SFTRU

We're nearly halfway into the 22-day Muni riding challenge. How seriously are SF's elected officials taking their commitment to get familiar with the everyday experience of riding Muni?

The SF Transit Riders Union's challenge to ride Muni for 22 days kicked off yesterday with late sign-ons from Mayor Ed Lee and Supervisors London Breed and Mark Farrell, who had initially declined to commit. Supervisors Katy Tang and Malia Cohen still declined, and Supervisor Norman Yee has not confirmed a pledge since he tweeted a selfie on Muni after the challenge was announced in April.

Six supervisors did not hesitate to commit to the SF Transit Riders Union's challenge to ride Muni for 22 days starting on June 1, but five supervisors and Mayor Ed Lee haven't signed on. The split is a good indicator of who supports transit at City Hall -- for the supervisors who have a record of legislating to improve transit, riding Muni every day is no biggie, and some do it already.

The Board of Supervisors voted 9-2 yesterday to reject an appeal, filed by sustainable transportation advocates, to require environmental review of the SFMTA's repeal of Sunday parking meters. Although the vote was not on the merits of Sunday parking metering, but rather whether the SFMTA violated the California Environmental Quality Act in repealing it, the hearing shed some more light on the political stances of some supervisors.

An appeal claiming that the repeal of Sunday parking meters is an action that requires environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act is baseless, according to responses issued by the SFMTA and Planning Department this week.

Reps from the SF Transit Riders Union today said Mayor Ed Lee's recent repeal of Sunday parking meters and abandonment of the vehicle license fee add up to an attack on transit riders.

A Muni train car re-configured with fewer seats and more standing room was put into Metro service this week. According to the SFMTA, 14 "double-wide" seats were replaced with "single-wide" seats, adding a net capacity gain of "at least ten" riders to the car, which is a pilot project to squeeze more capacity onto Muni's trains.

Updated 4:16 p.m. with comment from Supervisor John Avalos.

The SFMTA Board of Directors today caved to pressure from Mayor Ed Lee by removing Sunday parking meters, a move folded into its approval of the agency's two-year budget.