Starting this Friday at 7 p.m., Muni will be shutting down the N-Judah and part of the J-Church for 10 days while they complete some ongoing track work on Carl Street and around Church and Duboce. Because space will be limited on the shuttle replacements, Muni Chief Ed Reiskin provided some helpful advice for dealing with the interrupted service: "We're asking everyone who can bike, walk or even work from home to ensure space on the Muni shuttle for those who cannot."
You Should Probably Just Walk Everywhere Next Week, Says Muni
Etiquette Week: How to Behave on Public Transportation
To kick off Etiquette Week here at SFist, we're going to tackle a topic which we're sure is close to many of your hearts: The unspoken rules for entering, exiting, and riding Muni and BART, which many a visitor and newly arrived citizen of our fair city do not always understand.
Behold, The New Vinyl BART Seat!
Vic Wong of Mission Mission snapped this shot of a brand baby-slapping new BART seat replete with luxurious vinyl. You like? Well, you're in for a lot more of them as BART rolls them out over the next few months, so get used to melancholia-inducing grey hue. Look for them under a buttocks near you.
Man Killed By Muni Train Identified
According to reports, the man who was killed by an outbound M Muni train on Monday afternoon has been identified as 62-year-old wheelchair-abound Daniel Dillen. The victim managed to somehow get himself down onto the tracks at Civic Center Station and get into the track where a train sliced off his leg. He later died as a result of those injures at a nearby hospital.
Woman Beaten, Kicked On Muni In Apparent Hate Crime
Officers arrived to the scene of an apparent hate crime to find a 26-year-old victim "visibly shaken" after being beaten and kicked on a Muni bus. The incident, which happened in Potrero Hill near De Haro Street and Southern Heights Avenue, happened while the victim was in her seat and another woman "suddenly punched and kicked her several times."
BART To San Jose Begins Construction Next Month
Good news for carless South Bay residents: the Feds pulled through and approved $900 million in funds to finally show BART the way to San Jose. With the funds now guaranteed from the Federal Transit Administration the first leg of the project from Fremont to the northeast side of San Jose will break ground in April and is scheduled to be completed in 2016.
Free Muni Rides For Kids?
Some say yes. Many say no. According to an op-ed piece in Thursday's Chronicle, the good-intentioned plan, sparked by Supervisor David Campos, stands as "an appealing idea that City Hall is all but certain to adopt." While the plan would help kids get to school, ease parents' drop-off schedules, and possibly alleviate traffic congestion, it would also add another $4 million to $7.9 million dent "for the under-funded transit system facing a $23 million deficit."
Bay Bridge Closure During Presidents' Day Weekend
Commuters will not be able drive on the upper deck towards San Francisco during Presidents' Day Weekend due to construction. The closure will start at 8 p.m. Friday, February 17 and last through 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 21. What this means is that drivers won't be able to drive into San Francisco via the Bay Bridge. People can use a sundry of assorted options including BART, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, and the Dumbarton Bridge. Ferry service is another option.
SFist Scribe Trapped On Muni Train!
Jerry James Stone, Treehugger writer and occasional SFist scribe, sent out the following urgent Twitter message this afternoon while riding the L Taraval. It seems that he's stuck on the train due to malfunctioning doors. In fact, he's on the train as we speak.
Computer Problems Stop All BART Service [Updated]
A computer SNAFU of sorts halted all BART service this evening. As of 8:05 pm, BART reports: "BART is experiencing computer problems in the Operations Control Center and service is currently stopped. The problem began at around 7:30 pm Monday evening. BART staff is working to assess and resolve the issue as quickly as possible, however there currently is no word on when service will resume. We will continue updates until the situation is resolved."
Video: Interpretive Dancers Delight BART Passengers
Muni Diaries alerts us to this very important video: three women doing interpretive dance on a Richmond-bound BART train. Fun! And fluid! But... would a little Michael Bennett now and then kill anyone? We think not. We really think not. Anyway, enjoy.
SFMTA Chief Nat Ford Leaving His Job
Nathaniel Ford, the (infamous?) San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency chief, plans on leaving his job later this month. The Chronicle, who broke the news, reports: "The governing board will meet in closed session Tuesday to terminate Ford's contract. Ford has scheduled a meeting this afternoon with his top tier of managers to discuss his looming departure. An agency-wide letter to staff members will go out after that."
K-T Morning Commuters Get Stuck on Barfy Train
A morning Muni nightmare occurred Thursday when a passenger lost his breakfast (or Wednesday night's dinner, we don't know what kind of morning meal habits you people have) on an outbound K-T train.
BART Delay Update
Please be advised: There is a 15-minute delay on the Fremont Line in the Richmond and Daly City directions due to an equipment problem on a train.
Man Beaten By Large Group at Redwood City Caltrain
Security has been "amplified" at the Redwood City Caltrain station after a man was brutal beaten by a group of people on Friday night. "Between nine and 15 suspects attacked a 47-year-old San Jose man in an attempt to rob him at about 7:30 p.m.," reports KTVU. "The man, who was waiting for a southbound train, was beaten and left on the ground after the attack. No weapons were seen during the scuffle." Anyone with information is asked to call San Mateo Country Transit Police at 650-363-4943.or Detective Victor Lopez at 650-622-8048. [KTVU]
Cable Car Runs in to Thing That It Shouldn't Have, Minor Injuries Reported
Late yesterday afternoon around 4 p.m. a Powell-Mason Cable Car collided with a 30-Stockton in North Beach at Columbus Ave and Chestnut Street. According to Bay City News over on the Appeal, (who also insists that intersection is Russian Hill), the driver "apparently lost control of the cable car after it couldn't keep it's grip on a worn cable."
