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San Francisco is throwing around the idea of selling the naming rights of the cable cars to aid SFMTA. Naturally, people do not like the money-making scheme of re-naming the iconic cars -- cars that, over the last ten years, operate more for tourists' whimsy than any need to get to anywhere -- because it degrades the cable cars' lore. Or whatever. According to SF Examiner, Muni Director Malcolm A. Heinicke "envisions that groups could raise funds to name one of the 40 cable cars or the nearly 90 streetcars after a similarly iconic San Franciscan or local institution. The revenue from selling the naming rights could be used to fix and restore those vehicles." However, chances are that this idea will fail because whenever you try explaining to most San Franciscans that they do not, in fact, live in the merry ol' land of Oz, their heads explode.
Anyway, Heinicke went on to say, “We are blessed in this city to have these beautiful historic streetcars ... But the maintenance costs [for the streetcars] are significant.” But as Judson True points out, "some cable cars already have plaques on them that list the major contributors who helped restore the antique vehicles nearly 25 years ago."
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Maybe Heinike should sell the naming rights to his forehead. I'm sure someone would pay to tattoo their logo on it.
It's another fiddle at the margins idea that won't really bring in a huge chunk of revenue. The MTA directors routinely refuse to listen to any ideas that would be of significant help to plug the hole created by Arnie, the Democrats and Newsom, and instead rely on gimmicks like this.
Plus he should do his homework. Most cable cars had a plaque installed during the big fix in the 80s. Sure some of them are for the Atari Corporation, et al, but they did pony up the cash....
Oh well.
i want my name on one. wonder how much it'll cost...
So just how much is Rice O Roni willing to pay for this?
Sweet! I am so registering "GavinSuxMyBallz.com" today and buying adspace on one of those cars!
"Sponsored by Akit.Org - where Muni sucks." I like it!
Didn't Muni try last year to sell the naming rights to their metro stations? I wanted to call one, Embarcadero FUCK MUNI station!
Director Heinicke might as well suggest a bake sale or a tip jar. Even if they find sponsors, this only chips away at the edges while avoiding the elephants already stampeding around the room. Putting the cars up for adoption is a one-time cash infusion that's only going to cover ongoing maintenance for so long.
As Judson pointed out, a good number of the cable cars that have been rebuilt are already sponsored, while Market Street Railway members, donors, and volunteers help cover some of the costs MTA would otherwise be paying for the streetcars. Both the MTA and we at Market Street Railway can always do with more help to keep the vehicles running and clean, but there are only so many cars to be sponsored and what happens when the money runs out?
The MTA board needs to seek out sustainable funding sources (such as sunday parking enforcement) and find ways to bring down the cost of operations (there are still long delays at Fourth & King because auto-traffic still has priority over streetcars which jams up both Muni operations and a lot of missed Caltrain connections. I harp on this example because this one intersection has repercussions on the entire Metro system and everyone who depends on Caltrain) instead of one-time deals that don't help in the long run.
Putting the cars up for adoption is a one-time cash infusion that's only going to cover ongoing maintenance for so long.
this is not true. traditionally, naming rights deals expire. Thus if structured right, every X number of years would be new income.
Please, God, tell me we're not paying a person at MUNI to waste a second analyzing this option. Committe after committee, analysis after analysis .... no wonder we're spending $6.6 billion a year ... with all the commissions, committees, and so on to diffuse any accountability among the $100,000+ per year salaried folks who work for the City, there's useless jobs aplenty.
Don't forget the EIS/EIR, and community meetings.
maybe we could also sell naming right for those new, desperately-needed solar-powered bus stops, as well.
Yes, in fact there's advertising on them, and they are being paid for 100% by the advertising vendor.
The contract requires 1/3 of the shelters be ad free. Most of those are the neighborhood stops that have fewer boardings (where fewer people would see the ads anyway), schools, and cultural institutions.
I see a way to increase revenue by 50% right away.
50% more advertising space doesn't automatically equate to 50% more revenue because with fewer people at the stops the value of that advertising space isn't the same. This isn't a great example since the shelters advertising is administrated by a third party, but as RinconHillSF pointed out, this is going to at least cost staff time that could be spent somewhere more useful.
Maybe we should just try ticketing people who double park - or who park at expired meters. Already laws on the books bout that but nobody's bothering to collect the money.