Rant: San Francisco MUNI

April 12th, 2007

WebomaticaI don’t normally write about personal stuff, but the mass transit system in San Francisco: MUNI has me annoyed beyond belief. Here’s an update.

This is all due to the addition of a new light rail line, the Third Street “T” which is a noble cause, but the execution is completely fubared.

I knew the Third Street line was going active this past Monday, but I had no idea that in addition, a number of MUNI buses - including several that I use to get and from work (on the edge of North Beach near Fisherman’s Wharf) from the CalTrain station - would be included. Now, my entire commute is screwed up.

I normally catch a specific express bus (82X) from the CalTrain station to work. This bus has been replaced with a smaller bus (less seats). To top it off, this morning it was MIA - it never showed up.

As a backup, I’ll catch either the 10 or the 15. Guess what, the 15 has been completely eliminated and the 10 has an altered route. Meaning, it dropped me off two blocks away from the previous stop near my building.

The commute home has been even more problematic. The 15 has been replaced with a 9AX that doesn’t go near the CalTrain station anymore. On Monday I got off before it went on the freeway and walked four blocks to the train station. That option is out.

On Tuesday, I got off the 9AX on Market street and went down to catch the T for a change. The T stops right outside the CalTrain station. What a mistake. I waited there for much too long, and the MUNI light rail I eventually boarded was stuffed to the gills and on every stop, more people crammed on there.

Today, after work I’m going to try to catch the 10 and I’m not hopeful. Other options don’t look so good. The whole idea is to not have to transfer from one line to another. I’m loathe to start catching the F and then T, which includes a walk from the ferry building and standing room only.

The end of my rant is this: I’m a huge supporter of mass transit. I’ve caught the CalTrain pretty much every work day ever since I moved to the Bay Area in 1999 (CalTrain = good and reliable). Meanwhile, MUNI service has gone from borderline to worse to nearly intolerable with every passing month, not to mention fare hikes seemingly every six months plus declining number of buses.

I’m reminded of the fiasco that was extending the BART out to the airport but along a curvy route that presently takes longer, costs more, and is less convenient than the CalTrain.

With gas prices so high and global warming urging folks to use more mass transit, I’m miffed to say the infrastructure in this city is woefully subpar as an alternative to driving.

What irks me even more is just coming back from Japan, where it was a mind-blowing experience to have trains on time to the minute, spotlessly clean train stations, polite employees, and a network of intercontinental trains that make America look like we’re living in Eastern Europe. This country is falling apart in more ways than one.

I can’t even comprehend how the Golden Gate Bridge was built during the Great Depression and here in 2007, the government spends hundreds of millions of dollars - just so buses have the priviledge of not showing up.

Additiona Reading: SFGate Reader Comments on MUNI, SFist, MUNI Complaint Form, The N-Judah Chronicles

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