Senait Hailemariam on being 21 and feeling feels on the K/T Muni

 

I’ve been happy, sad, scared, and angry on the bus—much to my dismay, it didn’t always stay tucked behind sunglasses, and I wasn’t always able to pretend I was just scratching my eye.

Today’s podcast episode features Senait (pronounced suh-NITE, like “tonight”) Hailemariam’s experience Emoting on Muni while on the phone to her number-one confidante: her mom. This is for anyone who has ever felt the feels during their commute—especially if you were young and real life was closing in fast. And for all the moms (Happy almost Mother’s Day!) lending a much-needed ear and support.

Listen on iTunes, Google Play, or by clicking below. You can also download the episode for later listening.

Photo by Right Angle Images

The future is on its way to T-Chinatown Station

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When is the future coming? In this case, it’s already on its way from San Jose. This photo came from reader Cameron Rogers, who spotted this T train being transported on the freeway. Notice the sign? The Chinatown station hasn’t even been built yet!

In case you haven’t been around Chinatown lately, the new station will be on Stockton and Washington (just around the corner from Good Mong Kok Bakery where you can buy the best shrimp dumplings in the city—seriously). The scheduled opening of the station is December 2018.

Hat tip: Todd of the always-on-point Bernalwood.

More about San Francisco’s Subway Master Plan

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Remember when the news about the Board of Supervisors passing the Subway Master Plan broke? That … that was awesome.

Now, on the heels of that news, the always-handy Muniverse digs into four projects already at least in the study phase that the SMP will affect now that it has been passed.

By far, the biggest project (for the region) will be a Second Transbay BART Tube and a new line through San Francisco. BART is still in the early stages of planning, but there’s one particular corridor that seems to be gaining traction and included in presentations. Under this setup, the second Transbay Tube would cross the bay from Alameda to San Francisco, landing around AT&T park and running under Second or Third to Market Street.

Other systems/projects that will benefit from the new plan are: the Caltrain/High-Speed Rail, an M-Ocean View/Park Merced extension and maybe-subway, and the T-Third/Central Subway extension to Fisherman’s Wharf. Read the rest of Muniverse’s post about the Subway Master Plan for more details.

Image by Muniverse/Jamison Wieser

SF kid wants to be Muni for Halloween, mom makes it happen

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OMG, we’re totes drowning in cute over here. We came up for air long enough to publish this, from Muni rider Jennifer.

Hey guys, just wanted to share a photo of my 3-year-old son. His love for SFs favorite municipal railway runs deep.

On weekends, we ride the train all around the city. He loves Muni. So naturally for Halloween he wanted to be a Muni train. I made him the T-Third because that’s what mama takes to work every day.

As for me? Sexy nurse? Sexy cop? Nah, not when my main man wants to be the third-busiest light-rail system in the country! Clipper Card it is.

He likes locomotives and steam engines too, but he doesn’t see those as often. You know, city kids. All about that Muni life.

Thanks, Jennifer! Now, back to DYING.

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Court orders work on Muni’s Mission Bay Loop stopped

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Last month, we told you about residents’ efforts to stop SFMTA from constructing a streetcar “loop” in Dogpatch. Muni wants the loop so that it would be able to turn southbound T-Third trains around. The efforts involved a protest on Feb. 12 near the site of the proposed loop.

SFGate reports that yesterday, a state court ordered construction, already under way, stopped.

The work was scheduled to be completed in October. But the First District Court of Appeal issued a stay Tuesday of any orders for demolition, excavation or construction while it considers the case, and scheduled written arguments through March 27.

The lawsuit by a group of residents and business owners contends the city’s 15-year-old environmental assessment has become obsolete because of an influx of apartments, condominiums and stores in the neighborhood.

Muni rider and Bayview resident Carol agrees that the assessment is no longer relevant. “I think another impact study needs to be done, because (back then) the future of SF’s southeast still seemed like there would be growth, but I don’t think anyone could have guessed how the area has changed. Speaking not only to the impact of traffic and congestion, but even more so of the accessibility for the city’s most southeastern neighborhoods. Bayview and Sunnydale are huge neighborhoods, yet they have the worst transit options. From what I’ve seen of the plans, any of the future changes are only going to create further slowing of and a decrease in service. Even if the loop is moved further south, to the yard at 23rd Street and Third, it will cause issues for everyone, but mostly Muni commuters south of it.”

Read the rest of the SFGate article here.

We’ll keep you updated on any progress in the story.

Photo by Nate Mahoney

What’s going on at the Powell Street Central Subway site?

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Photo by Corey Lappier

Now that the tunnel-boring is complete, what’s going on at the Central Subway construction sites? We’ve seen the cranes dangling ever so close to the department stores nearby, and crews putting together what looked like enormous metal beams. I stopped by to ask one of the construction workers, who told me that they were putting together piles (a post-like foundation) to support the station walls. The piles will be driven into the ground to bear the weight of the soil around the stations.

Starting this Friday, July 11, through the weekend, you’ll see the pile installation on the corner of Stockton and O’Farrell Streets. SFMTA says that construction work will be in progress around the clock until Monday, July 14, at 5 a.m.

The Central Subway segment of the T-Third line is slated to open in 2019.

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