Rescue Muni

Many Muni riders also ride bikes, or would like to, if it weren’t so dangerous. If this describes you, tonight’s Bike Plan Open House should be of interest to you. SFMTA has been working on a comprehensive Bike Plan for SF for some years now, and although it has been delayed by a lawsuit, it’s now ready for public input. Among the proposals: bike access to Muni light rail vehicles, as is available now in San Jose and Sacramento. (Our friends at the SF Bike Coalition have been deeply involved in this process.)

The open house is today, March 26, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the 101 Grove Street (Health Department) auditorium. Civic Center Muni/BART station is nearby, along with many other lines.

What to do with your Muni pass once the month is up? Send it to John Kuzich for his art project, profiled today in the Chronicle. No word as to whether parking cards and expired TransLink Pilot Program cards are also accepted.

The Parkmerced apartment complex is proposing a renovation that would add more housing and otherwise modify its layout, to make the complex more urban in style. Part of the proposal is a rerouting of the M line (see map) through the campus to serve the increased population.

This could be an interesting transit oriented development, but several concerns come immediately to mind, notably the increased running time and possible increased delays that the proposed route would take. (From the map, it appears that the current straight shot up 19th Ave. would be replaced by a detour through the center of the complex – and it’s not even clear that it would be on private right of way.) Unless such a project is planned very carefully to use only private right of way and give the streetcars priority at every intersection, this could cause serious problems for the M line’s existing riders, particularly those who commute from SF State to Balboa Park.

It’s not at all clear if Parkmerced has had any discussions with MTA, the CAC, or riders over this proposal. If it does look like it has some chance of happening, we will make sure to follow it closely and demand that the current line not be slowed down any further.

Some news this week:

Some miscellaneous Muni related news:

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