state or federal money to purchase new cars until then. Muni has had a troubled history with Breda, whose cars were too heavy and too wide for the system.  Advocates like Tom Radulovich of Livable City have been encouraging the SFMTA for years to consider what its next fleet might look like.

“It’s our understanding that these Breda cars may not be good through 2020. At the rate that they are aging and breaking down, we could need to replace them sooner,” said Radulovich. “I think that makes it all the more urgent to be thinking about what the next generation of rail cars look like.”

Photo: Myleen Holero/Orange Photography

The California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) this afternoon denied a request from the Muni operators union seeking an injunction blocking service restorations that went into effect Saturday. The decision came just hours after SFMTA Chief Nat Ford told the agency’s board of directors the restorations have been a success.

“We are proud to say that we were able to make 99 percent of all the scheduled pullouts for transit services that were scheduled. And I say 99 percent but it was closer to 99.9 percent in terms of service restoration,” said Ford, who credited Muni operators and noted that a majority showed up for work despite the looming threat of a sickout.

“It’s made a significant impact in terms of service quality that our riders so desperately need,” he said.

The agency has now been able to restore about 61 percent of the service it cut in May after identifying about $15 million in funding sources and operational savings. It includes a 10 percent restoration the SFMTA Board voted on in July. Ford announced today that a task force charged with identifying funding to restore the remainder of service by this January will hold its first public meeting this Thursday from 1-3 p.m. in Room 288 at City Hall.

TWU Local-250 A claimed in a grievance (PDF) filed with PERB last Wednesday that the SFMTA “through a series of unilateral actions has committed an unfair labor practice that will result in irreparable harm” to its membership. It claimed the SFMTA did not engage in “good faith and confer efforts” over the service cuts implemented in May, the agency’s new absenteeism policy and the service restorations that were announced August 3.

The union’s leadership was also upset that it was informed about the latest round of service restorations by Streetsblog and not the SFMTA. Despite a meeting with agency representatives the same day the restorations were announced, TWU officials said no one from the SFMTA informed them of the news, which was first announced by the Mayor on KCBS radio.

The changes have meant a juggling of schedules for operators along with cuts in stand-by hours. The grievance sought to have PERB’s lawyers block the restorations along with the absenteeism policy and stand-by hour reductions. TWU’s acting president, Rafael Cabrera, could not be reached for comment.

SFMTA spokesperson Paul Rose would not comment on the decision except to say that “we remain focused on restoration and finding ways to fully restore service by December.”

“It’s good news,” said Dan Murphy, the chair of the SFMTA’s Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC). “The idea of this all getting tied up in litigation would have been a source of great frustration for riders.”

Murphy said he’ll be watching closely to see whether the service restorations implemented Saturday translate into a dip in Muni’s on-time performance numbers because the agency is “definitely stretching resources.”

The agency’s staff presented a services standard scorecard (PDF) to the SFMTA Board today showing a drop in on-time performance this last quarter when compared to the same quarter last year, from 75 percent to 72.5 percent. Overall, the agency had an on-time performance over the entire year of 73.5 percent, a slight improvement from the previous year’s 73.3 percent.

SFMTA Board Director James McCray, Chair Tom Nolan and Director Shirley Breyer Black at today's meeting. Board secretary Roberta Boomer in foreground.

SFMTA Chair Tom Nolan said he wanted to make the scheduled service cuts "less burdensome on riders" by using some of the state money, and directed staff to come back with "a series of proposals to do that." Specifically, $17 million would be used in this fiscal year, and $19 million carried over to 2011-12. A much smaller portion would be used to lessen service cuts.

"Seventeen million dollars will cover $12 million in existing deficit that we have for the current year, and then there'll be approximately $5 million after that we could use to put some service back on the street, at least until July 1st, in terms of the service cuts, and/or rollback or delay the service cuts until July 1st," SFMTA Chief Nat Ford said in an interview.

Director Cameron Beach called the state money "alleged," because the SFMTA has not gotten a check yet. Indeed, the timing of the funds remained unclear. The SFMTA is struggling to fill a $55 million budget gap in the next fiscal year and a $45 million hole the year after.

Ford said he was hopeful about some impending stimulus funds for capital projects that could be diverted into operations. "We're trying to buy time and let some of these things mature before we cut the service, frankly." He said while the next budget cycle promises to be full of "difficult choices," he sees things improving in 2012.