No BART Service Between S.F. And Oakland
A report of smoke on the tracks at West Oakland Station has prompted a shutdown of BART service between San Francisco and Oakland. "The power must be turned off so mechanics can examine the tracks and determine why they are smoking."
Teen Stabbed Multiple Times On 14 Mission
A older teen was stabbed several times while riding the 14 Mission this week. "The 18-year-old victim was riding an outbound 14-Mission bus when he got into a fight with a 19-year-old man at about 1:40 p.m. Wednesday," reports BCN (via SF Appeal). "The pair continued arguing until the bus neared Mission Street and Foote Avenue, where the 19-year-old stabbed the victim."
Lady Accuses Muni Passenger Of Being Al Gore, Staring At Her Private Parts (VIDEO)
Freshly relocated from Dallas to San Francisco, a friend of a friend of SFist captured video yesterday that showcases an unhinged lady on Muni, rambling about this and that. "A crazy tweaker boarded the San Francisco MUNI and immediately began shouting at one of the passengers, repeatedly calling him 'Al Gore' and accusing him of staring at her sexual organs. Obviously, he was not. Wish we had a longer version but you can imagine the rest," they explain on their YouTube page.
Muni Operations Chief Would Like You to Suck it Up, Outerlands Train Riders
In a hearing yesterday regarding unscheduled "switch-backs" on the N-Judah and L-Taraval lines, Supes Carmen Chu and John Avalos voiced concerns from their constituents in the Sunset and Excelsior districts about what a huge pain in the ass it is to get bumped from outbound trains that turn around long before reaching the end of the route. Testifying in defense of the "service management technique", Muni Operations Chief John Haley explained: "Trains are turned to support the greater good." So, you know - quit complaining, entitled train riders.
Giants Victory Parade Breaks BART Ridership Record
Not surprisingly, the Giants World Series parade shattered BART ridership records. As SF Weekly reports: "The intercity rail line shattered its previous one-day total of 442,100 passengers when 522,200 riders, many of them clad in orange, passed through the fare gates on Wednesday." Prior to Wednesday's numbers, "the top three BART ridership days -- and six of the top 10 -- were on Bay Bridge closure days." [SFW]
BART to Expand Service, Loosen Dress Code During World Series
BART will suffer from Giants fever today and tomorrow by "stepping up its game by running longer trains and allowing employees to sport a bit of black and orange." They will also have "special event" trains on standby.
Rumor Mill: Muni Set for Driver Sick Out This Week
Rumors continue to surface that, at some point this week, Muni drivers might call in sick en masse. SFist showed you this delightfully fury-inducing flier last week, a suspicious missive that encouraged drivers to take part in a sickout to protest Muni's sick leave policy. Will it happen? Wait and see. But: Michael Postell, a Muni light-rail operator and staff representative for the Transport Workers Union Local 250-A, says it's all a "hoax."
Photos: Final Transbay Terminal Bus Departs
On Saturday night, the last commuter line on AC Transit departed the (former!) Transbay Terminal at 12:15 a.m., and thus ending an era in San Francisco. The terminal, as many of you know, was gross. It was dank and lifeless. Also, it served as an unauthorized temporary housing facility for the homeless. (We'll let you decide whether or not that was a good thing in the comments.) Also-also, it wasn't tall, sleek, modern, or fit to be located anywhere near the jarringly glassy Millennium Tower.
Breakdowns Prompt Hour-Long Caltrain Delays
After a series of breakdowns, SFGate reports that Caltrian is experiencing delays of up to an hour this morning. "The latest problem happened at 7:50 a.m. when southbound train No. 314 broke down at the San Mateo station, SFGate reports. "All the passengers had to get off, and for the next 40 minutes trains were single-tracked on the northbound track through Burlingame and San Carlos." Sluggish times are expected to last throughout the morning.
31-Balboa Crash Injures Two
Whoops. At around midnight last night, the 31-Balboa fell victim to a sinister crash with another vehicle at 36th Avenue and Balboa Street. According to BCN (via SF Appeal), "Two people were reportedly injured in the crash and taken to a hospital with injuries that were not expected to be life threatening."
New Maritime-esque Clipper Card Revealed
Clipper launched today, which will replace the TransLink card.
Board Approves BART Fare Reduction
Billed as BART's "small economic stimulus program," riders will see a small reduction in fare in the next few months. According to BCN (via CBS 5), "The Board voted to spend part if its budget surplus on a four-month fare-cut to kick in later this year. " The small fare-cut amounts to a whopping 15 cent savings for, say,"a trip from Walnut Creek to downtown SF." It will last for about four months. The reduction, it seems, is some sort of reward for riders who've stuck with BART after numerous fare increases and cuts to service.
Muni Schedule Altered for Obama Visit
Due to street closures for the visit of President Barack Obama, Muni lines will be crazy jank today and tomorrow.
Bay to Breakers Public Transit Changes
This Sunday's Bay to Breakers, which anticipates some 60K runners this year, will prompt extra public transit service on Sunday. BART will open two hours early and run extra long trains for the annual wacky race (as well as running longer trains for folks going to the Giants starting at 1:05 p.m.)

