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Bike Pittsburgh has posted some great, sortable data about how commuters get to work in major American cities, drawn from a Census Bureau report. San Francisco ranked near the top of cities with a high percentage of walkers, transit riders and cyclists, and a relatively low percentage of people who commute alone in a car. Only New York City at 23.3 percent and Washington D.C. at 37.2 percent had fewer solo drivers than San Francisco's 38.4 percent. San Francisco also had a high percentage of car-free residents, at nearly 20 percent of the population.

"Fillmore Street celebrates the superb restaurants and boutiques in the neighborhood with the First Annual Taste of Fillmore. The public will be able to experience a fine selection of Fillmore Street shops with live cooking demonstrations, fashion shows and food and wine tastings. The entire block will be closed off to street traffic, turning the block into a fashion and food extravaganza.

Agenda.

San Francisco Nurse Killed by a Driver While Walking to Work (BCN via CBS5) Couple Accused in Hit-and-Run Death of USC Student Refuses Plea Deal (LAT) Muni Driver Commits Suicide by Jumping Off the Golden Gate Bridge (SF Weekly) SF Examiner: “Group Seeks to Derail Subway Project” “Cash for Clunkers” Senate Debate: McCain’s Talking Sense, … Continued

Last week I tried to download the real-time transit data application Routesy from the Apple Store, only to find that the Store didn't carry it. Some friends had recommended the application as an improvement over iBART and iMuni, which only provide the static schedules published by the transit operators, not real-time data. I wasn't too pressed to find the application at the time, though, so I didn't investigate further and didn't realize there is a very interesting story behind why Apple yanked the app from the store.

Everyone knows spotting an SFPD officer on Muni is rare, but now the department thinks it has a way to provide some accountability and track the number of officers who are actually riding the transit system: Translink cards.

The fines for illegal use of disability placards and for fabricating fraudulent placards could go as high as $1000 if Assemblymember Fiona Ma's new bill passes the State Senate and is signed by Governor Schwartzenegger.  The bill, which passed in the Assembly near unanimously at 73-3 on May 18th, will go before the Senate Transportation Committee on June 23rd.

MTC Proposes Raising Bridge Tolls in 2010 (Examiner) Silicon Valley Shuttles Upsetting Noe Valley Residents (Examiner) 2-Time Cable Car Bell Ringing Champion Oats Wins Again (SF Gate) San Jose City Council Won’t Give Up Car Allowance (Merc) Novato Considers Intersection Improvements After Death of 9-Year Old (Marin IJ) SamTrans Considers Service and Employee Cuts (SM … Continued

Supervisor John Avalos Takes the Lead on the Muni Budget (Beyond Chron)  SF Examiner: “Higher Muni Fare Evasion Fines Pitched” Sizing Up Muni at Bay to Breakers (SF Appeal) BART Director Fang Insists Phone Card Will Prove Translink Obsolete (Matier & Ross)  Independent Auditor Would Investigate Civilian Complaints Against BART Police (SF Gate) Examiner Editorial … Continued