Today the SFMTA will publish service standards results showing improved on-time performance, according to the Chronicle. On time performance has improved to over 72%, up 3 percentage points from last quarter, but still far short of the 85% on time required by the voters in Proposition E passed ten years ago.
The report will be discussed at today’s SFMTA Board meeting.
Afternoon 21-Hayes commuters stuck in outbound traffic, and morning commuters annoyed with the one block detour by City Hall: help may be on the way. The Planning Department and MTA are looking at the option of restoring Hayes Street to two-way operation, with a rush hour bus-only lane for the evening commute. If this is done, it should save a few minutes on every outbound trip – which would be a huge improvement for long-suffering riders.
If this is done, however, it is vital that the bus lane be included. Ideally an inbound bus lane should also be included for the morning rush (e.g. between Gough and Market). The Chronicle discussed possible opposition to the bus lane due to lost parking as a reason it might not be done – if this were to happen, service would most likely be slower than it is today, which would be unacceptable in a transit-first city.
Today’s Chronicle reports that Muni wrote just over 10,000 fare evasion tickets last quarter, for a total of over 26,000 for the year. It’s still a drop in the bucket compared with the total amount of fare evasion, but every little bit counts – particularly because fare enforcement on the buses allows legal rear door boarding, which speeds up service.
Reminder: Sign up for Translink to speed up your own fare payment – and avoid a ticket!
The SF Transit Effectiveness Project has published an updated proposal for route changes, based in part on public and Citizens Advisory Council input. If you haven’t already reviewed the detailed proposal for the lines you ride and the system as a whole (pdf), take a look now.
These will be considered at the MTA Board on Tuesday, September 16.
From 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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