Love and Hate in the Time of NextBus

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IMG_3723.JPG
Photo by tantek

Kirk at Murfins and Burglars recently chronicled an emotional roller coaster he went through regarding NextBus. His first post spoke about the Muni-arrival tool with some contempt:

I’ve begun to notice that having that knowledge divides up my day into ten-to-fifteen minute chunks (the average length of time between buses), and that knowing when a bus is coming but being powerless to change that arrival time can be as stressful as it is convenient. …

It’s a little thing, but it is also constant, and starts to add up.

Sure, it was a little tongue-in-cheek, but it got the attention of Michael Smith (whom Muni Diaries once interviewed), director of engineering at NextBus. Which made our Kirk feel a bit bad. So he posted again on Monday about all the wonderful, life-altering things NextBus does for him:

I thought I’d list the ways in which NextBus makes my life way better. They are as varied as they are numerous.

Please read Kirk’s site, Murfins and Burglars, for the rest of the story. And share your feelings about NextBus (you’ve got some; we know you do) here in the comments.

Category: diaries

Weekend photos: Damn Muni can’t drive itself

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At 20th - The 22 - #463
Photo by eviloars

Here we are, another Friday afternoon. That can mean only one thing: Time to revisit some of the more important goings-on of the week that ends in three, two, one …

  • We never did hear a follow-up, so we assume the woman hit by a 9-San Bruno on Tuesday is okay. She was sent to the hospital where she was treated and put in critical condition. Video of the incident was released a few days later.
  • On the lighter side of things, after some frivolous twitter-twatter (heehee), SFist went public with a contest to get a new slogan for Muni. If you haven’t weighed in yet, now’s your chance.
  • We did our best to get a report out on this week’s MTA townhall meetings to discuss upcoming service cuts and fare hikes. The next day, Streetsblog SF brought up a great point many people seemingly forgot about: bus stop consolidation.
  • Thursday evening’s commute on Muni Metro got interesting when the pantograph on an L-Taraval busted way out at 36th and Taraval, knocking over the dominoes that crippled the entire Metro system. It wudn’t purty.
  • MTA announced that it is rescheduling its next board meeting (to consider the latest budget proposal) from Feb. 16 to Feb. 26. Mark that date, and come let the board know how you feel the service cuts and fare hikes will affect you.

Okay, take a deep breath, let the magic take over and whisk you away to a more Zen-like weekend. See you Monday er, Tuesday. Which reminds us: Muni will run on a Saturday schedule on Monday, aka, tall, dead white guys’ day.

F Streetcar
Photo by tbridge

#1076 rolling down Market
Photo by brad.coy

The Watchers
Photo by Nick.Fisher

Category: diaries, Photos Tags: ,

Video diary: Catching the Z train

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Video by Flickr user Mike Monteiro

We asked a few weeks ago for a show of hands: Who’s fallen asleep on Muni? It’s not like a major confession or anything. Amid the racket and ruckus that often defines our public transit system, some of us (I’d bet a lot more than would admit) doze off from time to time.

Like the fella in the video above. I really love his rocking motion. Even as adults, we’re basically infants. Sweet dreams, merry F passenger.

Category: diaries, Funny: Muni LOLs Tags: ,

Recap: MTA Town Hall Meetings

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Muni Buses For Scrap
Photo by Whole Wheat Toast

Last Saturday and this last Tuesday, SFMTA held “town hall” meetings to inform the public of upcoming proposed service cuts and fare hikes, as well as to offer the public a chance to give MTA feedback on the cuts and hikes. Here’s a recap of the meetings from the vantage of everyday transit riders who attended:

At Saturday’s meeting:

Julianne Nigro, 22, worried that her commute from Treasure Island, where she works at the nonprofit drug treatment center Walden House, to her home in Potrero Hill would take hours. (Via The Examiner‘s report on the meeting)

and:

Howard Woo, 79, pointed out that while the price of his Muni Fast Pass increases, his social security benefits stay the same.
“Does the director of Muni ever take Muni himself?” Woo asked. “Do they know what we need as a rider? I don’t think so.”

Read more

Category: News

‘T stands for terrible T line!!!’

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Coming on the heels of Tuesday’s Central Subway groundbreaking ceremony, here’s a gripe about another of MTA’s recent new products, the T-Third. Muni rider Frankie has the following to say:

The T Line may be the worst thing Muni has ever planned. Coming home everyday at 5pm waiting at the Carroll station can be maddening! Eight times out of ten, the train takes half an hour to forty minutes at RUSH hour! Some trains will not even stop at Carroll but will stop at Williams. Or some trains in the other direction (on the way to Bayview) will end their destination at Williams and then return downtown. Wasn’t this line suppose to be serving the Hunter’s Point/ Bayview better? This line is only serving the Bayview/Hunter’s Point symbolically. The 15 line is sorely missed. The T-line was a HUGE waste of money. Not to mention how SLOW these trains are as well. Couldn’t some of the N Judah trains continue to Sunnydale as well? SF Muni has ALWAYS been notoriously unreliable and the T-Line is the perfect example. I’m sure I am not the only one who despises the T-line.

So, T-Third riders, let’s hear it: How has Muni’s newest toy fared for you?

Category: diaries
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