April 11, 2008
A few words on riding the subway / bibelot
Often, when riding a crowded subway car in the morning, I will necessarily stare at the advertising placards, reading in each medical condition for which a cure is on offer (bunions! hammer-toe! skin blemishes! weight loss! weight gain!) and the social ills I might solve with a phone call: bankruptcy, a divorce, an injured child; the pleasures I will gain from cologne, whiskey, candy, patent medication. I stare at the ads to avoid staring at the newspapers around me, which I have learned is not done (in fact, I learned this from a whisky ad on the subway and then confirmed it with Anna). Sometimes I bring my own book, but more often I stare at the ads. On occasion, music from someone's headphones will bleed out into the subway and a tune will stick in my head. This morning, the word bibelot popped into my head, and I couldn't get it out: where does it come from? (Latin, through French) How might I use it? (in lieu of bauble, chachka, geegaw, gimcrack, knickknack, trinket, or whatnot; the latter is a special favourite of mine).... Read more
April 9, 2008
In which pretty girls don't ride the subway
MTA Service Specialists have taken to the rails; never mind that straphangers will be shouldering the costs of Albany's rejection of the congestion plan, this is a certain way to improve subway ridership and have riders enjoy the trip. The State Legislature's surprising decision to table the New York City congestion-pricing proposal still staggers me. Not only would does proposal address congestion within Manhattan, it tackles the critical issues of transportation funding and infrastructure. The Legislature's action smacks of provincialism. Streetsblog has excellent coverage of the congestion-pricing issue. The New York Times had an enjoyable article on the new Hudson tunnels for New Jersey transit, a great feature discussing the urban communities around street design in "Taking Back The Streets", and a vehement editorial on equitable tolls for highways. Everyone rides the subway: day or night, express or local, whenever I board a subway train the cars are full of people. The streets too are chock-full of cars, trucks, and buses; something must give, and sooner rather than later we must address both the cost and the financing of transit in New York City. The pillbox-hat-wearing stewardesses underscore the lack of service on the MTA: after exchanging a fare hike for service improvements, the agency reneged on the promise and left riders with the increase in fares but without a commensurate increase in service. Sounds familiar, from what the San Francisco MUNI pulled in successive years.... Read more
April 4, 2008
A few more whacks on this dead horse
SFist has a nice roundup of recent Translink developments. I complained that the Translink developers were new to the transit world, only to hear that the Cubic Corporation, developers of New York's MetroCard What is the importance of automated fare collection? and now of "touchless" fare collection? The accounting needed to manage fare collection, especially http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/transportation/20060213/16/1758... Read more
February 29, 2008
In which we have not staunched the flow
mattymatt, writing on sfist.com, has a handy chronology of TransLink. This is why the Bay Area will never host an Olympics event. Oh, yes: I love belly-aching about TransLink. I even see OysterCard-style smart-card readers on some of the vandal-proof MTA turnstiles these days, and wonder down which road we are heading: MasterCard sponsors the system.... Read more
February 28, 2008
In which I smell a rat
The sight of a rat in the subway fills me with joy, not horror. I have a superstition: a rat augurs well. I especially enjoy the sight of a rat gambolling along the tracks late at night, in the utter silence of a quiet subway station.... Read more
February 25, 2008
Testing, Or, TransLink
A photograph is worth a thousand words: (via) I have written previously on TransLink: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2006, 2006,2006 (I think I gave up, eventually).... Read more
February 18, 2008
In praise of the semi-colon
The New York Times writes in praise of the semicolon, as found on a placard on MTA trains. It was nearly hidden on a New York City Transit public service placard exhorting subway riders not to leave their newspaper behind when they get off the train. "Please put it in a trash can,” riders are reminded. After which Neil Neches, an erudite writer in the transit agency’s marketing and service information department, inserted a semicolon. The rest of the sentence reads, “that’s good news for everyone.” Semicolon sightings in the city are unusual, period, much less in exhortations drafted by committees of civil servants. In literature and journalism, not to mention in advertising, the semicolon has been largely jettisoned as a pretentious anachronism. This particular semicolon has aggravated me, perhaps because I prefer staccato sentences in advisory signs. This sign's exhortation becomes more of an admonition with the sentences split that way; the semicolon becomes a lengthier pause than a period, because the reader may have to read the following clause, and then re-read the entire sentence in order to parse it properly. The sign does have sophistication; I give it that. As for the New York Times: I am happy that they, despite their plummeting level of sophistication, printed this piece.... Read more
February 13, 2008
A few words on the subway
While riding the rush-hour subway northwards a few evenings ago, I overheard a few medical students talking about how they would rather be in a car, or on the shuttle, but the subway was faster. As we progressed northerly, more and more people crowded in to the carriage, and the medicos pressed together, joking about how tight the space was becoming. One asked another about a syndrome in which people derive physical pleasure from pressing up against others in crowded area, and pronounced it "frawternize", somewhat along the lines of "fraternize" but distinctly different in its first syllable. I could not find references to the word online, and wonder if the M.D. wasn't joking for the sake of eavesdroppers, but am curious. The MTA announced its trip planner, which looks a sight nicer than HopStop, and is speedy.... Read more
January 30, 2008
A tale of two cities, part three
A concept that I have long favoured for San Francisco may be coming to New York: free transit. Ted Kheel has proposed a "Free Transit Plan (PDF), balancing transit and Mayor Bloomberg's congestion-pricing plan. Kheel's proposal includes convincing analysis of the costs, to the city and to commuters, and he presents his ideas boldly but without hubris. I like it. Meanwhile, San Francisco's independent auditor has recommended against further study of free transit, citing unbelievably low costs for fare collection and an anticipated rise in ridership. Just six months ago, Mayor Newsom was calling free transit in San Francisco a possibility.... Read more
December 7, 2007
In which we vault the turnstile
Some reflections on reading a NYT article on plans to enforce fares in the Los Angeles Metro transit system. I have long thought that San Francisco should adopt this model: make fares voluntary. None of this nonsense about the honor system (which works in a place like Genève, with a homogeneous population and, importantly, uniform cultural ideas); make fares voluntary. I suppose that [insert economic theory here ] people who can pay, will pay; people who would ordinarily expend energy hopping turnstiles will be able to put their efforts towards something more productive, like cheating people out of pension funds or clear-cutting old growth forests. The numbers make sense: As a result, the report said, the authority lost about $5.5 million in revenue annually. Fare-collecting gates, which could cost $30 million to install and $1 million a year to maintain, would yield an extra $6.77 million in recovered fares and other savings, according to the report. In San Francisco, the cost of fare collection makes up somewhere between one-quarter and one-third of MUNI's operating budget. That is significant, but does not in itself justify eliminating fare-collection systems. When one adds in the difference that not requiring fares might make to a bus's headway, however, the time savings become a strong argument for eliminating fares. -- especially as MUNI still cannot meet the 85% voter-mandated on-time record. One of the endearing images of fare evasion: the opening passages of Naked Lunch: "I can feel the heat closing in, feel them out there making their moves, setting up their devil doll stool pigeons, crooning over my spoon and dropper I throw away at Washington Square Station, vault a turnstile and two flights down the iron stairs, catch an uptown A train ...". Big up to Wm. S.... Read more
November 12, 2007
722 Miles
&uotA colleague saw me reading a dog-eared copy of Robert Caro's majestic opus "The Power Broker" and suggested I dig into Clifton Hood's 722 Miles. Similar to Caro's work, Hood focuses on the power wielded by the elite of New York City in his description of the New York City subway's early years. That the subway managed to come about despite all of the wrangling and financial obstacles -- a major portion was built around the time of the Great Depression -- amazes me.... Read more
October 28, 2007
In which they shut up
Boston's transit riders, suffering tune wedgies these past two weeks at the hands of corporate djs and musicians have a reprieve, as the T discontinues the experiment.... Read more
October 24, 2007
In which we fight the tyranny of the automobile
The International Chindogu Society presents the roll-up zebra crossing. "chindogu" comes from the Japanese words for "weird" and "tool". The Chindogu site definitely contains some unusual devices, along the lines of "I Can't Believe They Invented It!". Chocolate toothpaste? The Juice Loosener? The Hay-Fever Hat?... Read more
October 1, 2007
In which I wish upon a star
A photograph I wish I had taken: Photo by ciaran-sf. I have a set of photographs of transit point-of-sale machines, some behaving well, many abnormally.... Read more
September 10, 2007
In which we listen to the rails a-hummin'
The A train (née the Eighth Avenue Line) celebrates its 75 years with pomp and circumstance, the 7, or the "International Express" extension may have platform doors (how will I search the railbed for rats?), and Amtrak ridership reaches a new high.... Read more
September 6, 2007
In which we admire
this very appealing animation showing the development of New York's subway lines. I like transferring between stations and seeing the old BMT and IRT plaques on the walls; and since visiting part two of the Transit Museum's Architects of the New York City Subway, Part II: Squire Vickers and the Subway’s Modern Age I have a new-found appreciation of the subway tile and mosaic.... Read more
August 28, 2007
In which we find something to do on Staten Island
Public transit innovation, Staten Island is thy name: priority signal lights, free ferry rides, and a fareless railway (as long as you leave the island after an hour or so).... Read more
In which the subway sizzles
