Muni Newsletter Fall 2010 Edition

Muni StepsUp to the PlateAgency Keeps City Moving Throughout

Giants World Series Journey Pages 6 & 7

Phase Two of California Street Cable Car Infra-structure Improvement Project Starts Jan. 3 Page 3

VOLUME 6 / ISSUE 4

F A L L2 0 1 0

New Muni Text Line Seeks Customer Help in Fighting Muni VandalismPage 8

SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCY NEWSLETTER

FALL 2010, Volume 6, Issue 4

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•InstallingnewfaregatesandticketvendingmachinesandproceedingtotransitioncustomerstotheClippersmartcard

•Installingnew,customer-friendlyparkingmeters—attherateof200aday—inpreparationforuniqueparkingpilotsinearly2011thatwillbefollowedbycitiesaroundtheglobe

•SellingthefirstTaximedallionssince1978,launch-ingtheTaxiAdvisoryCouncilandleveragingagrantforelectrictaxisandtestingrechargingtechnology

•ProvidingservicetoGiantsgamesduringtheplayoffs,WorldSeriesandtothetickertapeparadeaftertheirvictorythatattractedmorethanamillionpeopletotheevent—including900,000-pluswhorodeMunithatjubilantday

•ContinuingtoinstallPedestrianandAccessibleCountdownSignalsatintersectionstoenhancesafetyforable-bodiedandsightimpairedpeople

•TransformingCityneighborhoodstosafer,greenerandmorewelcomingenvironmentsthroughourvibrantLivableStreetsprojects

•Installing100newtransitsheltersthatfeaturesolarpowerandNextMunimessagingforcustomerswithvisuallimitations

•FieldinghundredsofvolunteerSFMTAAmbas-sadorstoprovidepersonalassistancetoourcustomersduringservicechanges,constructionprojectsandmajorevents

Thelistgoesonandonandmanyofyourachieve-mentsarefeaturedinthisissueofEn Route.” Fortheseandyourmanyotheraccomplishmentsthroughout2010,Iextendmydeepappreciation.IalsoemphasizethatwecoulddoallthesethingsbecauseofoursupportiveBoardofDirectorsandelectedofficials,ourtransformedAgencystructure,ourabilitytoleveragegrantsandotherfundingandoursteadfastfocusonasustainabletransportationnetworkforthosewhomweserveeverydayof theyear.

Needlesstosay,Ilookforwardtoworkingwithyouin2011tosurpassourrecordofachievementthisyear.Inthemeantime,IwishyouasafeandmostenjoyableholidayseasonandbestwishesfortheNewYear.

Executive Director’s MessageAswecometotheendof2010itisworthrecountingthatitwasayearofcontinuingeco-nomicturmoil,yetalsooneofgreataccomplishmentsbyyouandyourcolleaguesthroughouttheAgency.

DespitetheGreatRecessionandallofthedifficultactionsthatitgenerated,wejointly

managedtofocusonsafety,servicetoourcustom-ersandkeepingtheCity’stransportationnetworkinastateofgoodrepairwhileadvancingmajorprojectsthatwillusherinaneweraofconvenienceforthosetravelingaboutSanFranciscoonfoot,onabike,ontransitorinavehicle.

Theachievementsthatyouandyourfellowworkersattainedarenotjustadmirablebutespeciallyimpres-sivegiventheharsheconomicenvironmentofthepasttwoyears.Simplyconsiderthefollowinglist:

•Reducingsystemwidecollisionssevenpercent,pedestriancollisionsfivepercent,allaccidentsandcollisionsinvolvingLRVs13percentandLRVcustomeraccidents,includingfalls,aremarkable25percent

•Restoring61percentoftheMuniservicethatwasreducedinMaytobalancetheoperatingbudget

•Achievingourhigheston-timeperformanceinyears--75percent

•Completingvitaltrackreplacementwork,includingthemassiveSt.FrancisCircleRailReplacementProject,onscheduleandwithinbudget

