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Supervisors Vote 6-5 Against Rejecting MTA Budget
BOS Prez David Chiu gave quite a performance at last week's Budget and Finance Committee meeting, peppering MTA Chief Nat Ford with a series of hard-hitting questions about the agency's unpopular budget, and lining up the six necessary votes to reject the spending plan. Yesterday, though, at the full Board of Supervisors meeting, Chiu rescinded his motion, agreeing to what amounts to $10.3 million dollars in changes Ford can make at his own discretion, a "compromise" struck at the last minute.
May 13, 2009
Newsom Speaks Out on MTA Budget; Vote to Reject Hinges on Maxwell
On the eve of a possible rejection of the MTA's budget by the Board of Supervisors over widely unpopular fare hikes and service cuts, Mayor Gavin Newsom told reporters at City Hall that he is not playing a game of chicken, and hopes supervisors do not "make the mistake" of approving the motion by BOS Prez David Chiu.
May 12, 2009
Caltrain Staff Floats Idea to Charge Bicyclists Extra to Ride Trains
It's bad enough Caltrain already has an image of being unfriendly to bicyclists, despite its efforts to prevent bumps on the system by boosting bicycle capacity on its trains, now comes this word: Staff is toying with the idea of making bicyclists pay a $1 surcharge that would raise an estimated $800,000.
May 7, 2009
Supes Committee Votes to Recommend Rejection of MTA Budget
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee voted 4-1, with Supervisor Carmen Chu dissenting, to recommend the rejection of the MTA's $778 million budget following a marathon meeting yesterday that featured some enrapturing political theater when BOS Prez David Chiu grilled MTA Chief Nat Ford.
May 7, 2009
MTA Budget Facing Likely Rejection from Board of Supervisors
Support appears to be growing at City Hall for Supervisor David Chiu's motion to reject the MTA's budget passed last Thursday. Very little has changed to satisfy Chiu, who remains deeply concerned about fare hikes, service cuts and work orders that are draining the MTA's budget.
May 4, 2009
MTA Board Approves Budget But Caves on Stronger Parking Enforcement
Despite the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s daunting
deficit -- $128.9 million – members of the MTA Board of Directors
voted six to one yesterday for a surprise
amendment to the budget to eliminate a proposed extension of parking
meter enforcement on Sundays and from 6 to 10 pm on weekdays.
May 1, 2009
Is It Time for Muni to Consolidate Bus Stops?
As the MTA Board considers solutions to reduce its enormous $129 million deficit, bus stop consolidation should be at the top of its agenda.
April 28, 2009
Is the Obama Administration Poised to Push Transit?
While President Barack Obama promoted wind power and cap-and-trade legislation, VP Joe Biden spent Earth Day talking up transit. Public radio's "The Takeaway" reports that Biden held a presser at a bus maintenance facility in Landover, Maryland, to tout a $300 million investment in hybrid buses and other municipal vehicles as part of the federal stimulus package. Said Biden:
April 24, 2009
Advocates File Appeal in MTC Discrimination Case
Nearly a month after a San Francisco federal judge ruled against a discrimination lawsuit against the MTC on behalf of AC Transit riders of color, attorneys representing a broad coalition of riders, labor and environmental justice advocates have appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals.
April 23, 2009
Streetsblog vs. Copenhagen: Who’s Greener?
When it comes to promoting environmentally sound transportation, is Streetsblog better than a Prius? If you think so, cast your vote for the Livable Streets Initiative in the Treehugger “Best of Green” contest. There are 17 entries in the “Cars and Transportation” category, ranging from “Best City for Public Transit” (Bogota) to “Best Freight Shipping … Continued
April 22, 2009