A helpful explanation of why the subway is so damn hot. This explains some of the difference between the cool tunnel air, pushed massively about when the long trains move, and the stale platform air, breezeless and humid.... Read more
August 17, 2007
In which we read a tale of two cities, or, Gimme Shelter
Both New York and San Francisco are updating their bus shelters. San Francisco had a design contest, and New York had a commercial firm install commercials. Both cities are struggling with next-bus notifications, whether by satellite for San Francisco, or the three-year-old proposal for real-time information by radio in New York (the only link I had for this is now stale -- !). I'm not holding my breath, but I do like the L-train arrival information.... Read more
August 12, 2007
In which we experience better living through typography
Joshua Yaffe has an intriguing article in the The New York Times Magazine about highway signs, typography, halation, and all sorts of exciting stuff.... Read more
August 8, 2007
In which we can't pump fast enough
Just stay home, commuters. So sayeth the MTA (whose web site be down). update The New York Times has a revealing article on sewers, storms, and subways.... Read more
June 22, 2007
In which MUNI feels the heat
updateWe fixed the glitch. The SFist has its usual biting take on MUNI: "Fails at Everything". As MUNI's web site has this information in a proprietary format, I converted it to something readily accessible on the internet (Google Spreadsheets link), and have the contents here: AS OF 11:17 A.M. METRO SERVICE FROM WEST PORTAL TO EMBARCADERO IS MOVING SLOWLY INBOUND. DUE TO A MECHANICAL PROBLEM, THE J-CHURCH AND N-JUDAH LINES ARE AFFECTED AT DUBOCE & CHURCH. FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2007 THROUGH OUT THE MORNING WE CONTINUE TO EXPERICE A SIGNAL SYSTEM PROBLEM WE ARE OPERATING TRAINS IN MANUAL MODE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR RIDING PUBLIC. ALL METRO LINES ARE AFFECTED: J, K, L, M, N AND T. WE ARE RUNNING SUPPLEMENTAL MOTORCOACH SERVICE WE HAVE CREWS ADDRESSING THE ISSUE, IT IS LIKELY THAT IT WILL BE A FEW HOURS. AND, WE ARE ENCOURAGING OUR RIDERS TO ALLOW EXTRA TRAVEL TIME. (Capitals, mis-spellings, et al. are original to the memo.) An update from the Chronicle reads: Commuters who are planning to ride the Muni metro this afternoon and evening should consider using buses or streetcars, because a problem with the signaling system is causing delays on all lines and isn't expected to be fixed until tonight. The problem started around 4:30 a.m., said Janis Yuen, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency. Muni has enlisted more buses to serve passengers who normally would take the subway, she said. In an unrelated matter, a mechanical problem that occurred around 10:45 a.m. at Duboce Avenue and Church Street additionally snarled the J-Church and N-Judah lines, Yuen said... Read more
June 14, 2007
In which we follow the orange-paint road
A truck spilled orange paint on the highway. Excellent video.... Read more
June 11, 2007
In which we ride a white elephant
I wrote about the Personal Rapid Transit system at West Virginia University a few weeks ago; today's New York Times has a piece on ditto, with the headline City’s White Elephant Now Looks Like a Transit Workhorse. The long-term development of the PRT system, now in its thirty-second year, has allowed for quick expansion of the city around the University, and for the Uni itself to spread out. Like something out of The Jetsons, the PRT is a technological oddity: "Riders can push a button and select which of the five stops they want on the system’s 3.6-mile route; it is like a horizontal elevator that can go 30 miles per hour. The driverless, 21-passenger fiberglass cars, gliding on rubber wheels and powered by electric motors, pick up riders and deliver them to their stops quickly, bypassing intermediate stations along the concrete and steel guide way. It is this individualized destination option that sets it apart from other cities’ systems." The system does not expect to receive more federal funding, however, even as it seeks to expand: at $30m per mile, it is not cheap. The system receives much of its operating expenses through the University; it is closed when school is not in session (how odd!). It has a remarkable 98% uptime record, which sure beats MUNI.... Read more
In which MUNI melts down and down
The San Francisco Chronicle has a decent piece on what is wrong with MUNI. UPDATE: Further reflections on MUNI, including SFist's "Ask a MUNI Driver" feature, reveal that MUNI is internally as disorganized as any medium-sized bureaucracy, but that hardly beggars sympathy from me. What else is wrong with MUNI? Chronic driver shortages, which result in missed runs, which in turn mean more people waiting for fewer buses (and fuller buses, which is never pleasant for those of us who live anywhere along the Civic Center—Haight corridor. Yuck.).... Read more
June 8, 2007
In which we fix our bike to the sidewalk
The Williamsburg hipsters can tonight rejoice: the sidewalk outside the L station is being widened in order to accomodate bicycle parking. That's right: bicycle parking encroaching on car parking.... Read more
June 6, 2007
In which one man drives while the other man dreams
The New York Times has a grandiose account of CC Meyers's phenomenal work on the 80-580 interchange, which his company completed under bid. Good ol' moxie, the sort that Kafka longed for in Amerika (of which there is a new translation). Mr. Myers said he made one misstep in the ramp project: telling a TV reporter it would be completed before Memorial Day weekend. It was, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had wanted to make that promise public himself. “I’m not going to play games with him,” Mr. Myers said. The governor praised Mr. Myers at a news conference, but did not introduce him until reporters began asking questions: all for Mr. Myers. That made him especially glad he had worn those ostrich cowboy boots. “I wanted to be a lot taller than him that day,” he said. The welding sub-contractor's description of having two drivers in each truck, so they could drive more-or-less continously reminded me of the Pere Ubu's "historical" collection of bootlegs titled " One Man Drives While The Other Man Screams", itself from the old trucker motto, "One Man Drives While The Other Man Sleeps." Perhaps that last word should be "dreams"; that has a suggestion of "screams" which seems altogether appropriate for truck-driving in this context, because a addle-pated truck driver took out this impossibly important interchange. Another confounded truck driver hosed part of the Lincoln Tunnel th' other day. Great photo: UPDATE: SFist has some comments about other notable truck accidents, including the ostrich spill on the Golden Gate Bridge.... Read more
June 5, 2007
In which there's no fire where there's smoke
This year, MUNI's Christmas list will include smoke detectors, so that they will no longer rely on work-of-mouth reports of smoke. I just found out that the Market Street tunnel was closed after various people reported smoke near the Embarcadero platform. The likely culprit: steaming and smoking brake pads. In other MUNI news: the T-Third, N-Judah, J-Church, and 15-Third (that's right! the bus is back!) will all receive new schedules, and some return to normal.... Read more
May 29, 2007
On personal rapid transit
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hasan article on West Virgina University's thirty-year-old Personal Rapid Transit system. The 20-passenger cars carry about 15,000 riders, mostly students, a day when classes are in session -- and twice as many for Mountaineer football games. That compares with about 25,000 riders a day on the light-rail system operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County, which covers 25 miles and operates 45 more hours a week than the PRT. Also, the authority's LRV operating cost per ride is about four times higher than on the university-funded PRT. A transportation charge in their activity fee entitles students to unlimited rides on the PRT. The single-ride cash fare for the public is 50 cents. The system drew praise this month when the school played host to a small but spirited national seminar focusing on the PRT and other advanced people mover transit technologies. After 30 years, it remains relevant and ahead of its time, attracting transit officials, academics and researchers from around the globe. Pittsburgh and Allegheny County almost got a similarly unique system in the early 1960s, but political opposition and community controversy killed Port Authority attempts to build an automated, rubber-tire Skybus project. Construction had advanced to building a test track in South Park, now demolished, and rebuilding an abandoned Wabash Railroad Tunnel, now a little-used high occupancy vehicle facility. ... shades of Maglev?... Read more
May 21, 2007
In which we take the survey
Caltrain is soliciting input from cyclists through an online survey. Especially interesting are the questions about realigning the bike cars, which are typically at the "northern", or cab-car end of the train (right beneath the crossing horn and station bell, which makes for a restive nap on the trip home). The survey also focuses on the almost-ready San Francisco bike station. (The Caltrain bicycles FAQ is well-written and useful, despite having some out-of-date information -- such as "Caltrain is working to build a bikestation at its San Francisco station, with anticipated opening in fall 2006.") I have been riding Caltrain since I moved to the Bay Area, in 1997. At the time, Caltrain had embarked on one of the more liberal bicycles-on-transit schemes in the United States: no surcharge for bringing a bicycle on board; reserved seating, with spacious bicycle accomodations, for cyclists; and a policy that encouraged people to use their bicycle for part or all of their trip. Typically used by long-haul commuters, the scheme really caught on. Bike lockers appeared at stations along the route; the party car became an institution (I've eaten wings and downed beer with all sorts of a Friday afternoon); and more and more cyclists took the train. Caltrain has done an admirable job of taking cyclists into account when planning service, rolling stock (even if the results with the Bombardier cars were mixed!), and station renovations.... Read more
May 17, 2007
In which the MUNI melts
The San Francisco Chronicle scored a point this morning, with its snappy Muni Metro falls down on the job again headline. The story's personal anecdote: "Rebecca Krueger, who takes the Metro to her job in Mission Bay, said she left her home in the Inner Sunset at 5:30 a.m. and two hours later still wasn't at work." Inner Sunset to Mission Bay is just over five miles as the driving goes, or 45 minutes on the theoretical MUNI. If MUNI's T-Third were cheese, you could put it and some chopped beef between day-old slices of bread and have a melt.... Read more
May 14, 2007
BART 2.0
BART has started to distribute its schedule data via an open feed format. Now, in addition to embedding a BART planner widget, you can take the actual data and have at it.... Read more
May 1, 2007
In which we see the master plan for Los Angeles ...