•UnveilingtheStreetcarCanopythatwillsheltertheSFMTA’sFLinehistoricstreetcarsandwelcomingthenewestadditiontothefleet,President’sCon-ferenceCommitteecar#1071

•EnteringfinaldesignontheCentralSubwayProj-ectandadvancingplanningfortheVanNessandGearyBusRapidTransitprojects

•LeveragingfederalstimulusandotherfundstorehabilitateLRVsandbusesaswellastorepairdamagedvehicles

•Completingthefirstnewbicyclelanesimmediatelyaftertheinjunctiononbikeprojectswasliftedbythecourt

SFMTA Executive Director/CEO,Nathaniel P. Ford Sr.


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Phase Two of California Street Cable Car Infrastructure Improvement Project Starts Jan. 3 TheSFMTAwillcontinuecollaboratingwiththeDepartmentofPublicWorks(DPW)duringPhaseTwooftheCaliforniaStreetCableCarInfrastructureImprovementProjecttoreplaceagingelectronicandmechanicalcomponentsunderneaththecablecartrackway.Thesecondphaseoftheproject,commencingJan.3,entailsinstallingnewconduitandcables,pipes,non-clogstrainers,manholesandreplacingspringdepressionbeams,offsetdepressionbeams,electricalpanelbatteries,chargersystemsandalarmswitches.WorkalsoinvolvesreconstructingfourblocksofconcretestreetsandrepavingCaliforniaStreetbetweenVanNessAvenueandDrummStreet.

Duringconstruction,whichwillcontinuethroughsum-mer,theCaliforniaCableCarLinewillbeclosed,andMuniwillprovidesubstitutebusshuttleservice.Muni’s1Californiabusroutewillcontinuetoservecustomers.

RidesonSanFrancisco’ssignaturecablecarswillstillbeavailabletoMunicustomersandvisitorsonthePowell-MasonandPowell-Hydelines.However,thesetwocablecarlineswillundergosafetyimprove-mentswhichwillrequirebriefshutdownstentativelyscheduledforspring2011.Afive-dayshutdownofallthreecablecarlinesalsowillalsooccur.

TheSFMTAandDPWbeganPhaseOneoftheprojectinSeptember.Sidewalkcurbrepairs,sewerreplacementandcurbrampinstallationthatstartedasPhaseOnewillcontinueduringPhaseTwo.

TheCitycompletedthelastmajoroverhaulofthecablecarsystemonCaliforniaStreetin1984.Asaresult,muchofthesystem’sinfrastructure,includingkeyelectricalandmechanicalcomponents,iswornandinneedofrenewal.DPWlastrepavedCaliforniaStreet25yearsago.

SFMTA Community Relations, along with the DPW Public Affairs Office, launched an extensive community outreach campaign during Phase One which continues as the Jan. 3 construction start up approaches.

DespiteanappealtotherecentAugust2010liftingofthe2005BikePlanInjunction,theSFMTABicycleProgramcontinuestospeedaheadwithalaundrylistofnear-termprojectsthathavebeenmothballedformorethanhalfadecade.

MovingforwardwithindaysoftheAug.6,liftingoftheoriginalinjunction,theSFMTAbegananaggressivebikelaneimplementationschedule,which,inafewshortmonths,hasseenstripingof11milesofnewbikelanes,asidentifiedintheBicyclePlan--32percentofthefullbuildout--and31milesof“sharrows,”or41per-centoftheBikePlanbuildout.Inaddition,750bikerackshavebeeninstalledand10newbikecorralswillbeinstalledbytheendofthisyear.

SFMTA Near-term Bicycle Program Projects Coasting to Finish LineBikelanesscheduledforthisfall/winterinclude17thStreetfromCorbettAvenuetoKansasStreet;AlemanyBoulevardfromBayshoreBoulevardtoRousseauStreet;JohnMuirDrivefromLakeMercedBoulevardtoSkylineBoulevard;MarketStreetfrom17thStreettoOctaviaBoulevard;plusad-ditionallanesplannedfortheGlenParkarea,McCoppinStreetandIllinoisStreet.

