LRV in Accident Speeding, Driver On Phone?

June 17th, 2008

LRV 3 MPHAccording to MTA officials conducting an investigation of last weekend’s accident at AT&T Park, the trailing vehicle was speeding (17 MPH in a 3 MPH zone) and the operator may have been on the phone.

More details to follow.

Light Rail Accident Saturday

June 15th, 2008

Accident Muni often gets into fender benders, but this one was worse than usual. On Saturday, one LRV crashed into another on the section of the N/T line near the Caltrain depot and AT&T Park. Fortunately, no injuries were life threatening, but 16 people including both drivers were taken to the hospital.

This crash occurred in an area with a very low speed limit (3 MPH during games), with dedicated, fenced transit lanes and clear visibility of the track area, so we will be very interested in the results of the investigation. Muni safety rules require all vehicles to stop a minimum distance from vehicles ahead - what happened this time? (If you were there, post your experiences in the comments.)

Cole Valley / Haight Neighborhood Meeting on SFTEP Thursday

May 28th, 2008

SFTEPIf you live in the upper Haight, Cole Valley, or Parnassus Heights, or if you haven’t come to a SFTEP briefing yet, come to this community meeting to hear about SFTEP proposals with a particular focus on this area and the lines that serve it.

Community Meeting: Thursday, May 29, 2008, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Grattan School, 165 Grattan between Cole & Shrader
Near Muni routes N, 6, 37, & 43; parking entrance on Alma between Cole & Shrader

Muni Route Changes: N-Judah, 6-Parnassus, 7-Haight, 22-Fillmore, 24-Divisidero, 33-Stanyan, 35-Eureka, 37-Corbett, 43-Masonic, and 71L Haight/Noriega Limited

Join your neighbors to hear from the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP) team about the evaluation process, goals, and findings – and details of the proposed route changes that impact our neighborhood.

More Commuters Switching To Transit Due to High Gasoline Prices

May 26th, 2008

$4 GasolineThis time in Washington, DC, where ridership is up on all regional systems incluing Metro. Said Metro GM John Catoe this week, “There is a point at which we may see a massive move of commuters from driving to transit because of cost.”

Are Bay Area transit systems ready for big increases in ridership? Muni is working on the Transit Effectiveness Project, and BART and Caltrain are planning on expanded service, but if even 10% of auto drivers switch to transit due to gas prices, will our region be ready?

Last Minute Notice: Call Supervisors on MTA Budget

May 22nd, 2008

SFMTAFrom our friend Dave Snyder at SPUR:

Today (Thursday) at 4:00 p.m. the Board of Supervisors Budget & Finance Committee is hearing the MTA Budget. This budget is good for transit riders, but it’s run into some political difficulties. We need your help to get the necessary votes to avoid a rejection of this budget by the Board of Supervisors. (It requires seven votes to reject the budget; therefore, we need five to support it.)
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