... and can't stop laughing. The plan to get LA moving has ambitions to connect, with public transit, Los Angeles' many neighbourhoods, breaking through the many barriers of geographic, social, and political difficulty. (copy from getlamoving dot com) And, oh, yes, who will pay for this?... Read more
April 29, 2007
In which the freeway melted
Roadway to Bay Bridge collapses after tanker fire explosion: "The dispatcher said eastbound Interstate Highway 80 to eastbound Interstate Highway 580 collapsed after heat from the tanker explosion on the westbound Interstate Highway 580 at Interstate Highway 80 rose and melted the upper roadway." (emphasis mine) UPDATE: Burly video of the conflagration, although not of the aftermath traffic snarl. A Google Maps widget shows the section of roadway what collapsed. As usual, they Keyhole BBS has the scoop.... Read more
April 14, 2007
In which MUNI fails to intersect
Again, I wonder: why does MUNI insist on constructing adjacent, but not overlapping, platforms for different lines? Just as the N and J nearly intersect at Church and Duboce, the J and T come frustratingly close to each other at Fourth and King -- and this is the apparent cause of this week's MUNI tomfoolery.... Read more
April 12, 2007
How do you like me now?
Although the apology from MUNI director Nathaniel Ford now turns up a "Not Found" error, the vigilant mattymatt at SFist has a copy of the published apology. To understand the struggles leading to MUNI's latest fiasco, one should look at the data for scheduled versus actual arrival times for the much-heralded and now much-reviled T-Third MUNI line. If San Francisco had a tabloid, its screamer would be a 48-pt "T stands for Trouble!", (keeping the tradition of having a verb in every headline). From the Chron article: "Mechanical breakdowns, power failures and streetcar bottlenecks inside the Market Street subway tunnel and near the South of Market Caltrain station -- while train operators and passengers are still getting used to recent route changes -- have resulted in maddening delays." I love the Market Street Subway, the single point of failure for all of MUNI. Several years ago, Mayor Willie Brown famously humiliated MUNI by walking Market Street downtown faster than any MUNI train could have carried him. To remind myself that San Francisco is not the only city saddled with transit woes, I offer the Second Avenue Subway project in New York.... Read more
April 6, 2007
In which we are struck
I was struck by the media message on the MUNI bus that struck and killed a woman earlier this week: Sure, MUNI stops for cheese (and perhaps other tasty snacks). But does it stop for pedestrians?... Read more
April 2, 2007
In which MUNI moves at half-speed astern
I appreciate capital improvements to transit as much as the next guy, but remain nonplussed about the T-Third. It has been operating for about three months after its "soft launch" and still manages a whopping 5 mph over its route, which means that a jogger, unicyclist, or parent with an all-terrain stroller could probably make the trip in about the same time. "What I heard from friends is that the train is slow,'' Tyler said Thursday morning as she waited for the bus on Third Street. "But Muni says it will get better. I hope they're right. People out here have waited a long time for this.'' Completion of the project was more than a year behind schedule and ran more than $150 million over the original cost estimate. It has been in the works for more than 20 years ... I did get to ride the T-Third on my most recent birthday, its opening day. Underwhelming.... Read more
March 23, 2007
In which San Francisco's transit agency goes progressive
MUNI on "Take Your Daughter to Work Day": I cannot believe this is any sort of date, but, as the man said: "It takes all kinds". Yes. That's what it takes.... Read more
March 21, 2007
In which the N is near
The optimistic folk at the N-Judah Chronicles are selling their witty t-shirt, ha ha ha ha. I do like a cheap pun. In other MUNI news, I overheard one young woman telling another that "MUNI downtown is now free. It's a fare-free zone, from Van Ness." The other woman did not know about this development, perhaps because it's not true. The Mayor is again making noise about making MUNI fare-free, while blithely ignoring the related woes of the MTA. This happens more-or-less annually, whenever the Mayor needs to distract from the city's general budget morass. Last year, cable cars were the whipping boy. The Chronicle had a surprisingly insightful analysis of fare-free initiatives in the US, including Portland's Fareless Square. The lowdown: "The experience of other transit agencies has shown that the ridership would go up -- a benefit if the goal is to get people out of their cars. But that creates a need for more buses and streetcars and additional maintenance crews, drivers and security workers." One, ironic aspect of this change for MUNI would certainly be that the on-time arrival and speed of buses would need to increase, thus making the service actually appealing. ... And an appealing service would be worth charging for. But since San Francisco cannot really afford to make MUNI free, this is pretty much an "academic" argument. And those women on the bus, well, they will just keep on fare-dodging, as do thousands of riders each day.... Read more
February 25, 2007
In which MUNI is second-class
The price of doing business in San Francisco, according to a FedEx spokesperson, includes citations for double-parking, for obstructing bus traffic, and for generally being above-the-law members of the community. When I read a MUNI driver's comments on what causes MUNI to miss its on-time targets, the number two complaint was "When delivery truck, UPS delivery trucks, cab drivers double- park on the street, the buses have to either wait for them or try to go around them". Businesses that frequently collect tickets pay them off in bulk through the city, through the same Municipal Transportation Agency which oversees MUNI. For a fistful of pennies ($1.5 million annually, of the $85 million collected through parking citations overall), the city mortgages its bus service, increases congestion, and fails to encourage delivery services to find more efficient ways to run their businesses. Do other congested cities have similar programs allowing private delivery services to take precedence over public transport? This is backwards: Delivery services should be heavily fined until they find less-intrusive means of transport. The city should encourage the use of smaller trucks for downtown and the use of bicycles for the last mile.... Read more
February 15, 2007
In which we move it maritime style
If you need to move a sea-going rig, a passenger ferry, or bunch of other ships, you will need one of these ships for carrying giant cargo. "... a semi-submersibile heavy transport carrier ... strong resemblance to the Servant class vessels..." I saw a similar ship carrying 220-foot tall container cranes as it motored through the San Francisco Bay to the Port of Oakland. Models, too (although no longer commercially available. Alas!). Via Metafilter.... Read more
January 28, 2007
In which I complain about parking
In a city (San Francisco) where parking problems abound — where we find abusrdly low meter revenue, yet high meter occupancy; where 1 in 10 citizens have a handicapped placard; and where meter maids receive physical dressings-down, I am frustrated that the Department of Parking and Whatever only has three PCOs (the Parking Control Officers assigned to tow detail) working on Sundays, a delay of about three hours between call and action on Friday, and precisely zero PCOs working the graveyard shift. To be precise, the graveyard shift (0200 to 0600) routes calls to the local constabulary, who take the report of a blocked sidwalk, obstructed fire hydrant, car on kerb, car blocking a driveway, et c., and promptly ignore it. A DPT dispatcher told me, "Oh, the PCOs don't start until six, and they probably won't get to the first call until maybe seven." Oh, yes, San Francisco, and especially all those people who come to this neighbourhood at weekends to party, you park like an asshole. dot com. The bestest times to block a garage, park in someone else's driveway, double-park, roll up onto a sidewalk access ramp, or otherwise get in the way of pedestrians are Friday nights, Sunday all day, or any day after two o'clock. The nicely-dressed well-spoken man eating at Out the Door a few weeks ago suggested acts of retaliation, but none satisfies me as much as the tow. The Tow! To the Auto Return! Lest you think that all I do is belly-ache, I will very happily point out that a cheerful, bearded man named Tory gave me an orange that he had grown yesterday, and it was a delicious orange. He sells fruit at the Farmers' Market at the San Francisco Ferry Building.... Read more
January 23, 2007
In which we have sad proof that Octavia Boulevard is bad for cyclists
A cyclist was seriously injured today at the on-ramp bit of Octavia, at Market St.. This bicycle lane is a proven recipe for disaster. A bicyclist was seriously injured this morning when she was struck by a truck making an illegal right turn onto a Highway 101 on-ramp on Market Street, police said. The truck left the scene at Market and Octavia streets without stopping, but was soon pulled over by a San Francisco Police Department motorcycle officer, said Sgt. Steve Mannina. The driver, who did not realize he had hit the woman, was cited for making an illegal right turn, Mannina said. The 28-year-old bicyclist was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with life-threatening injuries, Mannina said. She was wearing a helmet, he added. The collision occurred about 8:25 a.m., when the truck, which was traveling east on Market Street, turned right onto the Highway 101 on-ramp. A right-hand turn in that direction is illegal at the intersection, Mannina said. Google Maps has out-of-date imagery for this intersection, but it's hairy, despite being recently designed and built. Octavia was designed and built for cars, not for pedestrians: witness the horrible medians, the light timing that prevent people from crossing along Page or Haight in a single cycle); and definitely not for cyclists: the level crossing with a freeway onramp and no physical barriers at Market St., the abrupt grade changes between Fell and Market. UPDATE: some movies and diagrams of the madness at the intersection of Octavia and Market.... Read more
January 22, 2007
In which all transit is easy
Can you live in San Francisco without a car? The San Francisco Chronicle amusingly claims that transit around the Bay Area is "easy", setting themselves up as too easy a target. How is getting around the Bay Area on public transit easy? Trains don't run 24 hours, meaning that on Sunday I cannot take BART until eight o'clock; meaning that for much of the last year, I could not take light-rail inbound from Downtown San Francisco, but instead needed to rely on MUNI's erratic, poorly-labelled, and tediously slow surface buses; I could (and often do) go on about this, but I find any assertion that San Francisco is easy to get around with public transit laughable. I have found walking home from Downtown faster on foot than by bus, even during rush hour (!!) with three bus lines, a trolley, and two train lines to compete against; I still consider that cycling from point to point in San Francisco is more efficient than MUNI. To those who say that you wind up smelly and sweaty, consider how smelly and damn nasty MUNI buses are. In a small way, I am happy that car-sharing, the focus of the Chronicle's article, has succeeded in San Francisco; but this does not improve public transit, and may in fact distract funding from improving transit in the Bay Area. Car-sharing may reduce private car ownership, and encourage drivers to consolidate trips, and cut down on the onerous and contentious task of parking (hey, jackassaurus parked across our driveway! that's not a spot! I will twist your windshield wipers, use a Sharpie on your paint, kick some of the fresh dog shit from nearby Duboce Park onto your door handle, and other nasty tricks I learned from a well-dressed man with a dog under his arm at the Ferry Building). I really wish that public transit in the Bay Area were free or lower-cost, that it ran more frequently (really frequently); I don't buy the local-vs-express argument that MUNI uses in planning routes, and I don't appreciate the lack of dedicated transit zones, and I really can't stand how the different services fail to interoperate).... Read more
