Muni Head Nathaniel Ford in the Running for D.C. Post 02.21.11
Photo by Michael Renner
Deja vu time: Muni chief Nathaniel Ford is a front runner for an exec position to run airport authority in Washington D.C., reports the San Francisco Chronicle. As SF Examiner rightly pointed out, Ford was rumored to be a candidate to run the Washington metropolitan transit authority earlier last year. The Examiner’s Will Reisman also mentions that some folks in the Washington media world are critical of his lack of experience in aviation matters.
How will this affect our commute? The Chronicle reports:
Ford should hear whether he has the new job around March 1, [SFMTA chairman Tom] Nolan said. If it’s a go, Nolan said Ford plans to remain as head of the San Francisco transportation agency for 45 days or longer.
His possible departure comes at a crucial time for Muni, the Bay Area’s busiest transit agency with nearly 700,000 boardings every weekday. The agency faces a $1 billion-plus budget shortfall over the next 20 years without deep spending cuts and/or new sources of revenue.
Management recently began contract negotiations with Muni operators, who, under voter mandate, are losing their guarantee of being the second best-paid in the nation. Last year, Muni cut service an unprecedented 10 percent and has yet to fully restore the lost service.
Will there be a job opening soon at SFMTA? We’ll keep you posted.
Clipper HQ Answers Your E-Cash, $2 Fee Questions 02.21.11
Photo by AgentAkit
My Clipper card is damaged and I need a replacement. What can I do?
Clipper recently opened two walk-up customer service centers in San Francisco that can replace a damaged or defective Clipper card immediately (you have to bring the card with you to the Customer Service Center.
The customer service centers are at the Bay Crossings store in San Francisco’s Ferry Building and on the mezzanine level at the Embarcadero BART/Muni station.
I’d like to use e-cash on the cable cars, but they don’t accept it yet. Any idea when?
It sounds like you take Muni and the cable car alot, so it might save you money to purchase a Muni monthly pass (the “A” pass lets you ride all Muni vehicles and BART within San Francisco and the “M” pass is good only Muni vehicles).
Muni cable cars will be getting handheld card readers that can deduct cash fares from Clipper cards. I don’t know when the cable car operators will begin carrying them, but they are coming.
Why is my benefits company charging me $2 extra to put a Fast Pass on my Clipper card?
Clipper does not authorize the $2 monthly fee for customers who get transit benefits loaded directly onto their Clipper cards.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which runs the Clipper program, has demanded that the Clipper contractor Cubic Transportation Systems and Commuter Check’s parent company, Edenred USA immediately discontinue the $2 customer service fee.
Stay tuned for more on this issue. You can check for updates on our website, “Like” us on Facebook (Bay Area Clipper) or follow us on Twitter (@BayAreaClipper).
Caltrain needs more Clipper card readers. Some platforms only have one reader.
Thanks for your feedback on the readers at Caltrain’s stations. We’ve heard the same feedback from other Caltrain customers and have shared the input with Caltrain.
If you’ve got questions about Clipper cards, ask them in the comments below.
Do You Have a Favorite Muni Driver? 02.21.11
Photo by coreythrace
I got on the 22 this morning and the driver, my favorite 22 Fillmore driver, touched my arm and started to say something. I took off my headphones.
“Sweetheart, this is my last week on this route,” he said. “I’ll be driving the bus after this one.”
“Oh no!” I said. I squeezed his shoulder. “We’ll miss you. You’ve been great.”
“Thank you, thanks,” he said.
The end of an era, but hopefully our new driver will be just as friendly and thoughtful.
Rachel documents many of her Muni rides, featuring her favorite drivers and passengers. Check it out on Fog City Notes. We’ve featured many great drivers — including tales from the driver’s seat to another driver who held a party on the bus. What’s your story with your favorite Muni driver?
Post-Chinese Parade Fight on the 1-California 02.20.11
Photo by geekstinkbreath
After having waited more than 20 minutes for the 1-California to show up after the Chinese New Year Parade ended, my girlfriend, her 10-year-old daughter, and I got on the bus (along with others at the stop at Sacramento and Polk). We made our way to the back of the bus and found a kind lady getting out of her seat. Not to give it up, but to get away from a drunk man harassing her. The man then pulled the stop cord for the next stop and got out of his seat.
You could smell the alcohol on his breath from five seats away — one of those riders, you know. I noticed when he got up from his seat that his left fist was clenched. I moved as far against the side seats as I could to avoid him, but I didn’t feel right. I saw him motion his fist toward my girlfriend who was standing in front of her sitting daughter, who was a drummer in the parade hours earlier. I squared myself hoping he was going to just walk past and get off with out incident. He didn’t.
When my girlfriend turned her back to him to look down instinctively at her daughter, the drunk man drew back his fist and lunged it toward the little girl. Without hesitation, I stepped in front of him, taking the punch square on the bone below my left eye. He then fell backwards and tried to lunge again at me. I deflected his advance and he started running backwards trying to escape off the bus.
