Okay, deciding on the Worst MUNI Line is easy. Like shooting the proverbial fish in a barrel. And the barrel is really tiny and the fish are really slow and kind of dumb and you have semi-automatic weapons. So let's do something more difficult, figuring out the Best MUNI Line.
Will it be the, umm, well, ummm, we don't know what it would be? Well, actually, we've always been a big fan of the 7 Haight mainly because it started near our apartment and we were always guaranteed a seat when we commuted to work. And say what you will about the 22 Fillmore, it takes you everywhere in the city. The M, L, and the K always seem to be the three trains that are always at the station.
So what do you think? Once again, we'll take your best selection, show it to our panel of judges, and choose the Top 5 for a poll to run next week
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
email this
add to facebook
add to del.icio.us
I like to call them Dutch airlines (KLM..). My vote though is for the castro shuttle. It seems up to 50% of folks get on and off at the castro muni, and when the shuttle ran, during peak hours it took a lot of strain from all of the lines, but now I never see it, and trains are packed and folks cannot get on sometimes three or four go by that are so full that it is impossible to get on, so my vote is for the S, the castro shuttle.
In no particular order...
1. F-Market
2. 38-Limited
3. 14-Limited
The 5 Fulton works pretty well as does the 24 Divisadero and I used to take the 3 Jackson which is one of the secrets of Muni, goes through Pac Heights, always empty, usually on-time.
I vote for the T. It is an up-and-coming hopeful, and will replace the much missed Castro Shuttle. Also, you can see the wonderful unexplored area known as "BVHP" on it.
30 Express. Consider the alternative. If there were a 22 Express, I'd pay double to ride.
I agree with Seamus -- cheers for the 5 Fulton's tendency to be regular. But jeers for how the line truncates after 6pm! I don't know how many times I've seen non-regular riders waiting at a downtown stop for long stretches, then finally ask if the 5 is running, only to be told that Muni cuts short its route just as people are getting out of work. It is very easy to overlook the one tiny line of text on the sign that reveals the 5's terrible secret.
Also -- WTF is up with the 5 and 21 at the 31 having nearly identical routes? A little redundant, isn't it? I like the 21's route better than the 5's, because it goes through pleasant Hayes Valley. But the 21 is so much fickler.
I'd say the 38 Geary is the best. It really takes you from one end of the town (Richmond District) to the other.
33-Stanyan. Can't beat that wild turn.
The 33 is the place to be! Yes! The inimitable hairpin turn from Clayton onto Market! The thrilling ride from Potrero to the Mission to the Haight to the Inner Richmond!
the 1 California. get across the city in 15 minutes flat.
The 10 is one of my faves.... it starts at Van Ness & Northpoint... gets you to downtown... not usually full of sceaming, swearing high school students or body-checking old people! The only thing better would be if it ran more often!
I'd say the F. Working downtown, I use it to move between the Financial District and City Hall. Watching the confused tourists as they look at 6th Street doesn't hurt, either.
Also, they ain't pretty, but the 14 and 49 run really often and are important routes moving N-S.
The T should be here since how often do we get to optimistic about anything, anymore?
The 24 moves in geologic time, like the 22. Divis is way too crowded and may need its own BRT.
I would have voted for the 24 if it had been a choice for worst MUNI line! As far as best line goes I'd say the 5 Fulton.
The 1 is clearly the best line. Not only is it the first, the mayor made muni management actually pay some attention, and now the headways are pretty regular.
The N Outbound. Living in the upper Haight and commuting from downtown offers up a miserable ride on 6, 7 or 71 during the rainy season. These buses are always packed with the additional addicts and smelly hippies on their way back to the park. The N offers a speedy rail ride that drops you off at Carl and Cole, right in front of BurgerMeister! Best is there's always a seat.
Ooh yes, the 33 is very good. I love The Impossible Turn.
Also, it's great how it crosses through, like, 5 different neighborhoods. The crosstownyness is super convenient. I wish there were more multi-neighborhood routes like that.
OK, maybe it's because I have to wait for the J line to go home everyday, but it seems as though there are dozens of M trains running at any given time. I can't tell you how many times I've watched three or four of these trains (and the M line usually has two cars per train) in a row leave the underground stations during afternoon rush hour. What's the deal? How many f*ing trains do they need running from downtown to SFSU?
The 33 would be great if it EVER CAME. It does have a nice view though at that turn, and it does connect the center of the city to the Richmond.
The N-Judah would be great if it wasn't WAY overloaded in the evenings and if it wasn't so freakin' slow in the Sunset. Still, it's a contender.
I'd probably vote for the F-line. I can't think of any other MUNI route that hasn't given me headaches.