January 19, 2007
In which we see a stroke of genius
The Subway Knitter has a pattern for most excellent mittens, with a buttoned pocket for holding one's Charlie Card (or Metrocard, or Chicago Card, or ... wait, San Francisco's MUNI has no equivalent stored- or saved-value electronic payment system for transit ...). A beauty. In my case, the mittens would need to be attached to my jacket with elastic and alligator clips, lest I lose 'em (and the card!). Subway Knitter: wonderful mittens! Thank you for sharing the pattern! Now I wonder about a scarf with a subway map ...!... Read more
In which a shadow knows
The Scots are looking in to the feasibility of Maglev trains to speed intercity surface transit. The idea is gaining popularity, probably because politicians can sound hip and promise jobs with the projects. THE Scottish Tory Party revealed today it is investigating the possibility of eight-minute journeys between Glasgow and Edinburgh using a revolutionary MagLev high-speed train link. It follows the announcement by Shadow Transport Secretary Chris Grayling that he wants a feasibility study into how MagLev, which can reach speeds of 300mph, would work over short distances. Mr Grayling said today high speed links had the potential to transform short-haul routes between cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow and such a link had the potential to reduce travelling time. The Scottish Tories deputy leader Murdo Fraser said: "The effective integration of Glasgow and Edinburgh to form one twin-city economic powerhouse for Scotland would be a revolutionary step. "This will require an enormous improvement in the transport links between the two cities and we are examining the option of a new Maglev service between Glasgow and Edinburgh." A Maglev from Pudong to Shanghai has been running for about two years (link includes do-it-yourself maglev instructions!).... Read more
In which someone needs to learn to use the metric system
A San Francisco television station reported that MUNI's T-Third line suffers from an inconsistency: platforms that are higher than train floors. The creative interpretation of blueprints may well result from one vendor using the metric system and others not. Or perhaps from typographical errors. Or from improper oversight. Or general jack-assery. With MUNI, who knows, it might be all of these.... Read more
January 14, 2007
In which it suits MUNI to a 'T'
"It don't make no sense,'' said Melvin Henderson, 42, an amputee who relies on transit. "Instead of making it easier, it's going to make it harder for us. What they're trying to do is make it look pretty, but it's creating problems. All they needed was an upgraded bus.'' That is: the much-heralded, long-anticipated arrival of MUNI's Third Street Light Rail fell short. Even though today was the first day of actual service, the trip was lengthy, the signals poorly-timed, and the conductors still unfamiliar with the names of stops — that last is not a significant criticism, and if MUNI were to actually put route maps or stickers anywhere, such as inside the carriages or at the platforms, I could more easily find my way around. I am glad that more MUNI lines will intersect, and that higher-speed transit will become available through a larger section of this city, but! San Francisco deserves better than surface transit that has to share so signal timing with private, automotive traffic. I thought that part of the technological improvement promised for this line included automatic signals and priority switching for transit, but both of our trips encountered significant delays at big intersections, including a five-minute pause where the Third Street drawbridge needed to open. The Third Street route avoids the drawbridge, heading over the historic Fourth Street Bridge, but appears still susceptible to traffic on Third.... Read more
October 18, 2006
In which we are subject to the undersound
The Undersound project is a station-by-station indexed repository of "localized interpersonal interactions" based not on conversation on the platform, but through the up- and down-load of music in the London Tube.... Read more
October 15, 2006
In which we may have another ticket
I hope that conflation of "flash passes" and "smart cards" in this Chronicle report of a new BART fare card refers to TransLink, and not some new system, or a variation of the BART Plus ticket. Six years ago, TransLink showed promise, and gave commuters who use more than one transit system great hope that they might have easier-to-manage fares. The system has gone nowhere, and even though it could significantly reduce face-collection costs for some transit agencies, and improve ridership reporting for all, it has not received the widespread adoption or promotion it needs to succeed.... Read more
September 15, 2006
In which you win some, but you lose most
The recapitulation of this week of MUNI woes demonstrates that MUNI can work around some problems, but still charges too much, with the result that fewer passengers take rides on the cable cars.... Read more
September 10, 2006
In which Pittsburgh gets it, double bore
The City of Pittsburgh and the Port Authority of Allegheny County are embarking on an ambitious two-bore tunnel to connect the North Side with Downtown Pittsburgh (and the "T": I hope that the new North Side line will properly connect the Downtown and South Side routes at Gateway Center). Now that the North Side is home to new football and baseball fields, and Downtown to a spanking green Convention Center, moving people efficiently and comfortably becomes more important -- despite the bevy of bridges. Shawn Bennear's Pittsburgh Transit page has excellent photographs of rolling stock old and new (and mod!).... Read more
August 27, 2006
In which we have more adventures with MUNI
Last night, Anna and I were returning from a film and a walk at the Embarcadero when we decided to take MUNI back home. Nothing could be simpler, right? At the Ferry Terminal, the eastern edge of San Francisco, a half-dozen light-rail lines (and the F-Market historical streetcar, to boot). The light-rail stops running after ten o'clock due to ongoing track work, but that's no problem: MUNI runs shuttle buses. However, the surface buses skip the Financial District entirely, and the 71 first alights at Fourth. So we walked a few blocks, hedging our bets that the F would not show before we got to Fourth. And it didn't. Neither did the 71, though, and that's what burned us. We waited for more than half an hour.... Read more
August 10, 2006
In which I see dead transit ideas
The TransLink system, designed to unify the byzantine Bay Area transit systems, will shake its death rattle this autumn. How transit planners can hope to obtain useful data from such a small sample is beyond me, but they are trying to have a go at it with AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit riders. Since those two systems have almost no meeting points (except for the massive and depressing Transbay Terminal), I cannot imagine how useful this test will be. Why not MUNI, BART, Caltrain, and AC Transit? MUNI has myriad problems of its own, from route management to budget deficits; from its aimless and useless web site to its perpetually-late buses. Easing integration amongst systems, and providing more reliable measurement of transit-system use, may go a long way to making transit more appealing. The integration will help passengers on the complex journeys around the Bay Area: a single ticket means less overhead for planning a trip. Measurement of ridership and activity will allow the transit agencies to plan more effective routes, determine how routes should interact, and allocate rolling stock to areas that need it. The Chronicle has a story on the Transit Effectiveness study, which really should be called the Effective Transit project, but perhaps I split semantic hairs.... Read more
June 20, 2006
In which MUNI shuts the stable door
After the public-transit horse is long gone, MUNI is looking into ways of shutting the stable door. According to an article in the San Francisco Examiner, the transit agency still has no idea about how many people ride the various bus routes. Not only do I find this embarassing -- London Transit conductors and ticket-takers knew this by examining the day's ticket stubs, one hundred years ago -- we should find it doubly embarassing as we are in the region known for its technological innovation. Muni is currently facing a multiyear deficit and has been forced to raise fares twice in two years while cutting service. Some transportation advocates have called for the agency to become more efficient by becoming faster — streamlining some of its busiest lines. Having already inflicted a double-whammy on the transit-taking public, a dwindling population, the transit agency is now looking into half-baked computerized statistics collection. Have they not already installed TransLink smartcard readers on all streetcar and light-rail lines? Enforce the use of those, and you will get a vast data set without the need for additional infrastructure. Data that the fare collection will not provide: Amount of time that people waited for the 22 Fillmore while the NextBus sign ticks away the hours. "Next Bus in ... 3 minutes ... 7 minutes ... 12 minutes" Number of fare evaders jumping on at the back door at the intersection of Market and Van Ness Amount of time wasted at the N-Judah stops that do not note the bus bridge in effect after 2200 daily If you wanted to get to SFO this morning, I hope that you did not take BART. In fact, if you ever want to get to the airport, you probably do not take BART.... Read more
May 24, 2006
In which we study the design of trains