ThoughtherecentappealoftheoriginalBikePlaninjunctionwillprobablyextendongoinglegalbattlesforanotherninemonths,thelonglistofnear-termprojectsoutlinedintheplanisunderconstructionandcontinuestomoveforwardatarapidpace,manyscheduledforcompletionbyspring.

An example of one of the many bicycle corrals sprouting up throughout San Francisco.


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Likefallclover,Muni’snewSeismicWavetransitsheltersaresproutingupatanincreasingpacethroughoutSanFrancisconeighborhoods.Over100oftheiconicaluminumandplasticrefugeshavebeeninstalledtodate.SFMTAvendorClearChannelex-pectstohaveover1,100currentsheltersreplacedwiththenew,moreenvironmentallyfriendlymodelsbyDecember2013.

Thenew“Wave”shelterfeaturesarippled,crimsonoramberplasticroofmadeof40percentpost-in-dustrialrecycledcontentandgalvanizedsteelsup-portbeamscreatedwith60to70percentreclaimedproduct.Someoftheshelterroofsareembeddedwithsolar-poweredphotovoltaiccellswhichnotonlygeneratesufficientelectricitytopowerdramaticrooftoplightingandNextBusandPushtoTalktech-nologies,butalsofeedsurplusenergycreatedbackintothepowergrid.ThesheltersweredesignedbySanFrancisco’sLundbergDesign.

Seismic Wave Shelters Arrive with a Splash

Aregionalbike-sharinginitiativefacilitatingtwo-wheeltravelthroughthePeninsulaCorridorisabouttoseethelightofday.

Thepilotprogram,enabledbya$4.29millionMetropolitanTransportationCommission(MTC)grant,alongwithadditionalfundingprovidedbytheBayAreaAirQualityManagementDistrictandotherpartners,isscheduledtolaunchinlate2011andrunthroughmid-2012.Theprogramwillplace1,000bicyclesin100strategicallylocatedkiosksthroughouttheCaltraincorridorbetweenSanFranciscoandSanJose.SanFranciscowillreceivethelion’sshareofavailablekiosks—50with500bicy-cles—whiletheremainder

ofthekioskswillbedistributedthroughoutRedwoodCity,MountainView,PaloAltoandSanJose.

“Bikesharingisthefinalingredientinourrecipeforcitywidemobilityoptions,”saysTimothyPapandreou,DeputyDirectorofPlanningforSFMTA’sSustainableStreetsDivision.“Oncefullyrealized,thesebicycleswillbeavailableondemandforshorttripsandtofillinthefirstandlastmileoflongertripsbybusorrailtransit.”

Participantswillneedtoacquireabike-shareaccounteitheronlineorin-personatanystationwithinthenetwork.Oncecustomersareregisteredtheycanuseanyofthebikesstationedthroughoutthenetwork.Annualandone-daymembershipswillbeoffered.Acreditcardorprepaidsmartcardwillallowcustomerstounlockthebikeselectronically.Toencourageshort-termuse,therewillbenochargefortripsof30minutesorless.Long-termpricinghasyettobeestablished.BikeswillbeoutfittedwithGPSunitsandradiofrequencyidentificationtagsalongwithothersecuritycomponentstominimizetheftandtoallowforlocationtracking.

Bike Sharing Becomes a Bay Area Reality As a Dynamic Pilot

Muni Moving Stops as Temporary Transbay Terminal Is CompletedAs of Dec. 11, final build out of the Temporary Transbay Terminal was complete; Muni moved its buses to their updated stops on the perimeter of the terminal on Dec. 16. The Phase Two configuration will be in place until construction of the new Transbay Transit Center is completed in 2017.

Bike-sharing facilities, similar to those showcased during July’s Sunday Streets event held in the Mission District, will be placed throughout the Bay Area late next year.