2 Clement easily
1 California after it.
The 33. If I can get my public transit averse girlfriend to take MUNI, then it must be good. Takes us where we want to go (Mission, BART, Haight) but it's on the GPS so I can keep her from bitching about waiting for the MUNI. Sooner or later she will figure out why we never seem to have to wait for the bus... :)
The 1-California is downright pleasant. I love that bus. It makes me find something new I love about SF everytime I ride it. The drivers are always nice, men offer up their seats AT THE BACK OF THE BUS, the views are goregeous, and everyone is just so civil. That bus gives me hope that if we all just keep in mind that we're all in this together and treat each other with decency and respect, the world could be a better place.
While I despise the 38, the 38 limited can get you from the Richmond to downtown pretty quick. To watch all the old women and little kids back away for you because it ISN"T their slow 38 is a great feeling. Sorry but it's true.
I'd still say the 1. The 10 *when it runs* and the 33.
Well, you know, I guess it's gotta be the F -- it's like the Talamasca, always there.
When you get out of a movie at 1 a.m. or need a ride home from SOMA after a bender, it's the only line that you can depend on to get you close enough to stumble home.
And those streetcars are SO SF!
The 38 Geary runs pretty frequently, and it's not too crowded, it gets me around without any hassle. I would not give my vote to the N-Judah, having attempted to get to work on time for about a year I've given up and bike instead. To get downtown with the N in the morning you need to estimate 1 hour 15 min travel time at least.
I like the 6 because it's often nearly empty when I head home from downtown after work. For some reason others at my stop prefer to smash themselves into an overcrowded 71L, where their toes will be crushed, and the smells! So many smells!
I prefer the 6 because it's usually nearly empty when I head home from downtown after work. Others at my stop prefer to cram themselves onto an overcrowded 71L where their toes will be crushed and their shins washboarded on some oldster's grocery cart.
What? Nobody nominating a cable car line?
I don't often have reason to ride one, but if I'm down near Ferry Plaza it's great to be able to flash your fast pass and jump on the California cable car.
It's the one muni line where every ride has been a pleasant experience.
I am happy with my commute on the 5, but I realize that I am lucky enough to get on early enough on the route to get on - 9 times out of 10 it stops for us at Baker (and if it doesn't there is usually a bus right after...) but I pity the people who have to get on after Divisadero because 9 times out of 10 it is usually too full and passes right by most of the stops.
What? There's another commenter named Seamus? Hi, Seamus!
The California Street Cable Car on a nice day is the easy winner. And at five bucks a ride, you feel like an insider when you flash your FastPass.
My number-two is the 71, because you get a little rhyming ditty when you board. Everyone sing along:
"Seventy One
Haight Noriega,
45th Avenue
And Ortega!"
I vote for the #1-California. Don't have to wait too long, drivers are pleasant, route poses little threat to life and/or limb and it manages to go through Chinatown without being the Pink Bag Extravaganza that is the 30.
I'd also nominate the Powell cable car line. I'm insulated from the steep $5 price by my muni pass so it's a great way to get from North Beach to the Powell Street BART station in the morning. Puts me in a great mood and runs every 8 minutes!
Hey, about a "Best People-Watching MUNI Line" poll next?
BART is the best muni line
41 Union - easially has the best looking women who actually ride muni
I just wanted to vote for the weirdest MUNI line ever: the 37-Corbett. What's the deal with this route anyway?? It's always an old beat-up junker reminiscent of public transportation from the pre-civil rights era and it's never carrying any passengers! The only time I've ever even caught a glimpse of it was while sitting outside the Boulange de Cole Valley smoking a cigarette. There's even a bench at the bus stop right on Parnassus and Cole. No one is ever waiting for it. But where does it go? I don't even know where Corbett street/lane/avenue IS. Does it drive off the end of a cliff somewhere in the Presidio?
1 California. Runs every 5 minutes or so, and takes a pretty scenic route across the city.
The F. It's touristy and slow, but ever so cute.
At first it might seem to be an unfair comparision. It is not.
The Cable Car Lines (and the F-Line) set the standard everyday.
All are generally clean, pleasant and free of Muni's trademark sketchy-ness:
... street people, thugs, bully operators, fare-dodgers, cellphones, etc.
** Too bad, a roundtrip cable car ride to the wharf costs a family of five $50 bucks!
Reading the comments here makes me wonder, how can ANYONE call the 6 Parnassus or the 1 Calfornia "pleasant"??? The 6 buses tend to be the most run down ones in the fleet, and the 1 California line is one of the most uneven, herky jerky rides in the system. I literally get motion sickness on a smelly wet 1 like I did today. UGH!
The N Judah kicks ass. It is a smooth ride, and it crosses the city. Literally, everything that is great about SF and everything that needs improvement is/can be found on the N.
The 41; fast, regular and pleasant...especially when the other options are the 45 and the 30. Plus, the views of the water/downtown can't be beat.
The suggestions of "1-California" and "38" can't be serious.
Here's my serious nomination for the best MUNI line. I am surprised nobody has mentioned Route 76 yet... this has got to be the best kept secret of MUNI.
The route starts at the Caltrain station, goes through downtown/Financial District a tiny bit, follows Route 2/3/4 to Van Ness, turns right and then heads out down Van Ness and Lombard to the Golden Gate Bridge.