A Parable by Edsger W.Dijkstra, sometime in 1973. Years ago a railway company was erected and one of its directors -- probably the commercial bloke -- discovered that the initial investments could be reduced significantly if only fifty percent of the cars would be equipped with a toilet, and, therefore, so was decided. Shortly after the company had started its operations, however, complaints about the toilets came pouring in. An investigation was carried out and revealed that the obvious thing had happened: despite its youth the company was already suffering from internal communication problems, for the director's decision on the toilets had not been transmitted to the shunting yard, where all cars were treated as equivalent, and, as a result, sometimes trains were composed with hardly any toilets at all. In order to solve the problem, a bit of information was associated with each car, telling whether it was a car with or without a toilet, and the shunting yard was instructed to compose trains with the numbers of cars of both types as equal as possible. It was a complication for the shunting yard, but, once it had been solved, the people responsible for the shunting procedures were quite proud that they could manage it. When the new shunting procedures had been made effective, however, complaints about the toilets continued. A new investigation was carried out and then it transpired that, although in each train about half the cars had indeed toilets, sometimes trains were composed with nearly all toilets in one half of the train. In order to remedy the situation, new instructions were issued, prescribing that cars with and cars without toilets should alternate. This was a move severe complication for the shunting people, but after some initial grumbling, eventually they managed. Complaints, however, continued and the reason turned out to be that, as the cars with toilets had their toilet at one of their ends, the distance between two successive toilets in the train could still be nearly three car lengths, and for mothers with children in urgent need -- and perhaps even luggage piled up in the corridors -- this still could lead to disasters. As a result, the cars with toilets got another bit of information attached to them, making them into directed objects, and the new instructions were, that in each train the cars with toilets should have the same orientation. This time, the new instructions for the shunting yard were received with less than enthusiasm, for the number of turntables was hardly sufficient; to be quite fair to the shunting people we must even admit that according to all reasonable standards, the number of turntables was insufficient, and it was only by virtue of the most cunning ingenuity, that they could just manage. With all toilets equally spaced along the train the company felt confident that now everything was alright, but passengers continued to complain: although no passenger was more than a car length away from the nearest toilet, passengers (in urgent need) did not know in which direction to start their stumbling itinerary along the corridor! To solve this problem, arrows saying "TOILET" were fixed in all corridors, thereby also making the other half of the cars into directed objects that should be properly oriented by the shunting procedure. When the new instruction reached the shunting yard, they created an atmosphere ranging from despair to revolt: it just couldn't be done! At that critical moment a man whose name has been forgotten and shall never be traced, made the following observation. When each car with a toilet was coupled, from now until eternity, at its toileted end with a car without a toilet, from then onwards the shunting yard, instead of dealing with N directed cars of two types, could deal with N/2 identical units that, to all intents and purposes, could be regarded as symmetrical. And this observation solved all shunting problems at the modest price of, firstly sticking to trains with an even number of cars only -- the few additional cars needed for that could be paid out of the initial savings effected by the commercial bloke! -- and, secondly, slightly cheating with regard to the equal spacing of the toilets. But, after all, who cares about the last three feet? Although at the time that this story took place, mankind was not blessed yet with automatic computers, our anonymous man who found this solution deserves to be called the world's first competent programmer. I have told the above story to different audiences. Programmers, as a rule, are delighted by it, and managers, invariably, get more and more annoyed as the story progresses; true mathematicians, however, fail to see the point. Dijkstra developed the concept of semaphores for inter-process communication. He also described the problem of deadlocks, as eventually retold in the Dining Philosophers Problem.... Read more
May 17, 2006
In which we postpone the inevitable, again
Another item to file under "Public transit infrastructure that will not happen in my lifetime: the California High-Speed Rail. Their motto: "Fly California / Without ever leaving the ground!" makes a lot of sense, because this project is nothing but a flight of fancy. He said the high-speed rail measure would have a better chance of passing in 2008, when it wouldn't be in competition with a $37.3 billion public works bond package approved by lawmakers earlier this month. Torrico also said lawmakers were discussing how to provide about $116 million the state would need to complete engineering work and begin buying right of way for high-speed rail over the next two years. Eventually, the project would link San Diego, Los Angeles, Fresno, Sacramento and the San Francisco area with trains running at top speeds of more than 200 mph.... Read more
April 30, 2006
In which we suspect a junky nurse rides the bus
Who is riding MUNI these days? Junkies. Pointed warning: Riding on Muni means more than just getting a seat these days -- it means watching what you may be sitting on as well. Just ask Tanya Houseman of San Francisco's Richmond District, who had a disturbing finale to her morning bus ride to work at the Convention & Visitors Bureau the other day. According to Houseman, "before our final stop at Bush and Montgomery, the bus driver got out of his seat and said, 'Listen up, people. When you get on this bus going home tonight, be sure you check your seats. People have been putting syringe needles in the seats, and several people got hurt yesterday.' "It was nice to know," Houseman said. "But I would have appreciated it a lot more if I'd been told before taking my seat. We're not talking about sitting on gum." Muni spokeswoman Maggie Lynch said that she hadn't heard of the incident and that apparently neither had anyone else at bus headquarters. "I'm not saying the driver didn't make the announcement,'' Lynch said. "But if anyone had been stuck with a syringe needle, you could bet that ambulances and everyone else would have been called out."... Read more
April 17, 2006
On disappointment, in the form of Octavia Boulevard
More complaints about Octavia Boulevard: it causes backups on tertiary roads, such as Page St., preventing transit; it provides limited visibility of the rolling main road, inhibiting traffic throughput; the brief length of road and inconsistent light timing results in congestion; it amounts to nothing more than a glorified free-way offramp, as it fails to connect multiple crosstown routes (if the Boulevard extended to, say, Geary, it would be especially useful); and it ends in the risible Hayes Green, yet another pile of dog turd. I walked through the little square of green where oft children play, and squished my hapless way through several piles of poop, fresh and stale. It's a playground, but like every public piece of green in this city, amounts to nowt but crap. Somewhat related: The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has endorsed legislation for car-free Saturdays in the park and approved the continuous bike lane on Market Street.... Read more
March 30, 2006
In which BART reboots, again
BART is out for the third straight day -- and the third commute-hour outage. Trains are stopped on the tracks, but BART are not placing blame on the computer systems that delayed trains the past two days. BART stopped regular service after the problem hit at 5:27 p.m., moving all trains under manual control to the nearest station. BART spokesman Linton Johnson said the problem is different than the software glitch that plagued the system Tuesday, but has the same effect -- a service shutdown. Johnson said the network is showing signs of returning to normal operation, but could not say when service would resume.... Read more
March 21, 2006
In which the storms outpace us
The San Francisco Chronicle has a piece on the problem of San Francisco's ageing sewers. The story notes the 13 per cent per annum increases in sewer rates for San Francisco residents, and that the $1 bln cost of the 30-year Master Project will inevitably go up. Jack Hoffbuhr, executive director of the American Waterworks Association, an advocacy group based in Denver, said getting public support won't be easy. ... He also said San Francisco isn't alone in trying to improve an old system. His group estimates that about $300 billion is needed nationwide just to replace public sewer pipes. That doesn't account for all the other projects that go along with the pipes, such as pumps, holding tanks and water-treatment systems. Work on San Francisco's sewers -- replacing mains, patching breaks and dealing with cave-ins -- is constant, with close to 500 repairs made a year. The older, brick tunnels are only 3 feet wide and 5 feet high -- oftentimes shorter because of built-up sludge and debris -- and full of rats and roaches, not to mention the obvious: human waste. I was excited to recieve the nice comment card from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission th' other day.... Read more
March 20, 2006
In which I convert to Baptism, so as to guarantee a parking spot for when I go to meet the Lord
These parking permits seem easy enough to make, but the city's seal of authority appears only if they are held by double-parking Baptists. What is the story with their ability to block in everyone else on the street? To block one lane of traffic on Guerrero and Dolores? What secret covenant does the City of San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic have with Baptists that allows them to flaunt the law? I know that they are not members of this community, otherwise they would not be driving and double-parking -- they would easily walk or bike in their Sunday best. Nothing on the DPT's web site suggests that Baptists should receive special traffic-buggering privileges. Were I Presybterian, could I obtain a similar permit? Quaker? Hindu? et c. How do people blocked in by Baptists get out? If they call the DPT, does the dispatcher say, "Oh, worship of The Lord (praise his mercy!) is part and parcel of Sunday in San Francisco"? does the metermaid drive up in the Interceptor, fall to his knees and speak in tongues? What arcane interaction between San Francisco and the collected Baptist Churches makes this possible?... Read more
March 14, 2006
In which some other people complain about MUNI
Matt Baume has a great précis on MUNI service recommendations suggested by SPUR. I have complained enough about MUNI. But neither Matt nor I have belly-ached about their atrocious web site, which is neither aesthetic nor useful. When I say that it is not useful, it is not readily available for mobile devices (although other sites provide a third-party interface), nor is it in itself especially navigable or intuitive.... Read more
March 11, 2006
In which I dream of juicy kebabs
As one who knows well the pleasures of enjoying some of the dreamless while on a long train commute, I laughed out loud when I saw the "Wake Me Up At" stickers. Although I journey to the end of the line, and can at worst saw logs while someone pilfers my bicycle helmet, I do know the anxiety of someone who wants to sleep for a few minutes yet still wake up in time to get off at, say, San Carlos and sleeps through the stop (although then you have a different set of problems ...!). I disagree with the anti-Brixton sentiment, I do like the schematic representation of the average sleeping rider's dream. Oh yes: and wake me up at Farringdon, where we will find the Jerusalem Pub, minding the ps and qs with St Peter's. Aside: All in London has a nice tube-stop-by-tube-stop guide to what's on in London; Mark and I tried something similar with the CTA and our nascent "Gate Culture" journal. ... but we got nowhere, other than my enjoying lots of bicycle-riding along the once-derelict Jackson-Englewood and Lake elevated lines. Ooooh, the CTA.... Read more
March 9, 2006
In which we have no common sense
I complain about MUNI an awful lot (and I am hardly alone in my frustration with San Francisco's Municipal Railway), but happily other people are trying to improve the use of public transit in San Francisco. Traincheck is a nifty SMS tool that responds with BART train arrival times. The technology is sound, but, really, who thinks of the Dublin-Pleasanton train as the "Blue Line"? This brings to mind the old chestnut: You cannot fight city hall, win a land war in Asia, or predict MUNI arrival times. Something like that, yes. Have you ever waited for the J-Church in the evening? in the morning? The damned NextBus LED displays read "Next train in 8 minutes ... in 18 minutes ... in 58 minutes ..." and you half expect it to read "Next train when hell freezes over ... when hell turns to slush ... when hell enjoys springtime ..." because NextBus technology cannot cope with the chaos of MUNI scheduling.... Read more