Who on earth tries to assault a 10-year-old and her mother? I’m sore and have a black eye that I’m nursing with a cold container of mint chocolate chip Breyer’s ice cream.
After the fact, I filed a report with SFPD, but if anyone was there and would contribute their two cents, please do.
Riders, be aware, be alert, and if you are going to be noble, be prepared.
BART service disrupted; smoke reported on tracks (update) 02.18.11
Update (6:57 p.m.): KRON reporting that service has resumed, but delays are expected systemwide.
Original post: This story is breaking as of now. We’ll bring you more as we details develop. For now:
Weekend Photos: Streetcars Without Names 02.18.11
Photo by mtarlock
A quick reminder that this will be a three-day weekend for many of you (Presidents’ Day is Monday), and BART will be running on a Saturday schedule on Monday, as will Muni. Muni will also be affected by Saturday’s Chinese New Year Parade.
And if you’re looking for things to do this weekend, join the folks who run the The Tender for another installment of Tender Nights, the post-Valentine’s Day edition. Tomorrow night at 6 at Koko Cocktails. Anything else fun going on you want to share with fellow Muni riders? Do so in the comments here or on the Muni Diaries Facebook page (“like” us while you’re there, please).
And now for a rather hefty helping of the week’s Muni news:
- Police Have No Suspects in Last Weekend’s Powell Station Pepper Spraying that Injured Eight (SF Appeal)
- A storm of factors cause Muni vehicles to miss the mark (SF Examiner)
- Obama delivers possible good news for Muni (City Insider)
- Free and discounted Muni passes for low-income students moves forward (City Insider)
- Board of Supervisors Passes Resolution Urging Free Lifeline Youth Passes (Streetsblog SF)
- Muni fare inspector attacked last week in the line of duty (SF Examiner)
- Central Subway Station Could Be a Long Trek for Disabled Passengers (SF Weekly)
- Muni faces $1.6 billion deficit over 20 years (SFGate)
- SFMTA Considers Five Plans to Combat Impending Billion Dollar Deficit (BCN via SF Appeal)
- New SF Mayor: Muni Not a Priority (Bay Citizen) WTF?
- Man in critical condition after being stabbed on Muni (SF Examiner) (BCN via SF Appeal) (Friday update from SF Appeal)
- West Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station set to open tomorrow (BART blog)
- Teenager beats police officer on Muni bus (SF Examiner)
Enjoy the photos and your weekend!
Photo by Jeremy Brooks
Photo by Troy Holden
Photo by Peter_Hansen
Photo by librarygroover
Visions of the 26-Valencia 02.18.11
Andrew of Mission Mission fame penned a ghost-sighting of the dearly departed 26-Valencia the other day.
Read the conclusion of this thrilling tale at Mission Mission. And if you miss the 26 as much as we and Andrew do, peruse our Muni obituaries from 2009.
Photo diary: Out of love, or necessity? 02.17.11
It’s a “half-full/half-empty” question, to be sure. I mean, that’s a lot of bags.
Photo by davitydave.
“Like” Muni Diaries on Facebook and stay connected with fellow riders!
Back when Fast Passes gave a damn 02.17.11
Cranky Old Mission Guy‘s 1970s Fast Passes remind us of old baseball cards. “Bygone” is an understatement.
For more images, check out this post on Muni Time Capsule. And for card holders and T-shirts honoring the slated-for-termination paper passes, visit our Etsy store.
Clipper cards: Is resistance futile? (update) 02.16.11
Photo by Steve Rhodes
Update (2:21 p.m. Thursday): A rep from Clipper has dropped by to reply to some of your comments. Read them all here.
Here are the highlights, in chronological order:
Lol at people who still are resisting#Clipper — if you have a monthly pass its really not that different, maybe even better? — @DevonEleven
@DevonEleven Muni monthly pass doesnt cause the scanner on train to screech incessently if s’one else tries to scan @ same time — @SaraMurphy
@DevonEleven i KNOW! #Clipper is so much more useful. — @firstwavedown
@SaraMurphy true, but I honestly do find a reloadable card more convenient — @DevonEleven
@SaraMurphy &it seems to be a better way of tracking line usage which gives me hope for more frequent/plentiful busses/trains @DevonEleven
@DevonEleven if you don’t have a monthly pass Muni’s even worse… some of us lost our comm checks with the downturn #clipper — @noelleaharrison
That last comment is a sad one. But the rest of the conversation makes us wonder: If you’re a monthly pass-holder who hasn’t made the switch yet, why not? And if you have already got a Clipper card, how are you liking it?
PS: If it’s simply aesthetics that explain your aversion to Clipper, fear not. We’re selling card holders that look like the old paper Fast Passes in our Etsy store.
Ride Muni like a boss. Our Fast Pass Clipper card holders and Muni Diaries T-shirts are all on sale 
