Supervisor Wiener Calls for Hearing on Improving J-Church Reliability

Supervisor Scott Wiener, who has pledged to make transportation issues a priority, today called for a hearing to address a growing number of complaints about unreliability from riders on the J-Church line.

"It's a major line that carries a lot of people, and it's very unpredictable for reasons I do not understand and want to understand," Wiener said. "I want the current, up-to-date information from the MTA in terms of what's going on with the J-Church and what they have been doing recently to try to improve service."

He cited known physical challenges presented by the turn from Church onto 30th Street, "stops and starts" on Church Street, "inconsistent frequency", and seemingly "random" NextMuni arrival predictions, which he said doesn't seem to be as much of a problem on other lines.

He expects to have the hearing within 30 to 60 days and may even propose some physical changes to improve the line.

Wiener, who represents District 8, said he will work with D11 Supervisor John Avalos, whose district also encompasses the J line. Avalos has also expressed concerns about Muni reliability, and recently called for a hearing on the problem of switchbacks on the 14-Mission line.

"Over the last few months we’ve seen improved service reliability due, in part, to preventing sander hoses from severing the signal cable, upgrading system software to improve the switch from manual to automatic, and addressing maintenance issues, such as switches and other mechanical issues," said SFMTA spokesperson Paul Rose. "We will continue to work with the Board of Supervisors to further improve service in the future."