March 8, 2006
In which I slag on MUNI
The time: 1745 today The place: Market St., the heart of San Francisco's Financial District, Civic Center, et c., et c. The quotation: "I just got on the bus. I had to wait forever." Why does this quotation sound so out of place for rush-hour in the bustling nerve center, brain, and shopping heart of a metropolis? How come bus-riders and I waited a quarter hour for any of five lines that should have stopped along Market St. during the height of rush hour? The mind boggles, but then again, it does'n't. MUNI, which faces ongoing management and fiscal problems, degrades daily: the quality of service, the ontime record, but worst of all, the public perception. MUNI, an agency that cannot effectively collect fares critical to its revenue, has already increased fares twice in the past three years; at the same time, it cannot meet its reduced service levels. This means more people waiting longer for fuller buses.... Read more
March 1, 2006
In which we put on the fritz
Is San Francisco on its way to becoming the District of Columbia, with gaping potholes (does one ever see any adjective besides gaping or yawning next to that word, pothole? never patched, that's for-damn-sure)? The San Francisco Chronicle quietly points out that the city has fallen some $340mm behind in patching potholes, repaving streets, and generally keeping pace with the increasing weight of Americans in Hummers (a generalisation, yes). Combine this with the weighty problem of the sewers, and we have a looming infrastructure crisis to add to the ever-present fiscal crisis. Those adjectives should be th' other way around: the fiscal crisis should be looming, but how can we avoid the ongoing infrastructure problems? Everything about this city, this state, points to gross misunderstanding and mismanagement of our resources. How could we not anticipate periodic failure of sewer pipes and asphalt road surfaces?... Read more
February 23, 2006
In which we keep pace with the storms
After the romantic trip to Les Egouts de Paris, I have been thinking more about the ageing infrastructure in San Francisco -- and so has the city itself, which has mounted a publicity campaign to raise awareness of the deficiencies in San Francisco's sewers. The storm drain capacity cannot keep pace with the growth in the city, and during periods of heavy rain many street corners will be under water. The City of San Francisco replaced some, but not all, of the miles of decaying pipe underground following the '06 earthquake; however, City records show a backlog of 70 miles of sewers that are undersized and require replacement. The Channel Force Main, a very large pipeline that transports much of the City’s wastewater has been broken and repaired three times in the last 16 years. The photographs on San Francisco Sewers web site are instructive, if not terribly recent -- that in itself is a frightening indicator of how aged the pipes be.... Read more
February 14, 2006
In which it is obvious
The Examiner has an article stating the unfortunately obvious: you cannot rely on public transit in the Bay Area. And if I read the phrase "[Critics|Proponents] have called for a $5 million study ..." one more time, I will devote my life to putting the heads of desk jockeys and cheap-suited bureaucrats on pikes outside City Hall. When will we finally reap the benefits of the TransLink card, which should have completed its trial run five years ago? This card promised seamless fare transfers and interchange amongst transit agencies, which would go a long way towards making transit in the seven-county region less hair-tearing. However, its backers dropped it after San Francisco fell out of the candidacy as a spot for an Olympic Games (one of the criteria for hosting the Olympic Games is providing reasonable public transit amongst all sites).... Read more
February 6, 2006
In which consensus is forgotten
The San Francisco Examiner looks into the ongoing problems of Octavia Boulevard planning and whatnot. Even groups that fully embrace the plan are frustrated with the timeline. “It’s taken forever,” said Paul Olsen of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association. City officials are frustrated as well, citing lack of resources that held up the plan. “What we’re concerned about is the length of time it takes,” said Amit Ghosh, head of long-range planning for The City. “By the time we finish the plan, consensus is forgotten.” On the bright side, at least the pagoda is gone. A cabby said to me the other night: "Sure, it's pretty, but why does it end right there? And who put a playground there? And why are the lights not synchronized?" But he did think it was good to look at. I also think that Traffic Planning 101 says: if you are building a boulevard, level the roadway. Straight, unrippled roads tend to have faster through traffic.... Read more
In which we review public transit to the airport
I complain that a city without efficient public transit to the airport is worth hardly a damn. Two editorial pieces in the Los Angeles Times discuss transit and the airport: Dan Turner's well-written and astute piece on Taking the rail to the airport and Ray Bradbury's cockamamie and unscientific paean to the monorail. (My favourite pesudo-statistic: "Anyone who has ridden the Disneyland or Seattle monorails knows how quietly they move. They also have been virtually accident-free. The history of the monorail shows few collisions or fatalities." Per passenger-mile, I bet that driving a tank through Afghanistan is safer. Monorails are so uncommon that accident stats are close to useless. Didn't the Seattle Monorail crash into itself a few months after the same monorail caught fire? The Monorail is now "closed for repairs" with no word on when it will open.... Read more
January 23, 2006
In which we see the modern Joe Henry
Colin takes on the Glasgow underground in this murky video clip. A nice wager, 'though not as daft as the challenge undertaken by the protagonist in Tunnel Vision, Keith Lowe's neatly-done book about a tube buff on his wedding eve. I still have never taken the Eurostar, which courses through the Chunnel, certainly one of the greatest engineering accomplishments of the twentieth. After reading about Colin's challenge, I thought, briefly, that something similar might be amusing to try with MUNI. But the biggest obstacle is overcoming the throngs entering and exiting each subway station; this, presumably, is why Colin chose an advanced hour for his go. But MUNI does not operate at the late hours any longer.... Read more
January 19, 2006
In which The Mayor explains MUNI budget shortfalls
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has found MUNI's missing millions: cable-car conductors are embezzling from tourists and homeboys alike. This is the perfect time for Nathaniel Ford, the new head honcho at MUNI, to declare that the transportation system will begin using electronic fare collection. No, it turns out to be the perfect time to shut down the subway system early each night for the next year. At least: MUNI still has not completed the much-anticipated Third Street Light Rail project. And their intensely-convoluted web site galls me, in its inaccessibility and its backwards attempts to provide accessibility.... Read more
January 4, 2006
In which the system is down
The fileserver behind this is having some issues. In the meantime, consider that MUNI will be shutting down the Market St Subway later this month, in order to perform some maintenance: Metro Subway Stations from Embarcadero to Church Street To Close at 10 pm Monday-Friday for Metro Improvement Project On Tuesday, January 17th, 2006, the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) will begin Phase I of the Metro Improvement Project. The Metro subway from the Embarcadero to the Church Street stations will close at 10:00 p.m. instead of 1:00 a.m. Monday-Friday for Phase I of the project. Also, there will be no N Judah rail service after 10:00 p.m. Monday-Friday between the Caltrain depot at 4th & King Sts. and Duboce Ave. & Church St. Bus shuttles will provide substitute service for the subway trains. The Castro Street, Forest Hill, and West Portal subway stations will remain open until their usual closing time of 1 a.m. Monday-Friday during Phase I. The Metro Improvement Project The Metro Improvement Project will replace the overhead-wire system that provides power for the Metro cars in the subway. Phase I will take approximately one year and includes the stations from Embarcadero to Church Street. Phase II, which will start in the winter of 2007, will replace the overhead-wire system between the Castro Street and West Portal stations. Combined, the two phases will take approximately two years. The replacement project is necessary because the overhead system in the subway is over 25 years old, and maintenance costs and service problems in the subway have been increasing because of the aging system. Metro Service After 10:00 p.m. Monday-Friday During Phase I After 10:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, K, L, and M Metro rail lines will only operate between their outer terminals and the Castro Street Station until the start of regular Metro Owl bus service at 1:00 a.m. J and N Metro rail lines will only operate between their outer terminals and Church & Market Sts. until the start of Metro Owl bus service. Shuttle bus service will be provided between 4th & King Sts. and Castro & Market, along King St., The Embarcadero, and Market St., until the start of regular Metro Owl bus service. The buses will stop at designated stops along the route. Passengers will be able to transfer to and from the J and N Metro rail lines at Church & Market, and to and from the K, L, and M Metro rail lines at the Castro Street Station. Saturday-Sunday Metro Service Saturday and Sunday evening Metro rail service will not be affected, and all the stations in the subway will close at their usual time of 1:00 a.m. However, Saturday morning Metro rail service will start at 7:00 a.m. instead of 6:00 a.m. for the duration of the project, and Metro Owl bus service will be extended to 7:00 a.m. on Saturdays. Ballpark Service Metro rail ballpark service on the K and N lines will be provided on baseball game days. However, no rail service from the subway to the ballpark will be available after 9:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. For games that end after that time, K and N rail service from the ballpark will only be provided by the Metro cars that have been banked to the west of the Caltrain depot. After those cars have picked up passengers at the ballpark, service from the ballpark will be provided by the shuttle buses as outlined above, as well as by the regularly scheduled 15 Third Street, 30 Stockton, 45 Union-Stockton, and 47 Van Ness bus lines that serve the ballpark area. Accessibility Transfers between the shuttle buses and rail service will be provided for wheelchair users and others needing to use the accessible wayside platforms for the J and N Metro rail lines. The transfers will take place at the Duboce Ave. & Church St. stop for both inbound and outbound J-line service, as well as for inbound N-line service, and at the Duboce Ave. & Noe St. (Duboce Park) stop for outbound N-line service. For more information on Muni service, please call Muni's Telephone Information Center at 415/673-MUNI (673-6864), or visit Muni's Web site at www.sfmuni.com. For information on Muni's Accessible Services Program, please call 415/923-6142 (TTY 351-3443).... Read more
December 19, 2005
In which we are damned if we don't.
