Category: News

What’s the best place for a Muni bus stop?

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Ever notice how some Muni bus stops are on the near side of the intersection and some are past the intersection, on the far side? A recent article from The Atlantic’s Citylab blog suggests that there might be a reason for this.

According to a study cited by Citylab, there are three types of bus-stop placement: near-side, far-side, and mid-block. And, as you probably guessed, there are pros and cons to each.

From Citylab, “[N]ear-side stops take more time than far-side ones, by somewhere between 4.2 and 5.0 seconds …” There’s a whole lot of transit-planning “Greek” in the article, but it’s worth checking out if you think Muni could do a better job of 1) placing its stops and 2) keeping the system running more smoothly and effectively. And I’m gonna guess that those two things interest you. Just a hunch.

Photo by @cara4art

Category: News

Should the Central Subway extend to Fisherman’s Wharf? SFMTA to study the question

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fishermans wharf by patrick nouhailler muni

Should the Central Subway go all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf instead of just ending at North Beach? That’s the $1.2 million question that SFMTA wants to answer with a new study, reports the Examiner. Current plans for the Central Subway would extend the T-Third from the Caltrain station at 4th and King to stations at 4th and Brennan, Yerba Buena, Union Square, then Chinatown (jog your memory here). The new study will help determine a plan for possibly extending the line to Fisherman’s Wharf.

SFMTA Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin told the Examiner that the proposed study will explore “more community work and more technical work, to tee it up into preliminary engineering into environmental impact and analysis.”

Though it’s just a proposal (set to be voted on by the board of directors in April), the supervisors are into it. Supervisors Scott Weiner and Aaron Peskin both expressed support, and neighborhood organizations in Fisherman’s Wharf told the Examiner that extension would help bring more workers into the area:

Troy Campbell, head of the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefits District, told the Examiner last year that when it comes to businesses at the wharf, there’s been an “exodus of minimum-wage workers in The City.”

Workers need transit options, Campbell said, and the lack of crosstown transit options to Fisherman’s Wharf makes attracting workers like cooks, bussers and shop workers increasingly difficult.

What do you think? The Examiner has more on the story here.
Photo by Patrick Nouhailler

Category: News

BART director wants to fine seat hogs $500

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BART_sleeper

Everybody has a transit pet peeve, and BART Director Joel Keller is aiming his pet-peeve-o-meter at seat hogs everywhere. According to SFist, Keller is proposing an ordinance whereby BART police could fine you for taking up more than one seat with your stuff. Right now being rude is not illegal, but with this new rule, offenders could get fined $100 the first time, $200 the second time, and up to $500 for repeated seat hogging, according to the Chronicle.

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Category: BART, News

BART wants to gamify your commute to solve congestion problems

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embarcadero bart station crowded after medical emergency at montgomery station

What’s it gonna take for you change your commute schedule to avoid BART’s most congested times? Some of you might remember that BART bought some new trains (here they are with new interior features), but those trains aren’t going to arrive until 2017. In the meantime, BART is set to launch a commuter game called “BART Perks” to alleviate the congestion issue, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The game gives you extra points if you ride BART at its less congested times, and the points lead to perks that have not yet been announced.

More from the Chronicle:

Enticing just 1,250 people — about the capacity of a 10-car train — to commute a bit earlier or later, officials said, could significantly reduce crowding on trains and station platforms.

The need to spread out the rush is growing. San Francisco’s downtown stations, particularly Montgomery and Embarcadero, have become so overwhelmed with arriving passengers in the morning that BART is planning to run all of its escalators in the up direction to clear platforms. Transbay trains are often packed to the limit, as most commuters have experienced.

… The $1.6 million experiment, funded mostly with grants from federal transportation agencies, is based on successful programs used on crowded transit systems in Singapore and Bangalore, India. Like those, BART Perks was developed by Urban Engines, a Silicon Valley startup focused on mobility.

If you’re the type of person who makes Open Table reservations only at 1,000 point restaurants, or if you clipped coupons in a former life, you can probably see the appeal of this game. BART Perks will be launching this spring so we’ll keep you updated.

h/t: SFist.

Photo via @JimMcNutty

Category: BART, News

Am I riding a Muni bus, streetcar, or subway?

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what am i riding muni original

Ugh, isn’t it so annoying when out-of-towners call everything a bus? Actually, there are probably plenty of people who live here and still can’t get it right. The good people at AAA Architecture made a nice guide of transit-speak so you don’t sound like a tourist. Now you can finally work the phrase “articulated coach” into your next dinner conversation and know you’re doing it right.

Photo by AAA Architecture

Category: News
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