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 Contacts: Andrew Sullivan Chairman, Steering Committee / Chief Spokesperson (415) 673-0626 [email protected] Daniel Murphy Vice-Chair, Steering Committee (415) 412-9094 [email protected]

RESCUE MUNI, the two-year old advocacy group for Muni riders, backed two supervisoral candidates and two ballot measures at their first-ever election endorsement event.

Supervisor Tom Ammiano won the group’s backing because of his solid pro-transit record. “Ammiano’s record of consistent support for mass transit and responsiveness to ordinary Muni riders made him an easy choice,” said Daniel Murphy, vice chair of RESCUE MUNI’s steering committee.

Newly-appointed Supervisor Gavin Newsom also won high marks from the group. “His interest in accountability and customer service won over a lot of Muni riders here, who don’t see enough of either from the city,” said Andrew Sullivan, steering committee chair and chief spokesperson for RESCUE MUNI.

RESCUE MUNI’s endorsement rules require a two-thirds vote of their membership. Ammiano and Newsom each received 83% of the vote. No other candidate received more than one-third of the ballots cast. Additionally, members graded supervisoral candidates with letter grades in each of six Muni-related subject areas. RESCUE MUNI will release these grades in the next day or two, as soon as all the ballots are tabulated.

The group backed Proposition E, the alternative plan for the Central Freeway rebuild, citing its cost savings, safety, and lower impact on Muni Metro. They also backed Proposition I, a policy declaration backing a study of rail on the Bay Bridge, citing increased transit options for Muni riders connecting to regional transit downtown.

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 430 members throughout the city.