Bryan Goebel

The California Highway Patrol has confirmed the arrest a 53-year-old El Sobrante man allegedly responsible for last year's hit-and-run killing of bicyclist Mark Pendleton, who was hit while riding on McEwen Road south of Highway 4 near Port Costa in Contra Costa County.

We're not sure exactly what sparked this bulletin -- other than recent crashes around the country involving transit drivers using cell phones -- but Muni sent a reminder to its drivers this morning that they are not only not allowed to use a cell phone while operating a transit vehicle, they cannot even display one. The bulletin (PDF) is signed by new Chief Safety Officer James Dougherty and Chief Operating Officer Ken McDonald. The rules state:

Caltrain Board Declares Fiscal Emergency; Plans Some Service Cuts (SF Gate) VTA Board Approves Budget That Includes First Fare Hike in Four Years (Merc) Doubts Linger On Idea to Sponsor Muni’s Street and Cable Cars (Market Street Railway) Merc: “Historic Trolley Gets New Life at Kelley Park” Michigan Gov to White House: Turn Car Factories … Continued

Biden Indicates California is in Line for High-Speed Rail Funds (CHSRB) BART Bracing for Flood of Riders During Bay Bridge Labor Day Closure (KCBS) More on Muni’s New Bus Shelter and Other Shelter Designs Via Seattle PI New Transit Center Plan in Socal Would Link San Bernardino to Metrolink Rail (Press Enterprise) Houston’s Light Rail … Continued

In honor of the 50th anniversary of San Francisco's famous "Freeway Revolt," car-free Board of Supes President David Chiu has introduced a resolution calling on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to reallocate funds for highway expansion and "prioritize investment in public transit maintenance."

Highway Lobby Threatens to Sabotage Transpo Bill If Transit Gets Bigger Share (CQ Politics via TOW) GM Execs Still Have a Rosy Outlook About Future Sales (NYT) Caltrain Will Not Eliminate Weekend Service or Raise Fares (San Mateo Daily Journal) More on MTA Director Heinicke’s Idea for Sponsored Street and Cable Cars (SF Examiner) Muni … Continued

MTA Director Malcolm Heinicke must have heard the recent calls from advocates like Tom Radulovich for the MTA Board to follow the charter and "diligently" seek out new sources of revenue, but his latest idea is raising quite a few eyebrows. At today's meeting, Heinicke, fresh from a trip to Chicago where he saw how some streets have honorary names, said he would like the MTA to explore offering "unobtrusive" corporate or individual sponsorships of street and cable cars. 

DPW crews tearing up Howard Street have once again given short shrift to bicyclists, failing to put up proper signage and creating a dangerous mix of bicycle and car traffic on Howard just before 10th Street. As we've reported, crews are working on a sewer replacement project, and are tearing up the road, which is a major bicycle corridor. I dig the new smooth ride on portions of Howard Street, even though the bike lane markings have not been repainted, presumably because of that tired excuse we call the injunction.

With GM Bankruptcy Official, Obama Admin Has to Restructure the Company (NYT, WSJ, Grist) Grand Jury Says VTA Should Have Released Financial Study on BART to SJ (Merc) Man Arrested for Allegedly Assaulting Caltrain Conductor (Merc) “Why I Love My BART Station” (SF Gate) Lawsuit Filed Challenging SMART Train Measure Vote (Marin IJ) MTA Chief … Continued