Category: News

Photo by Mike Hendrickson

Update (1:46 p.m.): SFist posted this video of the burning bus as well as a response (via SF Appeal) from SFMTA spokesman Paul Rose:

Muni spokesman Paul Rose tells SFAppeal that the burned-out bus had just been revamped and was worth a cool $700,000.

Original post: Good morning, San Francisco. Hope you slept well. Wasn’t that fun?

Of course, we’re elated that the 2012 San Francisco Giants won the World Series. Shortly after the 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers, much actin’-afool commenced. Muni buses were smashed, set on fire, and climbed on by rioters on the street.

Here’s a visual recap of stopped, walked-on, and/or destroyed Muni vehicles around town last night.

Photo by itsraydela

Photo by tomdgk61

Photo by jaygem

Photo by philipxanderson

Photo by eze415

By the way, the World Series parade will be this Wednesday morning. You can expect Market Street buses to be re-routed or halted, and streetcars to be out of service for a while.

Previously: The Giants win the World Series (2010 edition)

Photo by Timo Heuer

We got a curious response via Twitter yesterday afternoon from the SFMTA about electrical outlets on the bus. It turns out that, according to the SFMTA, you might not want to use these outlets because they’re 600 volts and may damage your device.

@munidiaries @britsterrett Outlets – 600 Volts – are not for public use. Device could be damaged if outlet is used.

— SFMTA (@sfmta_muni) October 23, 2012

This seemed curious because, to our knowledge, people have been delighted to find and plug electronics into these outlets on a fairly frequent basis.

I just blew @creativewoody's mind by plugging my phone in to an outlet on the N Judah. #munisecrets @munidiaries #munininja #OSL

— Hilldawgg (@Hilldawgg) August 13, 2012

Several @munidiaries followers called bullshit on Muni for suggesting such a thing. We’ll put a call in to SFMTA to get more information. Meanwhile, some of our followers have pointed out that “If that were true, Muni would be liable for terminating it in an outlet rated for 120v@15A” — via @toxic

So, Muni, which is? Dangerous? Not for public use? Or, are you trying to avoid the inevitable bum rush when everyone tries to charge their weak-ass-battery-having smart thing?

Photo by Brandon Doran

A survey of 600 Muni riders found that half of them have never heard of the Geary Corridor Bus Rapid Transit project, according to a Bay Citizen report. Some 57 percent of those surveyed by the San Francisco Transit Riders Union did not know about the project.

So, for the curious minds wondering WTF we’re talking about:

San Francisco County Transportation Authority planners say that the bus rapid transit project would transform the line that carries 50,000 riders a day, the most in the system, into something more like a train. With a dedicated bus lane in each direction, low-floor buses would arrive at more regular intervals to carry passengers between the quiet west side of the city and downtown. It’s scheduled to open in 2019.

There you have it: it’ll happen seven years from now. The Bay Citizen explains the resources that are being spent on rider outreach about the project:

The authority is paying a pretty penny for publicizing the project. A total of $270,000 is going to two big-name consulting firms – Barbary Coast Consulting, based in San Francisco, and Circlepoint in Oakland – to handle communications and outreach from 2008 through 2013, according to the transportation authority.

The planners told the Bay Citizen that they have bought ads, sent mailings, hung posters, and held meetings to “more than 25 community groups this summer about the bus rapid transit on Geary.”

They’re looking to do something similar on Van Ness. Editor’s note: PLEASE GOD MAKE IT SO!

Photo courtesy of Epiphany Dance

Don’t be surprised if you see some incredibly agile dancers on the T line this weekend. Today and tomorrow, you can hop on for a free tour of dance performance on the bus. Board the T-line between 11 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. from the Powell Street station toward Bay View, or meet the tour guides at Intersection for the Arts / 5M Project at the San Francisco Chronicle Building, 925 Mission Street, to get a wristband if you want to make sure you catch the dancers on their way.

This year’s performers:

• Epiphany Productions Sonic Dance Theater
• Campo Santo with Mix’d Ingrdnts
• Carpetbag Brigade with accordionist/composer Diana Strong
• Diamano Coura West African Company
• Anne Bluethenthal and Dancers
• Alleluia Panis Dance Theater
• Mas Makers Massive

Photo courtesy of Epiphany Dance

Check out the details and a handy FAQ on the Trolley Dances website.