"We've got one more year of stiff belt tightening. However, in year two [2012], we have a very manageable deficit and light at the end of the tunnel."

SFMTA Chief Nat Ford is interviewed by ABC7 reporter Wayne Freedman at today's meeting.

The board meanwhile voted 5-2 to extend the fiscal emergency declaration for the next fiscal year, something CFO Sonali Bose described as "setting up an insurance policy," with directors James McCray and Shirley Breyer Black opposed. The declaration allows the SFMTA to implement fare hikes and service cuts without California environmental review. 

"It gives us some flexibility as we go into uncertain times," said Nolan. 

The vote came after a few hours of public testimony from at least 45 speakers, many of whom decried the cuts, and criticized fare inspectors for allegedly harassing some of the transit system's most vulnerable riders, including non-English speaking and undocumented riders. 

Ford, asked to respond to the complaints by Nolan, denied the agency is profiling riders, and said their main goal is to target areas that have high incidents of fare evasion.

Many speakers were also doubtful the Muni crisis would improve anytime soon.

"This is not going to get fixed in two years. It's just not, and I think some of you know that, and it's going to require making some really hard political decisions," said transit advocate Sue Vaughan.

Parking Meter Extension Pilot Moving Forward

The SFMTA Board also seemed to be supportive of a 90 day pilot project that would begin June 1 to extend parking meter hours to Sundays in six business districts across the city. Though CFO Sonali Bose said not one neighborhood group has stepped forward to publicly support it, many individuals and merchants have backed it.

SFMTA Director Malcolm Heinicke seemed the most enthusiastic. "I think we should move forward with this pilot project and resist any temptation to back away from it simply because we've got new money." His only question was how much the pilot would cost, to which Bose explained that it was being done in conjunction with SFPark, one of the most innovative parking management pilots in the US., and costing the agency very little.

The pilot demonstration areas for enforcement on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. would cover a portion of downtown San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf (where Port meters are already on until 7 p.m.), Chestnut/Union Streets, the Inner Richmond, Hayes Valley and West Portal. Those areas were chosen because they already have SFPark sensors or are about to get them. In Fisherman's Wharf, the meters will run until 9 p.m. on weekdays, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, according to the proposal:

As part of this pilot demonstration, existing time limits at normal metered parking spaces will be increased to four hours in Fisherman’s Wharf, Chestnut/Union, Downtown, and Hayes Valley areas (time limits at yellow and green zones will remain unchanged). In addition, those areas (not including Union Street) will also receive new parking meters that accept credit cards in addition to coins and the SFMTA Parking Card. In the West Portal and Inner Richmond  areas, parking meters and time limits will remain unchanged.  

Though Mayor Gavin Newsom has opposed extending meter hours across the city, he recently said he might be open to doing it on Sundays, perhaps next year. As we've reported extensively on Streetsblog, many cities -- Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, Pasadena and Montreal among them -- have implemented parking enforcement on evenings and Sundays.

Although some merchants have expressed concerns, the SFMTA points out in its pilot proposal that "parking meters are an effective tool for promoting business vitality by helping to create open parking spaces so that customers can easily find a parking space." The agency plans to do a lot of outreach and preparation for the pilot.

Ford, after getting an opinion from legal counsel, told the board that he has the authority to implement the pilot and does not need any further approval.

Susan King of Livable City flanked by beautiful bikes. Photos: Michael Rhodes

The six Sunday Streets events last year managed to attract between 16,000 and 20,000 people each, and the biggest complaint was that there weren't enough of them, said MTA Executive Director Nat Ford.

"Last year, we checked with all the participants and they said they wanted more Sunday Streets. We're delivering that," said Ford. "They said that they wanted to have more activities. We've provided that. And they wanted it to be diverse around the city, so I think we've answered all of the requests by our citizens."

On top of that, they'll be longer: each event will run from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. this year.

Sunday Streets is a chance to walk, bicycle, and generally play in the streets, all for free - but merchants have embraced the events as a welcome economic boost as well. "We're really excited this year because we're going to be able to welcome everyone into the heart of Fisherman's Wharf for a Family Fitness Fair," said Kevin Caroll, Executive Director of the Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District.

