GJEL

The proposal to improve transbay transit with a contraflow bus lane on the Bay Bridge is gaining traction, as the SF Chronicle reported yesterday. The idea has been pushed by proponents at SPUR, AC Transit, and some BART board members for years as a relatively quick and inexpensive solution to move more people between SF and the East Bay. BART is already experiencing "crush loads" under the Bay, but a second transbay tube may not come for decades.

Improvements that would make the Wiggle calmer and safer have been delayed after continued driver protests against three left turn bans on Divisadero Street proposed as part of the project. Approval of the project was removed from the SFMTA Board of Directors' Tuesday agenda and postponed until June.

Muni is testing front-mounted bike racks that can carry three bicycles (instead of the usual two) on some of its most hilly bus routes. If implemented widely, that third bike space could prevent some late-night travelers from getting "bumped" when racks fill up.

Updated at 11:38 p.m. with further response from the Recreation and Parks Department below.

The SFMTA launched its "Muni Forward" wayfinding upgrades this weekend with new shelter features, sign posts, and changes to some bus route names. In the most sweeping change, the former "Limited" buses can now be seen rolling with the new "R" mark for "Rapid."

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 SFMTA has held off on installing mandated bike parking in seven city-owned garages due to "very low usage," as SocketSite reported this week. Bike advocates say the parking hasn't been advertised well.

The SFMTA recently upgraded all of SF's 29,000 parking meters to "smart meters" that are enabled for demand-based price changes throughout the day, a la SFpark. Now, the SFMTA plans to expand its smart pricing program that has curbed car traffic to more existing meters.

Anyone who uses Townsend Street's eastbound bike lane to commute to Caltrain is sure to run into a litany of obstacles: Taxis, shuttles, private autos, and Muni buses obliterate the poor bike lane in the fight for curb space. (Much of the curb is reserved as a taxi stand.)