Nat Ford

The SFMTA Board last week approved a $32 million, six-year contract (PDF) with AnseldoBreda to repair and rebuild seven damaged light-rail vehicles, including four LRVs described as "piles of rubble." At least one board director, however, Malcolm Heinicke, wanted to know if the agency would be better off buying new LRVs, instead of spending all that money to repair damaged cars.

The California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) this afternoon denied a request from the Muni operators union seeking an injunction blocking service restorations that went into effect Saturday. The decision came just hours after SFMTA Chief Nat Ford told the agency's board of directors the restorations have been a success.

The SFMTA Board of Directors voted to continue the agency's declaration of fiscal emergency today, but took a proposal to charge a premium for cable cars and express bus routes off the table, and promised to use some of the $36 million expected from a state windfall to help "defray or delay" a 10 percent service cut scheduled to take effect in a month

As if the lure of playing in the street wasn't enough, city leaders and organizers gathered at City Hall yesterday afternoon to promote the first of nine Sunday Streets events this year, which will run along the Embarcadero up to Fisherman's Wharf [route map PDF] this Sunday.

Muni's budget saga continued today as the MTA Board heard details on proposed service cuts and future deficits, prompting a growing outcry from the city's transit riders. The cuts would include eliminating ten percent of Muni service, bringing frequencies on many routes to historic lows.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced its newly elected executive committee today at its annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, and Bay Area transit bosses will be taking prominent roles that could influence the nation's transit priorities. San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) General Manager and CEO Michael J. Scanlon is the new Vice Chair and San Francisco MTA Executive Director Nat Ford is the new Secretary/Treasurer. APTA's new Chair is Mattie C. Carter, Commissioner of the Memphis Area Transit Authority.

Mayor Gavin Newsom has been quietly pressuring MTA Chief Nat Ford to delay or prevent proposals to extend parking meter hours on weeknights and Sundays, despite a looming mid-year MTA budget deficit and studies that show it's good policy, Streetsblog has learned.

Despite a blanket of fog, the last Sunday Streets of 2009 was, from all accounts, a smashing success, one of the most popular so far, with thousands of people enjoying four activity-filled hours of pristine car-free space through Golden Gate Park and the Great Highway.

MTA Chief Nat Ford announced an encouraging reorganization (PDF) of his top brass this week, a move which may usher in a much needed change in the structure of the agency, and potentially give less power to the old school traffic engineers who continue to prioritize automobiles in the design and management of San Francisco's streets.