Sustainable transportation advocates are geared up too: the tag line for Sunday Streets this year is "No Sunday Drivers. Guaranteed," and Ford made it clear that he's serious about that. "We expect everyone who will be joining us on these Sundays to use Muni, to walk or to take their bike to get to these Sunday Streets venues," said Ford.

The events take a lot of coordination between partners in the city's government, non-profits and businesses; it also takes a lot of volunteers.

"One of the most important elements of Sunday Streets is our volunteers," said Susan King of Livable City, the non-profit that has led organizing for Sunday Streets. "We had over 1,000 volunteers over the last two years give up part of their day, instead of having fun, making sure that everybody stays safe."

If you're able to help out at one or more of the events, head over to the Sunday Streets website to sign up. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition coordinates the volunteer program, meaning you'll get to work with Kate McCarthey, who just received the 2010 Susie Stephens Joyful Enthusiasm Award from The Alliance for Biking and Walking for her "tireless enthusiasm to harness the power of individuals to better bicycling."

As for this Sunday, the forecast calls for 60-degree weather and clear skies: all the more reason to come out and enjoy San Francisco's own ciclovía.

A very satisfied attendee of Sunday Streets in the Mission last year.

Stormy skies are ahead for Muni. Flickr photo: fmosca

More than 45 members of the public spoke at the meeting, decrying the cuts and fare increases. Many focused on a staff proposal to increase monthly discount passes to $30. The passes are available to seniors and people with disabilities, and are already set to increase from $15 to $20 in May.

Aside from service cuts and a request to the San Francisco Country Transportation Authority for $7 million, the discount pass increase would make the biggest dent in the MTA's $16.9 million end-of-year deficit. The agency could reap an extra $1 million from the increase, but it's not likely to be popular with the Board of Supervisors, who will vote on any fare increases.

Dozens of speakers testified against the measure, including Bob Planthold of the Senior Action Network, who called the idea "a war on the disabled and seniors."

"You're leaving money on the table by ignoring the parking meter experiment," said Planthold. "That's cowardice."

The ARC of San Francisco, a service and advocacy organization for people with disabilities, organized a large group to speak at the meeting. 

Ernestine Patterson, a Muni rider who is visually impaired, told the Board the changes would affect her independence. "Doubling the amount we pay for fast passes truly removes the wonderful feeling of independence I have always enjoyed, to be able to get on the bus to go when I want and how often I want," she said.

MTA Executive Director Nathaniel Ford prefaced the meeting with an assertion that the MTA has limited options. "At this point we can only provide the service we can afford," he said.

Still, the public testimony left several of the directors wondering if there weren't other options to be explored. "It's hard to hear a lot of these comments without pressing for some alternative," said Director Malcolm Heinicke. Like many of the directors, Heinicke expressed particular concern about the discount pass hike.

He also added his voice to the list of MTA directors interested in revisiting an extension of parking meter hours. MTA staff had initially set out to meet with businesses and identify a corridor where a pilot meter extension program might be welcomed. Ford said there are individual businesses that are amenable to the idea, but none of the neighborhood business groups have expressed an interest.

Despite pressure from the Mayor to kill the parking plan, Heinicke joined Directors Cameron Beach, Jerry Lee, and Bruce Oka in pressing MTA staff to at least identify a corridor for a pilot program.

Each of those directors has reportedly been told to keep quiet on the parking proposal, but Oka reasserted his independence today. "I said at the last meeting everything has to be on the table," he told his colleagues. "I'm not backing off from that."

MTA Board Chairman Tom Nolan related a meeting called by Mayor Newsom this Tuesday to prod all city chairs to act fast on budget dilemmas. "We've all pointed out things we don't like," said Nolan, encouraging the Board to deal with the deficit without delay. "But this Board is going to have to make a very tough decision, because it is our obligation to manage the budget, to balance the budget."

Nolan did criticize the plan to reduce overnight owl bus service to once per hour. That prompted Ford to explain that with such low service frequencies, Muni would actually publish schedules for routes that run less than every 20 minutes - something it hasn't done in years. By running at hourly intervals, MTA staff hopes the owl schedule will be easier for riders to memorize.

Even with a few of the directors grumbling about the service cuts, and the Board of Supervisors posturing about opposing fare increases, the MTA appears to be rolling toward approving the majority of the deficit proposals, with few modifications.

