Rafael Mandelman, Scott Wiener, Vallie Brown, Thea Selby, Gordon Mar, Rachel Hyden, Shamann Walton, and David Chiu at the San Francisco Transit Riders kickoff event Monday morning. Photos: Streetsblog/Rudick
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The transit gods were in a better mood this year for the kickoff event for the San Francisco Transit Rider's "Transit Week," held this morning on the steps of City Hall. "Muni worked for us today," said the group's director, Rachel Hyden, to an assembled group of lawmakers and advocates.
State Senator Scott Wiener agreed but added that Muni service has improved generally over the long haul. "Bus service is much better than it was five or ten years ago... Now we have to make the LRT and the subways work," he said. "There are still bottlenecks that need fixed."
An example of those bottlenecks, he said, was the T-Third, which takes a back seat to private automobiles for most of its run. "It took me 45 minutes to get to the Metallica concert on Friday," said Wiener. He started at Muni's Castro station--a distance of less than three miles. "Half of that [trip] was on Third Street," he added, where trains wait at intersections with no priority over traffic signals.
All the lawmakers called on advocates to help them push for support in Sacramento for funding to speed up, improve, and expand rail service throughout the Bay Area--including adding more subways and major extensions of the regional transit system. "We must electrify everything we can," said Assemblymember David Chiu. Assemblymember Phil Ting echoed that sentiment. "Transportation is the only place where we're going backwards on greenhouse gas emissions. We really need your advocacy in Sacramento."
SFTR's Hyden and SPIN's Nima RahimiSFTR's Hyden and SPIN's Nima Rahimi
The private sector was also represented at the event. "We're pushing hard for transit," said Nima Rahimi, senior policy counsel for SPIN scooters, a sponsor of Transit Week. "Private mobility companies must be part of the solution."
But more than anything, the event on the steps of City Hall was a chance for everyone to come together and plan for a better future for transit. "We renew our commitment to a faster, more reliable future," said Hyden.
The group shot from this morning's eventThe group shot from this morning's event
And for another celebration of all things transit and more, attend Streetsblog San Francisco's ten-year anniversary party, tomorrow/Tuesday, Sept. 10, 6-9 p.m., at Manny’s in the Mission, 3092 16th Street, San Francisco, near BART's 16th/Mission Station and several Muni bus lines.