Theregionalprogramfollowstheleadofothersuc-cessfulprogramsinParis,London,Barcelona,Chicago,Denver,Washingtonandnumerousothercitiesaroundtheworld.TheMTCgrantwasawardedasaresultoftheintrepidworkoftheSFMTASustainableStreetsandFinanceandInformationTechnologyDivisions.

Photo by Ryan Hughes

Form and function combine with green technology to create Muni’s new, iconic transit shelter.


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ThemajorityofMuni’sfleetoflightrailvehicles(LRVs)isabouttoreceiveacleanbillofhealththankstoa$56millionrehabilitationcontractawardedinSeptemberthatwillensuretheAgencyworkhorseswillbeserv-ingSanFranciscanssafelyforyearstocome.

Thefirstrefurbished,“likenew”LRVwasunveiledonOct.14aspartofthesix-yearcontractthatisreplacingagingsystemson143ofthefleet’s151trains.TheLRVsarebeingrehabilitatedbymanufacturerAnsaldo-BredaundertheLRVDoorsandStepsReconditioningProjectfundedinpartby$15millioninAmericanRecoveryandReinvestmentActstimulusfunding.

ThescopeoftheprojectcallsfortherebuildingoftheLRVdoorandstepsystems,airsupplyunits,tractionmotorsandautomaticcouplerstotheiroriginaloperatingspecifications.Duringtherehabili-tationprocess,articulationpinsinthecenterofthevehiclesandarticulationwireharnesseswillalsobereplaced.Therenovationsareexpectedtoextend

LRVs Get New Lease on Life

thelifecycleofthevehiclesbyanadditional10to13years.TheAgency’sfleetof151LRVscarriesmorethan160,000customerseachweekday.Therehabprocesswilldirectlyimprovesystemperformancebyassuringvehicleavailabilityandcomponentreliabilityaswellasservicereliabilityandperformance.

Withalittlehelpfromnewtechnologyandtheinformation

superhighway,SFMTA’sSFparkisintheprocessofimplementinganewapproachtoparkingmanagementthatisbeinghailedasthefirstofitskind.

SFpark’ssophisticated,two-yearpilotprogramwillsoonmakeparkinglessdauntingforCitytravelers.Byearlynextyear,Citymotoristswillhaveelectronicaccesstoreal-timeparkingdataacquiredfromover8,200street-embeddedparkingsensorsthatprovideaccuratedatashow-ingavailableparkingonCitystreetsandinCity-ownedgarages.InformationwillbeconveyedtomotoristsviatheInternet,511system,variablemessagesigns,textmessagingorthroughhandheldmobiledevices.Usinghistori-calinformation,SFparkwillthenadjustmeterrates,knownasdemand-responsivepricing,basedontimeofday,locationandparkingavailabilityineachofthepilotareas.

Meterratesintestareaswillbeadjustedmonthlybynomorethan$0.50anhourwithanendgoalof

Parking from the Ground Up—SFpark’s New Hi-tech Approach

From Right to Left: FTA Regional Administrator Leslie Rogers, SFMTA Board Member Malcolm Heinicke, SFMTA Executive Director/CEO Nathaniel Ford and SFMTA Board Member Cheryl Brinkman are flanked by the Ansaldo Breda executive team at an Oct. 14 news conference.

creating—inmostcases—onefreeparkingspaceperblock.Likewise,demand-responsivepricingwillbeimplementedatCity-ownedgaragestocreateacompetitivepricingarrange-mentwithmeteredspaces,steeringcustomerstounder-servedgaragesandcreatingadditionalon-streetparking.

