A Transit Riders' Association for San Francisco P.O. Box 190966 San Francisco, CA 94119-0966 Hotline: (415) 273-1558 Email: board at rescuemuni.org Web: http://www.rescuemuni.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/2/98 Contacts: Andrew Sullivan Chairman, Steering Committee / Chief Spokesperson (415) 673-0626 [email protected] Ken Niemi Member of Steering Committee / Co-Founder (415) 412-9094 [email protected]

We are not presently concerned about the location of Central Control or the color of the paint scheme or other unrelated issues. We want Muni Metro service restored to an acceptable level and adequate passenger information so that rational choices can be made.

We encourage riders to avoid using Muni Metro until reliability can be improved. Muni Metro has proven so unreliable since ATCS went on line that it cannot be used for any time-sensitive trip whatsoever. We have posted alternate routes for most areas served by Metro on our web site (www.rescuemuni.org), and we encourage Muni to let customers know what these alternatives are as well.

For as long as the Metro crisis persists, we urge Muni to provide the public timely information about conditions on the Metro at all times. At a minimum, Muni must let the major radio stations know, every morning and evening, the number of streetcars available and the status of all delays over fifteen minutes. Muni should also let riders know what the best alternate routes are. Mayor Brown’s demand that passengers be kept informed at all times is entirely appropriate.

We take the occasion to thank the Transport Workers Union, with which we do not always agree, and its members for working professionally under extremely adverse circumstances and with little supervision or management direction.

We call on Muni to address our concerns, invite us to consult on solutions, and work cooperatively with all stakeholders to help resolve matters quickly for passengers.

We urge the Public Transportation Commission, at its meeting next Tuesday (September 8) to approve a new agreement with BART allowing continuing use of the Fast Pass in San Francisco. Such a move would be an excellent way to assure passengers that an alternative to Metro will continue to exist and that their concerns matter.

In the interim, we reiterate our call for passenger information, better planning, and staffing and training appropriate to the challenges at hand. RESCUE MUNI members continue to be available at all times to answer media inquires about the ongoing Metro problems.



RESCUE MUNI, A Transit Riders’ Association for San Francisco, is an organization of concerned riders who seek to make service faster, safer, more reliable, and more responsive to riders’ needs. Founded in 1996, it now has more than 320 members throughout the city.