At Last, Muni Hires New Safety Chief

Four months after a Muni agency report showed collisions between Muni buses and pedestrians "nearly doubled from the end of fiscal year 2006 to the same period in 2008," a new safety chief has been crowned. A 24-year transit-safety veteran, James Dougherty, has been announced as the chief safety officer and director of transportation safety. The former GM of safety and security of Charlotte, N.C.'s transit agency -- which, as it turns out, is not an intricate horse and buggy system -- will be in charge of "making sure bus and streetcar drivers follow the rules of the road and are properly disciplined when they cause accidents or drive unsafely." That is to say, Dougherty will be in charge of making sure Muni stays off Dan Noyes' radar.