MUNI: Damed if you do, damned if you don't: the second pedestrian in two weeks to die after being hit by a MUNI bus met his end a few blocks from the stoop. Twelve pedestrians have been hit by Muni buses this year. This weekend’s fatality is the seventh pedestrian death from a Muni bus since 2001, according to police statistics. The most recent death before this weekend was on December 5 when Qiong Zhen Yu Zhou, 56, was hit on Van Ness Avenue. Her death prompted officials to announce they would install more “countdown” signals to allow pedestrians to see how much time they have to cross the street and a plan to bar shopkeepers in Chinatown from displaying merchandise on the sidewalk, which forces pedestrians into the street. The countdown signals do not help when the bus passes through an uncontrolled intersection, such as the turn onto Haight St from Cole. And, interestingly, no injury accidents have occurred on Grant St despite the throng of shoppers and pedestrians spilling onto the street. Instead of restricting sidewalk displays, the city should restrict street parking, and use the lane for deliveries and car traffic.... Read more
December 12, 2005
In which Aram lays down the law
Aram has some uplifting thoughts about pedestrians vs. cyclists -- we are not "all in this together", and about how irritating MUNI is if you actually need it to get somewhere in particular by a certain time. Like, say, downtown on a weekday. I like Aram's blog. He's irascible and pugnacious. I do'n't like giving gifts because some corporate marketing entity has determined that doing so gets me in good with Christ, or Santa, or the Happy Kwanzaa Fairy. I like giving things to people because I find something that they would like and probably do not have already.... Read more
December 2, 2005
In which transit never comes quickly
" title="Offsite: San Francisco Examiner">The Examiner points out that the State of California is at least thirty years behind Japan, France, et al., when the matter of intercity transit comes up. And they should also point out that the City of San Francisco is at least fifteen minutes behind whatever municipal railway schedule is in place.... Read more
Routemasters
Next week marks the last regular run for the bus emblematic of London: the double-decker Routemaster. Some Routemasters will continue to circulate on so-called heritage routes, but most are being dismantled for parts or repurposed as tourist buses in other cities. And some of the legion adoring fans of the red double-decker (the first LEGO kit I built, in fact, was of a Routemaster) have made the best tribute site ever. For Routemasters, that is. Back on the domestic front, a new less-than-admiring site about MUNI promises the lewd low-down on a lifestyle reliant on MUNI (is'n't that tautological? style and MUNI?). Can municide's author, Doug, pull off anything to compare with munihaiku dot com? With anonymously-contributed gems like "Waited forever. / And then you showed up for me. / Seven in a row.", it's hard to top for the title of "Best Onling Writing About Public Transit". For non-Lower Haight residents, those 17 syllables can only describe the ineffable 22-Fillmore. SFist notes that it's more fun to walk in the rain than stand around waiting for MUNI in the rain. Word to that. To MUNI's credit, the agency is working with the community around Geary Boulevard to determine whether bus rapid transit will work. Forgive me for stating the obvious, but yes!, it will work: the 38 Geary is one of the most heavily-used lines in San Francisco (and thus, the Bay Area), and used by commuters, tourists, and vagabonds alike. It cuts across the entire northern part of San Francisco, and provides access to key densely-built and populous neighbourhoods (Pacific Heights, Japantown); business areas (Downtown, Civic Center, Tenderloin); and the beach. It runs on a wide roadway. This route is an ace in the hole for rapid transit. Politicos, planners, and plebians alike will all win big if this is built. Rapid Transit along Geary Boulevard will make people happy; in fact, it has the potential to change the way the city moves, for the better. But it will never be, because this is California, USA, and the agency in charge is MUNI, San Francisco MUNI, which cannot maintain its headways, cannot fit into its budget, and reduces service while increasing fares. Buses all over the country honoured Rosa Parks, who died recently, with black ribbons and posters, as well as by designating the front seat of the bus as a quiet, symbolically empty, space. MUNI put up very nice posters on buses a few weeks ago, but they were all stolen within minutes of installation.... Read more
December 1, 2005
In which we have a story problem
A pretty girl leaves Union Square at 1730. At the same time, a man with a hat begins walking west-south-west on a one-point-three-mile route home'ards, a route that exactly matches several MUNI routes. At the height of rush hour, who will reach their destination first? Answer: Our man is faster than a speeding MUNI bus. And he had time to stop at the shop and pick up some fiery orange-red lilies. I am still a little perplexed as to how surface transit moves at an effective 3 mph during rush-hour. No, wait, it's coming to me: bus routes run on secondary roads, and so are subject to stops at each intersection. Some times the buses need to stop for traffic control on one side of the intersection, and then a bus stop on the other side of the intersection -- two stops in three bus-lengths.... Read more
November 8, 2005
In which I told you so
------------------------------- ** Saturday, November 12th ** ------------------------------- BEAT MUNI CHALLENGE! 10:30am, Glen Park BART Station In this bike ride, we will experiment with the age-old question: is cycling really faster than Muni? As everyone knows, beating Muni is often a cinch, but can you match the fabled 24 line? If you can beat this line, you can beat any line. The person who passes the most busses gets a free lunch. Meet at Glen Park BART and we'll ride together to the start of the 24 line. Wear a helmet. Contact brandonbaunach@dbarchitect.com for more info. A terrible, terrible map of the 24 route is on the 511.org site. Do you remember that stifling summer when MUNI automation meant that Mayor Willie Brown walked the stretch of Market between City Hall and the Embarcadero faster than any of the LRVs?... Read more
October 23, 2005
In which density proves troublesome for trash
The New York Times has an article on the Sanitation Department's meagre cost-savings efforts underway in New York. As the world's largest garbage-collection entity (25,000 tons, or eight full floating barge-loads, daily), they should be able to find efficiency in operations and methods -- but no, the automation of curbside collection is hamped by street parking (probably a major source of revenue for the city, and thus an obstacle that cannot easily be overcome). They're trying to squeeze a sponge that's already pretty dry," said Ben Miller, a former sanitation official and author of "Fat of the Land," a history of New York City trash. "At this point, reducing crews and increasing automation much more would probably slow things down in certain parts of the city." Under the proposed contract, which still must be considered by the union's members, one worker would operate each of the city's so-called roll-on trucks, which collect the 15-ton steel containers often used in public housing projects, public schools and city hospitals. Currently at these stops, one worker drives the truck and handles the hoisting controls while the other helps guide the truck back into position and then attaches a cable to the Dumpster, which is dragged up the rails on the back of the truck. For the biggest savings, the mayor would need to consider moving to one-person collection crews not just for the city's 50 roll-on trucks but also for the 2,200 rear-loading trucks, which are used to collect the trash that city residents leave curbside. Mr. Miller said that one way to make such a change would be for the city to switch to fully automated side-loading collection trucks. These trucks use a side-mounted mechanical arm to pick up special metal containers and they enable drivers never to have to leave the wheel. But that would be easier said than done. Side loaders, which are already being used in certain neighborhoods in Los Angeles, would be difficult to operate in Manhattan, where parked cars obstruct access, Mr. Miller said. The trucks might be an option, however, for certain sections of Staten Island, Queens and Brooklyn, he said. I saw the Los Angeles trucks in action recently. San Franciso has both automatic curbside collection and single-person crews on many of the trucks working residential routes. Barcelona's Neta has many specialised trucks and crews for overcoming the challenges of narrow streets, and also relies on public coöperation to collect trash in community bins, as does Dublin.... Read more
October 17, 2005
In which we check the record
The Bikes on Transit database has a new home and plenty new features. The San Francisco County Transportation Authority will hold another public session on the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit Corridor tomorrow: ( more after the jumpity jump jump )... Read more
October 16, 2005
In which finding the cross street is a story-problem
The NYC Street Finder contains more complex rules than many spells of legerdemain: "Drop the last figure of the address you are looking to find, divide by 2, and add or subtract according to the chart below. The answer is the nearest numbered cross street. (This formula does not apply to Broadway below 8th Street because of the many streets with names instead of numbers). ... For Riverside Drive, divide house number by 10 and add 72, up to 165 St."... Read more
October 12, 2005
In which vector graphics appear
Eyebeam research (great name, that!) have added vector-graphics support for Google Maps. Their proof-of-concept application is a New York City Subway map. I like this better than the transit-maps-on-ipod widgets of a few months ago: different medium, yes, but easier to design programmatically, and more functional ( alpha portability, I suppose).... Read more
October 9, 2005
In which we age, and the country with us
Nicolai Ourousoff had a great piece in today's New York Times about American's failing infrastructure, as shown by the failures of recent technology in New Orleans. The last paragraph was especially moving: Already, some have voiced a fear that this is the city that we will be left with - a Creole Disneyland, reduced to its traditional boundaries, surrounded by a sea of decay and poverty. Sitting in the dark outside his restaurant one recent evening, an entrepreneur suggested that this might be ideal. He joked that the flooded neighborhoods should be transformed into golf courses. Such cynicism has been reinforced by the government's disastrous response to the storm, when the Superdome was famously transformed into a teeming refugee camp. Clearly, the pump operator's America - the America built by people like Wood and Mulholland - is an anachronism. Today, the true descendants of these visionaries are more likely to be working in the Netherlands or Spain than in a major American city. Bilbao, for example, may have gained cultural cachet from the success of its Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum. Yet the strongest evidence of the city's enlightened planning is the enormous investment it made in a new high-tech subway system designed by the British architect Norman Foster. It's hard to imagine a similar undertaking in an American city today, especially when the federal government seems more concerned about doling out private contracts than reversing decades of neglect. The challenge we face is not just about infrastructure. It's about reknitting the connective tissue that binds us into a functioning society. This cannot be accomplished by retreating into a haze of denial; what's needed is an honest acknowledgment of what's brought us here. New Orleans was a warning. A similar viewpoint comes from the Ball State Daily News, which notes that not only has the United States failed to make advances in maglev train technology, but also in spreading the gospel of Wi-Fi. Both problems devolve to policy issues: imagine spending five years plodding through the government bureaucracy which constrains the $1bln allocated to a magnetic-levitation project, only to have one's proposal reach "draft" status. Wikipedia has an illustrated entry on Magnetic Levitation trains which details the underlying technology and current implementations.... Read more