That isn't settling well with many of Muni's riders.

"The reason why we have boards like this is to have intelligent conversations on transportation policy," said Eric Chase, author of Transbay Blog. "It would be a shame for this Board to simply adopt and rubber-stamp Mayor Newsom's extremely poor understanding of the Transit First policy in this city."

There will be several town hall meetings before the Board votes on service cuts on February 16. They will be held on February 6 and February 9 at MTA headquarters, One South Van Ness Avenue. You can also let the Mayor and MTA Board know what you think of the cuts by emailing them at gavin.newsom@sfgov.org and mtaboard@sfmta.com.

MTA CEO Nat Ford. Photo: foggydave

MTA Board of Directors Chairman Tom Nolan applauded Ford in a statement: "Ford’s election to this important leadership post in the transit industry strengthens San Francisco’s voice in crucial national discussions about the future of public transportation in this country, particularly on the challenge of how we will pay for it.... His involvement at the highest levels of APTA will continue to help the SFMTA both learn from and inform the best practices of our industry.”

In other MTA news, the agency has recently posted its job announcement for the Director of Sustainable Streets position, which, as we've reported, could be a very positive change within the agency to prioritize the city's Transit First policy. The Director of Sustainable Streets would, among other duties:

• Coordinate the development of the Agency’s strategic plan, long-range goals, objectives and policies
• Develop policy and direct planning, designing, and environmental clearance of capital programs and services in the SFMTA’s multi-modal transportation network
• Oversee street operations which include installation and maintenance of traffic signs, signals, meters and markings
• Manage off-street parking facilities (include approximately 15,000 spaces in City-owned garages and lots)

A study on the parking management and revenue implications of expanded meter enforcement, which Ford promised within 90 days, was initiated as part of a "compromise" in late May to prevent the Board of Supervisors from rejecting the MTA's 2009-10 budget. It has now been more than 120 days and the study has not been made public, although Streetsblog has spoken to sources who have seen a summary of the draft.

"The Mayor thinks it's the wrong time to make these moves," said Nathan Ballard, Newsom's communications director. "Right now, with the economy where it is, the burden on ordinary people for city services is already stretched to the max, and so he hasn't seen anything that convinces him otherwise. He's open to arguments, but he's still where he was."

Ballard said the study "is nearing completion" and would eventually be made available to the public. Judson True, the MTA spokesperson, said the agency is working to finalize it. "[It] will be a thorough effort based on sound parking-management ideas and extensive stakeholder outreach. We hope that it will elevate some of the recent discussions on parking."

The delay, however, is troubling, considering the pledge made to the Board of Supervisors, particularly BOS Prez David Chiu, who rescinded his motion to reject the MTA budget after receiving assurances from the Mayor the study would be forthcoming.

In an interview, Chiu pointed out, as he did during the budget crisis, that working class families and Muni riders were forced to bear four times the burden of what drivers were asked, in the way of fare increases and service cuts.

"Everyone agreed that a parking study would be done to figure out the fairest way to have car owners carry their fair share," said Chiu. "Given that it is highly likely there will be a more significant mid-year budget deficit, we need to consider all options before we consider service cuts to Muni and other public transit options."

After that exhaustive supervisors meeting May 27, Ford was asked by Streetsblog how he could promise serious consideration of extended meters given Newsom's adamant opposition. His response?

"I think that's premature at this point to assume that. I think, if we have a reasonable plan that takes into account all the impacts, I have found with the Mayor, as well as the Board of Supervisors, that they've been supportive of some of those suggestions we've made and in this case we need a little bit of time."

According to our sources who've seen the summary, the study affirms that extending meter hours is good parking management that will improve driver convenience and create turnover for businesses. The agency is said to have compared more than twenty commercial streets on Wednesday and Friday nights, and Sunday during the day, and apparently found that commercial districts across the city are seeing occupancy rates near 100 percent not long after meters are turned off. Streetsblog has been informed that the study found the problem is especially acute on Sundays, when commercial streets in the study areas see near total occupancy while the majority of the businesses on those streets on average are still open.