Alongwithdemand-responsivepricing,otherparkingmanage-mentstrategiesincorporatedbytheinnovativeSFparkpilotprojectwillincludelongertimelimitsandnewmetersthatacceptcreditcardsaswellascoinsandtheSFMTAParking

Card.Useofthesenewstrategies,saysSFpark’sJayPrimus,willhelpmotoristscircleless,reducedoubleparking,improvepedestrianandbicyclesafety,cutdownonparkingtickets,createmorereliableMuniserviceandreducegreenhousegasemissions.TheSFparkpilotprojectreceivedmajorfundingfromtheU.S.DepartmentofTransportation’sUrbanPartnershipProgram.TofindoutmoreaboutSFpark pleasevisitwww.SFpark.org.


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Muni Steps Up to the Plate: Agency Keeps City Moving Throughout Giants World Series JourneyThere all kinds of champions: athletes, dancers, actors, spelling bee winners, beauty contes-tants and others.

And then there are those who perform like champions out of simple dedication but don’t get a laurel crown, a gold medal or a statuette. The SFMTA is full of such people, and they turned in championship performances on the stage of the World Series this year in San Fran-cisco—an event that took 56 years to happen.

From beginning to end every member of the SFMTA Team stepped up to the plate and hit one out of the park, and all are MVPs. These champions represented a veritable cross sec-tion of the Agency:

• Operators, Mechanics, Dispatchers and Street Supervisors

• Planners and Engineers

• Stations Agents, Transit Fare Collectors, Parking Control Officers, Revenue employees and Community Relations staff

• Taxi staff

• Our San Francisco Police Department colleagues

The SFMTA Team responded selflessly by providing extra service to playoff and Series games at AT&T Park and then moved over 900,000 happy Giants fans to and from the ticker tape parade that attracted more than a million people to downtown and Civic Cen-ter. They executed a game plan that included traffic and parking control, logistics, security, crowd control and advance ticket sales. Oth-ers volunteered as SFMTA Ambassadors to provide information and to assist customers, many of whom were visitors and unfamiliar with the City and the transportation network.

The World Series was an extraordinary event that is now part of baseball history and lore. The SFMTA Team also turned in a champion-ship performance by keeping San Francisco moving from the first playoff game to the fantastic ticker tape parade.

Photo by Lulu Tong Photo by Eric Lavina Photo by Eric Lavina

Photo by Lulu Feliciano


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The SFMTA’s five-poster Engagement Survey campaign took first prize in the Shoestring Category in this year’s American Public Transportation Association (APTA) AdWheel Awards competition. SFMTA’s Director of Administration, Taxis and Accessible Ser-vices, Debra Johnson, was on hand to accept the award in San Antonio at the APTA annual meeting in early October. The Shoestring Category features marketing or communications campaigns conducted on a limited budget. This marks the second year in a row that the SFMTA’s Marketing Section has won at least one award in the annual APTA awards competition.

SFMTA Engagement Survey Campaign Wins APTA Award

Anewanti-crimecampaigntostopvandalismonboardMunivehiclesputsthe“powertoprevent”incustomers’hands.

Thenewcampaign,“NotinMyHouse,”producedbySFMTAMarketingstaff,introducesanumberthatallowscustomerstocovertlyalertauthoritiestovandalismonMunivehicles.

Whilevandalismisoccur-ring,Municustomerswithcellularphonescantextthefour-digitbusortrainnumber,locatedabovetheOperator’scabandthrough-outthevehicle,to710.4455toreachMuni’sCentralControlCenter.Afterreceivingthetextmessage,CentralControlalertstheSFPDandpro-videsthespecificbusor

New Muni Text Line Seeks Customer Help in Fighting Muni Vandalismtrainnumberfromthecustomer’stext.TheSFPDthendispatchesanofficertointerceptthebusortrainonitspathoftravelinanefforttoconfront thevandalsbeforetheyexitthevehicle.

GraffitiabatementandcleanupthroughouttheMunisystemcoststheAgency$11millionannuallyandcreatesunwelcomeblightonMunipropertyandvehicles.


