When more than 1 million people pour into The City — something that’s likely to happen for the Giants’ World Series parade Wednesday—public transportation will likely suffer from overcrowding, delays and disruptions.
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After initially soliciting four separate bids for its Central Subway station construction projects, Muni has elected to consolidate the plans into one major contract, a move that could save the agency up to $30 million.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency originally made separate construction projects out of its proposed Moscone Center, Union Square and Chinatown stations, along with another project for operating systems management of the $1.6 billion Central Subway project.
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For years, BART’s train interiors have been bywords for dirt, grease and other filthy things most people would prefer not to know about.
However, the agency is finally starting to make strides in its never-ending battle against grime. During the most recent quarter of this fiscal year, BART actually met its goals for train interior cleanliness — the first time in the 15-plus years of its reporting that the agency has achieved that mark.
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Muni is poised to receive $6.7 million that could fund a free youth fare program, but some lawmakers believe the struggling transit agency should use the funds more productively.
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It is now possible to rent out picnic tables or find directions to the nearest neighborhood park using a smartphone, and it might not be long before people can purchase tickets for events, buy merchandise or pick up special passes.
Working with local startup Appallicious, the Recreation and Park Department recently launched its first mobile application program. The app has information on 1,200 different Rec and Park facilities, such as the location of bathrooms and the operating hours of museums and arboretums, said Appallicious founder Yo Yoshida.
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For four grueling months last year, San Francisco firefighter Denise Elarms underwent chemotherapy for breast cancer, an experience she could only compare to one thing.
“I’ve never been to hell,” Elarms said, “but I can’t imagine it’s any worse than chemotherapy.”
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The San Mateo-Hayward Bridge will be shut down to vehicles tonight as the first of two planned weekend closures this month takes place.
The span will be off-limits to cars in both directions starting at 10 p.m. and lasting through 5 a.m. Monday. The bridge will be closed for the same duration the following weekend.
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After six months of diminishing returns, Muni’s operating performance crept upward last month, but the agency is still far from achieving its goals.
From March to August, Muni’s on-time performance slid downward steadily, from 63.2 percent to 57.2 percent.
The agency has a voter-mandated goal of achieving an 85 percent on-time performance rate — a mark that has not been remotely approached since it became a benchmark in 1999.
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Cabdrivers and their long-suffering passengers might have new means to connect with each other, but taxi companies are not thrilled with the situation and local authorities are still trying to determine its legality.
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Encouraging signs of support for sales tax ballot measures in San Mateo County could help provide Caltrain with a long-sought dedicated funding mechanism.
A recent survey found that 66 percent of San Mateo County voters would support a quarter-cent sales tax increase to provide funding for Caltrain and SamTrans. The poll, conducted at the behest of the San Mateo County Transit District, targeted residents likely to vote in the 2014 election. The transit district manages both SamTrans and Caltrain.
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New bike lanes, extended crossing zones and other traffic-calming measures on a three-block stretch of both Fell and Oak streets were approved Tuesday as part of a controversial plan that also will remove more than 50 parking spaces.
Cycling, pedestrian and transit advocates have been pushing for the project for more than a decade. On Tuesday, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s board of directors unanimously approved the plan. Work is scheduled to start later this year.
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A plan to provide free Muni for low-income youths in San Francisco — which looked perilously close to extinction earlier this year — has received new life, with $6.7 million in funding now potentially available for the program.
When the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which administers federal and regional transit funds, declined to approve $4 million for a 22-month pilot program in July, the endeavor looked dead in the water.
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A long-awaited plan to add separated bike lanes to busy sections of Oak and Fell streets is up for approval Tuesday.
The three-block stretch on both Fell and Oak between Scott and Baker streets is a vital east-west route for cyclists, but many are afraid to ride on the segment because there is virtually no separation between bikes and fast-moving cars, said Leah Shahum of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.
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On a day when lawmakers celebrated a $942 million grant approval for the Central Subway, opponents of the project announced plans Thursday to put a ballot initiative before voters that would give the electorate a chance to nix the massive undertaking.
The Fix Muni First Initiative would stop the $1.6 billion Central Subway project dead in its tracks if approved by more than 50 percent of The City’s voters in the November 2013 ballot, according to Quentin Kopp, a backer of the measure.
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When California voters approved Proposition 14 in 2010 — an initiative to allow open, multiparty primaries — the idea was to cut down on the rancorous, ideologically extreme rhetoric that had become commonplace in the races leading up to the general election.
However, local residents voting in state Senate races Nov. 6 will see a quirky side effect of the law that probably was not envisioned.
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URL: http://www.sfexaminer.com/people/will-reisman?page=14&quicktabs_1=2&quicktabs_6=0