It then goes through the Marin Headlands. Wow. Completely surreal to see an Orange and White MUNI bus in the middle of this vast, beautiful national treasure.
With Line 76, you can make it to Point Bonita Lighthouse, walk along the cliffs overlooking the Pacific, end up at (Baker?) beach next to Fort Cronkite (or do the reverse, only in this case it'd be uphill :-) You can get off or on the bus at that battery overlooking the Golden Gate bridge on the Marin side.
The views from this bus are just utterly and totally spectacular.
And it's an inexpensive way to have a beautiful day, for $1.50 a MUNI ride or free with a Flash pass.
The bus is never crowded. You're pretty much guaranteed a seat.
It only runs on Sundays and very rare holidays. Why it does not run on Saturdays also is beyond me, but the way MUNI budgets are going, I guess I should be impressed and thankful the route hasn't been cut entirely yet.
1 California. Comes often. Stays up late nights. Goes across the entire city.
For those of you who don't like carrying around and unfolding the full MUNI map every time you are not sure of the nearest and best SF MUNI route to take, I recently created a wallet-sized transit map of San Francisco. You can find out more at my website - www.pocketbaymaps.com.
Rob
The 5 Fulton. Dependable and goes all the way to the sea, but needs to start further downtown at night.
Hey jwu:
We call that 37 Corbett "the ghost bus". Beware if you get on, you may also disappear!
I would say the F line and maybe the 33. The 24? Oh hell NO! It is should be the worst line in the City.
LOL @ Mark -- you might be right.
Too bad this isn't 2 or 3 months from now because even if the T-Third Street falls short of its planned 9 minute frequency, it will still be an improvement over the sporadic Castro Shuttle. Though the Castro Shuttle does seem to have become a regular service, probably because they're getting more trains out in preparation for the T-line.
I've got to go with the F-Market & Wharves. It might not be the fastest way to get up and down Market Street, but it's frequent, predictable, lets you see the street life on our main boulevard (ok, part of that ain't so pretty) and the historic trolleys and the variety of them makes it fun or at least a little different every trip.
My favorite is the 41-Union. You must ride it to believe it. In the morning it can be packed fuller than .... but that's the downhill and coffee on the way to downtown direction. In the afternoon, it's the beautiful people returning from their downtown jobs to Russian Hill and Cow Hollow. For anyone who doesn't believe that the average income on a bus can top $100k, they haven't ridden the 41.
Sadly, it only runs peak hours. My MUNI life would be perfect if it ran the usual 5:30am-2am, as it is a perfect alternative to the crowded buses running down Stockton Street.
41-Union: the young lawyers in love bus.
mark hit it. I second that!
If it weren't for BART, blood would be running in the streets.
if it weren't for BART, willie brown's best buddy's son in law would have found his head on a pike. you remember HIM dont you?
BART totally saves muni's bacon.
I think they have a bouncer on the 41 to keep the riff raff off.
I vote for the "N" Judah. During the famous Muni Meltdown, locals got a commitment from Muni brass that the "N" would always have two-car trains. Compare the number of cars (seats) on the "N" to the number on the similarly used "L" and you'll see what I mean. The "L" uses single car trains most of the day, all weekend, and even part of the rush hour.
1
It's right outside my door step and I like to call it my lazy bus because I use it when I don't want to huff it up the hill.
Plus it's a nice community bus. Everyone including the bus drivers are friendly!
Just yesterday it was so full (at castro/market) that someone suggested we all get a bit closer to let people on because "it's valentines day, meet someone nice!"
I'd have to vote for the 33-Stanyan for the turn and its circuitous route (Upper Haight to SF General!), and the F-Market for reliability (esp. in the rain). Even though I haven't ridden it yet, I'll have to add the T-Third since it'll be getting me to the Giants games.
for those in the sunset that have complained about the N and getting to downtown, have you ever tried the 16A or 16B? I love the 16B, gets me from Lincoln and 9th to Van Ness and Golden Gate in like 15 minutes. a co-worker of mine who lives in outer sunset says a bad day on the 16B is better than a good day on the N.
I'd say the 43 Masonic. Even though it comes rather rarely at night.
regarding post 53 I meant the 37 Corbett. Not sure what happened to the first line of the post??
76 to fort cronkite, hands-down.
41 Union is always there when you need it and full of great marina types people watching. better, of course, with headphones so you don't have to overhear the incessant cell phone convos
N-Judah. Nothing gets you downtown quicker from the Sunset or Haight.
"I'd say the 43 Masonic. Even though it comes rather rarely at night."
It also comes rarely in the daytime!
It seems pretty much every line has some issue. 38 usually comes often, but it's always packed. Crosstown lines could be less crowded, but they never come. Other lines like the 41 maybe relatively stress-free, but they also run on limited schedules. Other lines will have useful routes, but literally just crawl through some neighborhoods.
My vote: the historic streetcar F line, just for the sheer coolness of having these great o