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TheFederalTransitAdministration(FTA)announcedinOctoberthat$43.8millioninStateofGoodRepairfundswasonthewaytotheSFMTA’sIslaisCreekBusOperationsandMaintenanceFacility($35million)andacapitalassetmanagementsystem($8.8mil-lion).ThesetwocrucialprojectswillimproveMunibusservicebyprovidingincreasedcapacityforserviceandrepairsandbetterassetmanagement.

“Reliabletransitserviceiscrucialtolocaleconomiesandimprovingourenvironment,”saidMayorGavinNewsom.“Weneedtore-investintheinfrastructureoftheMunisystemtofulfillthepromiseofourTransit FirstCity.”

“SanFrancisco’sinfrastructureisatthecoreofourqualityoflife,”saidNathanielP.FordSr.,SFMTAExecutiveDirector/CEO.“Accordingly,theSFMTAwillcontinuetoaggressivelyprioritizekeepingMuniinastateofgoodrepairinordertoprovidesafeandreliableservicetoourcustomers.”

The$35millioninStateofGoodRepairgrantfundswillbeusedtoconstructaMaintenanceandOpera-

SFMTA’s Islais Creek Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility Project Receives a Financial Boost

tionsBuildingaspartofthe$92millionIslaisCreekBusFacilityProject,anundertakingthatwillresultinafullyfunctioning,state-of-the-artfacility.

TheIslaisCreekFacilityProjectwillbebuilton5.32acresofCity-ownedlandand2.4acresofCaltranspropertylocatedonCesarChavezStreet.Itwillincludeoperationsandmaintenancefacilitiesandparkingfor165oftheSFMTA’s40-footmotorcoach-esand19non-revenuevehicles,aswellasafuelingandwashfacility.

PhaseOneoftheprojectwillalsobringmajorwater-frontimprovementsonastripoflandtoreflectthehistoricalindustrialandportusesalongtheSanFran-ciscoBayandIslaisCreek.Usingfederalandlocalfunds,theSFMTApreparedthedesignpackageforPhaseOnesitedevelopment,whichwasadvertisedinSeptember.PhaseOneconstructionisexpectedtobeginthiswinter.Oncethisphaseiscompleted,theprojectwilladvancetoPhaseTwoinsummer2012.Thefacilitywillopenforoperationsinthesummerof2012andtheentireconstructionprojectwillbecompletedin2014.

Artist rendering showing front and side views of Islais Creek Bus Op-erations and Maintenance Facility.

RespondingtoabigleaguerequestforadditionaltaxiservicetoandfromAT&TParkduringthe2010NationalLeagueChampionshipSeries,theSFMTATaxiDivisionplunkeddownathirdtaxistandneartheballparkasawayofalleviatingpre-andpost-gametrafficcongestion.

Third AT&T Taxi Stand Keeps Customers from Being Stranded on BaseThenewstand,installedonatrialbasisontheeastsideof3rdStreetjustnorthofKingStreet,wasasightforsoreeyesforgame-daytravelerswhocom-plainedofthedifficultyinhailingtaxispost-gameatthe2ndStreettaxistandsouthofTownsendStreetduetotravelrestrictionsalongtherouteimposedtominimizeexitcongestion.


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AspartoftheClippercardtransitioninitiative,new,state-of-theartfaregatesandinteractiveticketvendingmachineswereinstalledinMetrostationsinrecordtime.Thenewfaregatesreplacetheover30-year-old

turnstilesandaredesignedtoacceptregional,re-loadableClippercards.Thenewticketvendingmachinesaddanewlevelofcustomerconvenienceastheyac-ceptcash,creditanddebitcardsanddispenseandreloadClippercardsandLimitedUseMuniTickets.

UseoftheClippercardhasgrownexponentiallysinceitslaunchinJunewhen6,700passesweresoldonClip-percards.InOctober42,000weresold

andinNovember74,000.Thatequalsnearlyhalfofthenumberofpassessoldmonthly.