Cities all across the country leave their meters on much later than 6 p.m., regardless of the current state of the economy. Take Los Angeles: Santa Monica, Old Pasadena, and West Hollywood leave meters on until 2 a.m. New York City, Milwaukee, and Miami Beach, run meters until midnight. Denver, Las Vegas, and Washington, DC, run meters until 10 p.m. How is San Francisco going to be the most innovative parking demand-management city and implement SFpark if it can't even get the nerve to keep meters on as long as Bethesda, Maryland (10 p.m.) or Park City, Utah (8 p.m.)?

In a city with a stated Transit First policy and an MTA with the power to apply parking revenue directly to transit operations, there is no excuse to throw good money down the drain. According to our sources who have seen the MTA study's summary, increasing parking meter hours in targeted commercial districts would generate a significant amount of money for an agency that desperately needs any source of revenue it has available for transit operations.

Not only would killing the proposals amount to bad parking management, it wouldn't be responsive to the public's stated priorities. According to surveys from the recently finished SFCTA On-Street Parking Management and Pricing Study, respondents ranked price of parking spaces behind parking availability, flexibility, proximity and safety. While the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce has not been supportive of extending meters on weekdays, they would like the city to extend meter hours on Sundays. The Port recently extended meter hours until 11 p.m. and there is no indication businesses are hurting.

If the Mayor is nervous about a fallout similar to what has happened in parts of Oakland around parking meter times and fee increases, he should take the lead on the issue by brandishing a study based on substantial data and make the argument that increasing meter hours will free up parking spaces in commercial districts to improve business. What's more, unlike Oakland, the MTA would not lump the increased parking meter revenue into a general fund as a budget stop-gap, but would use the money to improve transit.

Mayor Newsom should embrace the MTA's study, let Ford and the MTA Board implement extended metering and help the agency find additional new sources of revenue instead of trying to quash some of the most important, sensible options on the table.

Despite a blanket of fog, the last Sunday Streets of 2009 was, from all accounts, a smashing success, one of the most popular so far, with thousands of people enjoying four activity-filled hours of pristine car-free space through Golden Gate Park and the Great Highway.

John Hamilton, who produced a very inspiring Streetfilm on San Francisco's first Sunday Streets, set out Sunday morning to capture the final hurrah of 2009 and the result is another colorful, fun piece featuring kids, families, bicyclists, skaters, dancers, MTA Chief Nat Ford and many more. Enjoy!  

MTA Chief Nat Ford in an interview earlier this year with Streetsblog. Photo by Bryan Goebel.

For the first time, the agency is also adopting a broad vision for what it wants to accomplish by 2030, setting an ambitious mode share goal to dramatically reduce automobile trips and integrate all modes "into a seamless transportation system." It calls for cutting auto usage in half, from the current 60 to 30 percent, boosting transit use from 20 to 30 percent, and increasing walking and cycling from 20 to 40 percent in 20 years. There is no specific plan, however, for how the agency intends to achieve the goal. 

The most notable changes at the top will be the creation of three new positions: a deputy executive director, a director of sustainable streets and a director of transit. Their salaries have yet be determined, but MTA spokesperson Judson True said they plan to conduct national and international searches.

Ford announced the changes to hundreds of staffers in a morning meeting yesterday at the MTA's headquarters where he spent 90 minutes outlining the reorganization, and another 30 minutes fielding questions.

"We cannot simply be caretakers," Ford wrote in his letter to MTA staff. "We must advance the Agency into one that supports a world class, fully integrated, multi-modal transportation system that is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable."

Under the reorganization, parking and traffic will be absorbed into the sustainable streets department, and veteran traffic engineer Bond Yee, who currently oversees that division, will no longer report directly to Ford. Yee is widely respected by many rank-and-file in the agency. Traffic engineering will now be called transportation engineering. The merging of that division and transportation planning into one sustainable streets department is something advocates have been pushing for years.

The document outlining the reorganization (PDF) lists the Bicycle Plan implementation, full Translink deployment, a Market Street redesign, and the SFPark pilot among the MTA's short-term goals.  And its "mid-long term" project priorities include the Central Control and Communications Center, Central Subway, full TEP implementation, radio replacement, SFgo and Van Ness BRT.  The list does not include Geary BRT, a proposal that is much more contentious than its counterpart.

"It's natural to be a bit skeptical about this announcement. There have been several reorganizations at SFMTA over the past decade without dramatic change," said Andy Thornley, the program director of the SFBC. "But I think there's good reason to be encouraged, even excited, about this plan, as a significant good thing for the sake of the agency realizing its goals and fulfilling its City-Charter-mandated mission."

