Behind the Scenes at Muni During Outside Lands
We all had a great time piling on Muni last weekend, foaming and ranting about service to and from the park. But what was going on behind the scenes? We asked Muni how they strategized their service around Outside Lands. Here's what they had to say:
"Over the weekend, the total number of extra buses was 118 -- that was divided between the 5 and 71 as needed. They even used extra buses on the N line Friday night," wrote spokeswoman Kristen Holland via email. "these vehicles functioned as Limited service. They followed established routes but made limited stops along the way."
We're not sure why Muni used established routes -- for Limited service, arteries like Oak might've been faster than Haight. And why didn't the extra buses show up on NextBus? According to a well-placed transit source with whom we emailed, adding these "special" buses to the NextBus system would have been a lot of work, and probably not worth it since most concert-goers wouldn't ever see them.
When the concert ended, Muni folks were out on the streets doing "real-time management," relaying information to dispatchers who then sent the buses to the areas that needed them most. But how did concert-goers find their way to transit? According to Kristen, "The locations on the street were designated by portable lighting in the park. SFMTA on-street staff worked together to assist Muni customers onto the buses and trains."
Of course, that's a small comfort when it takes 45 minutes to board -- and another 45 to get downtown. And many concert-goers reported to us that they couldn't find any Muni maps or shuttle info; so they had no idea where to pick up buses. In an area that big, with a crowd of tens of thousands, it would be easy to miss a handful of portable lights and some MTA staffers.
"The members of our Bicycle Program staff were not involved in the event in an official capacity," Kristen added, which is a shame because it's the only aspect of the transportation that got high marks from our commenters. The Bike Coalition did a bang-up job of getting people in and out. So, take note: next time there's a big event, bring your bike. And hopefully next time, the MTA will be able to lend a little support.
So what are your thoughts, now that we know how Muni did their best to cope with a gigantic crowd?