Thetremendousgrowthinawarenessandusearetheresultofanaggressivemarketingandoutreachcampaignaswellasqualitycustomersupport.“TimetoSwitch”adsappearedinMetrostations,onMunivehiclesandintransitshelters.Thecam-paignwasseenonTV,innewspapersandheardonradio.Customersalsolearnedaboutthetransitionfromdirectmailers.EverypaperFastPasssoldwas

wrappedwithClipperinformationforthreemonthsleadinguptotheNovembertransitiondeadlineandeveryRTCstickerwasattachedwithinformationstartinginMay.ClipperAmbassadorsweredeployedtoinformandandprovidepersonalassistancetocustomersinstations,onboardbusesandatselectretailers.TransitFareInspectors(TFIs)andStationAgentsplayedaprimaryroleinthisinitiative,provid-inghallmarkcustomerserviceduringthismassivefaremediatransition.

Next:Transitioningyouth,seniorandMPassholdersinthecomingyear.

Customers Sailing through Clipper Transition

Thegroundworkisbeinglaidforaregionalelectricvehicle(EV)corridorintheSanFranciscoBayAreathatwillcementtheregion’sreputationasaleaderintheEVmovement.

Thiseffortwillbelaunchedthroughaninitiativethatwillincludethenation’sfirstelectrictaxifleetsinthecitiesofSanFranciscoandSanJoseby2014.OverthenextthreeyearsBetterPlace,anEVservicesprovider,willdeployandoperatefourautomatedbattery-switchstationsintheSanFranciscotoSanJosecorridortosupportafleetofzero-emission,electrictaxis.Thesestationswillserviceover50battery-switchabletaxistooperateinbothSanFranciscoandSanJose.Inaddition,SanFranciscowillacquire25zero-emis-sionneighborhood,or“ZEN,”taxisthatwillbedeployedtoimproveservicetooutlyingneighborhoods.

Bay Area Leads the Charge in Electric Taxi Implementation

Clipper faregates, like this one in the Montgomery Station, were recently installed in all Muni Metro stations.

Photo courtesy of Better Place

ThecollaborativeeffortbetweenBetterPlaceandthecitiesofSanFranciscoandSanJosewillestablishanelectrictaxiprogramthatwillhavefar-reachingimplica-tionsforanindustrythatcurrentlyoperateslarge,predominatelygas-poweredvehiclesinurbanareas.


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As residents and visitors prepare to ring in the New Year, the SFMTA is gearing up to ensure that customers get home safely. For New Year’s Eve 2011, Muni service on all routes and lines, including cable cars, will be free from 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31 until 6 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 1. Extra Metro service will also be provided, including:• Metro service between West Portal and the Caltrain Station

from 8 p.m. to 2:15 a.m.• Metro service between Embarcadero and West Portal

Station until 4 a.m. • Extra Owl service from 1 to 5 a.m. with shortened frequen-

cies from 30 to 15 minutes on the 5 Fulton, 14 Mission, 22 Fillmore, 24 Divisadero, 38 Geary, 90 Owl, 91 Owl and L and N Owl motor coach service.

F Market & Wharves service will be provided by motor coaches after 4 p.m.

Muni New Year’s Service Means a Safe Trip Home

To assist customers, Variable Message Signs will be dis-played on The Embarcadero advising motorists to expect delays from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Photo by Marcin Wichary

DiligenteffortsfromLivableStreets,asubdivisionofSFMTA’sSustainableStreetsDivision,arechangingthefaceofSanFrancisco’sfamouslyurbanlandscape.

Inrecentmonths,anumberofprojectshaveeitherbeencompletedormovedforwardthatwill,inthenearfuture,transformvariousCityneighborhoodsintosafer,greenerandmorewelcomingenviron-mentsforpedestrians,localresidentsandallroadwayusers.

TherecentlycompletedValenciaStreetscapeProjectbetween15thand19thstreetsincorporatedtrafficcalmingtechniquestoaddressgrowingtrafficandsafetyconcerns.Streetscapeenhancementsincluded

Livable Streets Making Street Life Better for City Residentsreconfiguringsidewalksandtruckloadingzones,installingbicyclepreferentialsignaltimingandaddingartelementsandnewtreestoenhancethesenseofplaceintheheavilytraveledcorridor.