He added: "This reorg continues the unification and rationalization of the 'multi-headed' SFMTA into a single productive transportation agency that's been underway since its conception ten years ago, laying out a pretty fast track to a true 'sustainable streets' agency for SF in the next few months."

A deputy executive director position would allow Ford to strengthen the agency's voice in city and regional policy and state and federal legislation. In addition to his role as the MTA's executive director and CEO, Ford sits on the Board of Directors of the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which oversees Caltrain, chairs the Transbay Joint Power Authority, and is running to be secretary/treasurer of the American Public Transportation Association.

The reorganization also elevates the role of James Dougherty, the director of safety, security and enforcement. And the position currently held by the MTA Chief Operating Officer Ken McDonald, who is leaving the agency, will be taken over by David Hill, the acting director of transit. 

It's too early to tell if the reorg will change any of the auto centric culture that remains in the MTA, but Radulovich sees it as a positive step.

"We kind of thought that creating the MTA itself would change the culture of streets management and it has but not fast enough. Other cities are racing ahead and they're doing really interesting things, really putting peds and bicyclists and transit first in a way that we're not. And that's what we want to see resolved. How will this support some bold moves in that area?"

From the SFMTA

A demonstration model of new TransLink fare gates. Photo: Michael Rhodes

The project will cost $29 million, $11 million of which will come from the federal economic stimulus plan. The Board of Supervisors approved the plan at its meeting on Tuesday. Muni has long planned to replace its aging fare gates, but San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) Executive Director Nat Ford said the stimulus funds were essential to getting it done now.

"We have been working on this project literally for almost a decade to replace these fare gates and had a significant gap in terms of our funding," said Ford. "The $11 million that we received to support this project closed the gap, and we will be rapidly installing the fare gates."

"I think everyone who uses the Muni system is well aware that our existing fare gates and fare machines are well past their useful life. They were installed over thirty years ago."

In place of the transfers that riders now receive at Muni Metro fare gates, riders who do not already have TransLink cards will be able to purchase limited-use paper TransLink cards at the new ticket vending machines. Unlike the current fare boxes, riders will be able to use a variety of mediums to pay for their tickets, including cash, coins, and credit cards. Riders will also be able to purchase regular plastic TransLink cards, like those already in circulation, at the machines.

New Muni TransLink ticket vending machines will accept cash, coins, and credit cards. Photo: Michael Rhodes

MTC commissioner Anne Halsted said Muni's successful TransLink pilot project made implementing a full TransLink fare gate system possible. "Thanks to the successful rollout of TransLink on the Muni system over the last eight months, when the MTA needed to replace its aging fare gates, it decided all the new fare gates will accept only TransLink, so we're all going to be converting in the future," said Halsted. "This is going to establish Muni as the real leader in this movement."

"I'm a San Francisco resident, and a Muni rider, and a TransLink advocate and customer," said Halsted. "This electronic TransLink fare payment card is a big part the MTC's strategy for ensuring greater coordination among the 28 Bay Area transit agencies."

Muni currently has about 6,000 daily TransLink users. Of 1,200 Muni TransLink users surveyed during the trial period that begin last December, Halsted said 83 percent said they were satisfied or very satisfied, and 92 percent said they would recommend TransLink to a friend. Ford confirmed that TransLink is now essentially fully operational on Muni buses, streetcars and light rail vehicles.

Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc., a San Diego-based company, assumed the TransLink contract with MTC earlier this summer after purchasing Vix ERG's Concord, California operations center. BART had encouraged the MTC do get rid of Erg earlier this year, citing the company's problems in implementing projects similar to TransLink in other regions.

MTA executive director Nat Ford demonstrates how TransLink ticket vending machines will work. Photo: Michael Rhodes

A full rollout of TransLink in Muni's light rail stations by fall 2010 is a lofty goal, considering that some kinks are still being ironed out: riders still report frequent occurrences of buses and trains with TransLink readers that are not operational, resulting in lost revenue for Muni. Still, with both BART and Caltrain soft-launching TransLink fare payment earlier this month, it's beginning to look like a significant component of regional transit coordination may really be coming to fruition, well over a decade after first capturing the imagination of the region's transit planners.