Recent Streetsblog SF posts about Light Rail

Muni Metro to Launch Double-Train Loading, Three-Car Trains in October

By Aaron Bialick | Sep 23, 2013 | 45 Comments

Muni is poised to begin double-train loading and running three-car trains at underground metro stations to speed up boarding and increase capacity on the system’s busiest stretch. As we reported, Muni began testing double-train loading, a.k.a. “double berthing,” in July, but Transit Director John Haley said the agency hasn’t run tests with actual trains yet. […]

Muni to Test Seat Reconfiguration to Make More Room on Light-Rail Vehicles

By Aaron Bialick | Sep 18, 2013 | 19 Comments

After a nudge from two city supervisors, Muni is looking to convert forward- and backward-facing seats to side-facing seats in its light-rail train cars as a way to squeeze in more passengers and speed up boarding. The SFMTA plans to run a trial starting in January by putting one reconfigured prototype car into service, which […]

Muni’s Next Train Fleet: Breda Disqualified From Another Contract

By Aaron Bialick | Sep 16, 2013 | 62 Comments

As Muni seeks its next-generation fleet of light-rail vehicles to serve the metro system, the manufacturer of its current, notoriously unreliable train cars has been barred from competing for a new contract. Italy-based AnsaldoBreda, which produced the LRVs that Muni riders use today, was the only one of four prospective manufacturers which didn’t meet the new […]

Muni Trains Get Slight Speed Boost in Twin Peaks Tunnel

By Aaron Bialick | Sep 4, 2012 | 9 Comments

For six years, Muni trains have been running through the Twin Peaks tunnel well below their former top speed of 50 mph due to worn-out tracks, which put trains in danger of derailment, according to the SF Municipal Transportation Agency. At an SFMTA Board of Directors meeting today, Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin said the tracks had […]

Supervisor Wiener Calls for Hearing on Improving J-Church Reliability

By Aaron Bialick | Jan 25, 2011 | 47 Comments

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 […]

SFMTA Transit Director Predicts Better Muni Metro Service in Coming Months

By Bryan Goebel | Nov 3, 2010 | 6 Comments

The series of frustrating and consistent delays that have plagued the Muni Metro system for the last few months have been narrowed to three causes that SFMTA Transit Director John Haley told the SFMTA Board yesterday have mostly been fixed for now. Still, according to Haley, it’s “too early to declare victory” on a problem […]

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