October 8, 2005
In which we relate the parable of the builders
Three men were discussing the beauty of the human body. The electrical engineer claimed that Man must result from one of his brethren, for how else one explain the perfection of muscles, tendons, and joints? The electrical engineer protested: the nervous system testified that only God must have been one of his ilk. And then then the bartender looks over and said, "Nah, it must be the urban planner. Who else would put a sewage line through a recreation area?" This is how I feel about Octavia Boulevard: too short, too narrow, too few signs, and too abrupt with pedestrian interactions. I see confused drivers steered onto the freeway, and turning incorrectly across multiple lanes of confluent and cross traffic; I see pedestrians frightened to cross the too-short lights, and waiting uncomfortably on the awkward median (who thought to put benches there? who in their right mind would sit on a median amidst four lanes of 60kph traffic?); and I do not see signs noting that once you are on the road, you cannot turn until Fell (northbound) or are totally committed to Highway 101 (southbound). And why does the Boulevard not connect with Geary? A longer roadway makes more sense for moving traffic and for creating a true cross-town route.... Read more
October 5, 2005
In which The Governor tells pedestrians and cyclists to keep it local
The Governor vetoed AB 748, which would prohibit tolls for cyclists and pedestrians on state roads. He also vetoed the bill to maintain the current level of state funding for the Bicycle Transportation Account. The Governor's veto means that the funding for bike facilities, bike parking, and signage, et al., will decrease to $5 million/year, from the current $7.2 million per annum. The Governor's veto does note the benefits of cycling and walking, but suggests leaving management of the toll to the local districts. My response: I strongly support Assembly Bill 748 and any efforts to prohibit bicycle tolls on all public bridges and roadways, and I was disappointed to learn that you vetoed it. You are sending a message to Californians that cycling has the same environmental effect as driving, and, implicitly, that cycling and physical activity are not especially important. Not only does cycling promote useful physical activity, an interaction with one's community and environment, it is less wasteful and costly than driving. As fuel prices continue to rise, I am dismayed that you do not come out strongly in favour of low- and no-emissions, renewable transportation. Walking and bicycling reduce traffic congestion, vehicle emissions, and oil dependency. In addition, bicycling and walking provide the kind of physical activity necessary to fight the growth in obesity, diabetes, and asthma. AB 748 will encourage Californians to take advantage of the most sustainable and healthy modes of transportation possible, and ensure that they are not penalized for cutting down on traffic and harmful pollution. I ride across the Bridge several times each month, to commute and for recreation. Were the toll in place, I will be less inclined to do so: I will ride elsewhere. Placing a monetary toll on activities which are good for tourism, the environment, and place little additional stress on the bridge infrastructure is simply not a good idea. I also use my feet as my primary mode of transit, wherever I am. I walk and cycle to work, to almost all my errands, and around my neighbourhood. I strongly oppose the Golden Gate Bridge District's efforts to penalize people who walk and bike on the Bridge. Please support AB 748 and a healthier, safer Bay Area. Please reconsider your veto, and send a positive message that walking and cycling are special to California.... Read more
September 30, 2005
In which we zero-nize
The Times describes a personalised public-transit system, operating (with much hand-waving) autonomously-guided buses via magnetic indicators in the roadway. The buses, summoned by mobile telephone, sound much like a jitney service dressed up like a taxicab, but the just-in-time aspect of providing transit to people when they need it is very appealing. Toyota have some similar research on the low overhead of autonomous buses, but stopped short of the personalised aspect. They have some splendid buzzwords: Toyota is striving to achieve this objective by addressing the two challenges of "Zero-nize" and "Maxi-mize" simultaneously. "Zero-nize" refers to the eradication of the negative effects of "traffic accidents", "traffic congestion", and "environmental impact", while "Maxi-mize" refers to the "enrichment of the heart" to the fullest extent through the fun, excitement and comfort that people seek in automobiles. MUNI is pretty close to this goal already, as long as you are travelling at 7.45 between 3rd and Geary and downtown. They pretty much have that route nailed. [ via wmmna ]... Read more
September 27, 2005
In which we all slag on MUNI
Just when I think I am unduly hard on MUNI, sfist backs me up. They do rightfully point out that for once NextBus is doing something cool, with their widget that integrates their gps tracking with Google Maps. On the other hand, what good is staring at a map when really you want to be flying across town to go somewhere, see someone, do something? Nuts. I sent my letter to Mr Sunshine vowing not to ride MUNI so long as they hike fares and cut service. One or the other, but not both. I can get around this 7x7 city on my two feet and two wheels. And, irritatingly, The President of the United States has called for people to take public transportation. Does he know that it is hardly a viable alternative? And if I say that from the perspective of a citizen of a relatively small metropolis, with reasonably accesible transit lines, how are suburbanites -- who perforce have the greatest distance to travel -- going to manage to take public transit? Yet another piece of the neglected infrastructure of America.... Read more
September 24, 2005
In which MUNI goes all retro
Struggling to keep up with the retro BART station in Duboce Park, MUNI puts service cuts in effect today. Truly, service cuts in addition to the second 25¢ increase in three years. Some buses are now scheduled every 30 minutes, rather than 20, in an attempt to bring actual service capacity in line with posted schedules. Activists who have been protesting an increase to $1.50 in the Muni's general fare that began Sept. 1 strongly disagree. They argue that cutting back on service now is simply adding insult to injury. "You will find that riders are pissed off," said Riva Enteen, who helped organize a protest in the Mission District on Thursday. "They will not pay more for less." Muni rider Tonie Brock was at the protest to argue against changes to the 52-Excelsior line, which she said would eliminate a bus stop while creating a new one at a dangerous intersection. "MTA," she said, referring to the Muni's parent organization, the Municipal Transportation Agency. "Misery, trauma and anguish."... Read more
September 21, 2005
In which no-one is surprised
No-one, perhaps, except for the pot dealers. Matier and Ross go on about the new Octavia Boulevard's baffling traffic flow: It's your typical "only in San Francisco" story, one that pits cars against bicyclists, politicians against planners -- and right-turn bans against reality. The issue: a $26 million Central Freeway on-ramp, at the foot of the newly built Octavia Boulevard, that you can't turn onto from the city's main drag, Market Street. It took 14 years of debate, three ballot measures and a dozen designs before Caltrans crews set to work demolishing the earthquake-damaged Central Freeway and turning Octavia into a $62 million, tree-lined boulevard. Once work got started, bicyclists -- a potent force in city politics -- took aim at what they saw as a menace to the two-wheel crowd. That menace was the plan to let cars make a right turn off Market, across the most heavily used bike lane in the city, onto the new on-ramp. City traffic officials didn't buy into their demand for a right-turn ban. So the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and others took their case to the Board of Supervisors, where then-board President Matt Gonzalez carried legislation in August 2004 to ban the right turn -- at least on a trial basis. Upshot: The only way to get onto the shortened Central Freeway from Market is to shoot past the ramp, make a series of turns around the block and hit the ramp directly from Octavia Boulevard. Well, that's the only legal way. The reality is that motorists are saying "to heck with this,'' and are making the turn anyway. At least one bicyclist has been hit by a right-turning car since the ramp opened two weeks ago, and there have been scores of close calls. "Stand there five minutes, and you will see 15-plus cars ignore the no right turn and make one,'' Peter Surlly wrote this week on a Craigslist post. "Where in hell would someone who doesn't know the city try to find (another) on-ramp?'' Our own inspection of the intersection this week found good reason to be concerned. No sooner did we arrive than a Yellow Cab ignored the "no turn" sign and whipped right onto the freeway without stopping. Even Derek Martin, the bicyclist who was clipped by a Jeep Wrangler last week (he's OK), said the city should allow right turns. "The original design for the intersection would have been safer," he said. Representatives of the Bicycle Coalition agree that the intersection is unsafe and say a redesign is needed, only they have an entirely different plan in mind from what car drivers might prefer: a crackdown on motorists. Andrew Thornley, the coalition's program director, says the city should make it even "harder to turn onto the freeway.'' Plus, he says, there should be "video cameras to catch people and strict enforcement with pretty harsh fines.'' Stuart Sunshine, the acting head of the Municipal Transportation Authority traffic agency, says the no-turn law was meant only as a six-month experiment and that his department could propose eliminating it down the line. But San Francisco Transportation Authority boss Jose Luis Moscovich, whose office administers most of the city's transit funds, said, "I thought it was a permanent thing." It sure looks like it's permanent. San Francisco and Caltrans just put the finishing touches on an elegant new, palm tree-lined plaza at the intersection. And while Moscovich said permitting right turns would be as simple as taking the sign out, the Department of Public Works figures it would mean reconfiguring that plaza -- to the tune of about $140,000. Whatever they decide, we did find at least one bicyclist who likes the new freeway ramps landing at Market Street. Sistar Aquadivina, who works at the ACT UP SF pot club on upper Market, says, "It's great for business.'' Meanwhile, a massive campaign in the Republic of Ireland aims to reduce drink-driving, increase seatbelt use, and get people to look where they are driving. The ads are gruesome, grim, and passionate. And pull no punches. Have I complained about Octavia Boulevard lately?... Read more
September 13, 2005
In which I have a yard-stick
One measure I use for determining how cosmpolitan, or how traveller-friendly, a city is: ease of getting between the airport and downtown. San Francisco: not so much, despite the much-anticipated wetlands preservation BART-to-SFO project. Other cities: thanks to the International Air Rail Organisation, and their database, I can find out online, including such details as: does the Shanghai maglev really vibrate at speeds about 200k?... Read more