Twootherlarge-scaleprojectsincorporatingsimi-larenhancements,TheCesarChavezStreetscapeImprovementProject,amulti-agencycollaboration,andtheMasonicAvenueStreetDesignStudy,willincorporatetotalstreetscaperedesignandhavesimilarimpactsontheirrespectiveneighborhoodswhencompleted.

InadditiontheSFMTA,incoordinationwiththeBet-terStreetsplanningprocess,hasinitiatedacitywide

movementtoenhancepedestriansafetyat60“uncontrolledintersections,”thosewithcrosswalkswheretherearenostopsignsortrafficsignals,withinthenextyear.Selectedintersectionswillreceivenewsignage,road-waymarkingsandRedVisibilityCurbsthatrestrictparkingnearintersectionstoincreasepedestrianvisibility.

TheseandotherprojectsdovetailwiththeAgency’sBetterStreetsPlan,whichprovidesablueprintforthefutureofSanFrancisco’spedestrianenvironment,andwasintroducedtotheBoardofSupervisorsforadoptionintotheCity’sofficialplansandcodesbyMayorGavinNewsomonSeptember21.People gathered at parklet at 17th and Market streets in the Castro. Similar oases are being devel-

oped in other San Francisco neighborhoods to make them friendlier and more attractive to residents and visitors.


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SFMTA Welcomes Tess Navarro and Mike Keohane

OnNovember18,TessNavarrojoinedtheSFMTAasManagerofAccounting/Controller.Navarro,a28-yearCityemployeemostrecentlywithLagunaHondaHospital,takesoverforInterimManagerEloida

Leonardo.Day-to-dayresponsibilitieswillbe

forthemanagementandoperationoftheAccountingSection.LeonardowillreturntoherroleasManagerofFinan-cialReportingandCompliance.

AnotherrecentadditiontotheSFMTATeamisPayrollManagerMikeKeohane.Keohanee,whojoinedtheAgencyinOctoberofthisyear,willberesponsibleforalldailypayrolloperationsfortheSFMTAaswellasmanagingastaffof12payrollprofessionals.KeohanehasworkedfortheCityController’sOfficeandforthelast14yearswasthePayrollSupervisorforthePublicUtilitiesCommissionhereinSanFrancisco.

Debra A. Johnson:DirectorofAdministration,TaxisandAccessibleServicesMurray Bond:DeputyDirectorofCommunicationsandMarketingandEditorMark DeAnda:PublicRelationsOfficerandAssociateEditorChimmy Lee:GraphicDesignerHeather Moran:Photographer To share comments about En Route or to suggest story ideas, please e-mail [email protected].

En Route is the official employee publication of the SFMTA. In an effort to keep our City green, this newsletter is distributed in an electronic/printable format. A limited number of hard copies are available in reception areas and Gilley rooms.

En RouteSFMTA Manager of Accounting/Controller Tess Navarro

SFMTA Payroll Manager Mike Keohane

Thegoalfortheholidaysistomaintainyourpre-holidayweightbyavoidingcaloriesandassociatedweightgainduringthisfestivetime.Don’tsetanunrealisticgoaltotrytoloseweight.Instead,takeadailyE³Cbreak.

WhatisE³C?TheEmployeeExercise&EducationCenter,betterknownasE³C,islocatedatOneSouthVanNessontheSixthFloor,Room6051andisopen24/7.ThisfacilityisawelcomehavenforSFMTAstafftoenjoyaprivateandsafeenvironmenttostretch,strengthen,de-stress,monitorbloodpressureandtolearneffectivewaystoimprovetheirhealthandwell-being.IfyoucannotgettotheSouthVanNessfacility,vansregularlybringhealthandwellnessadviceandactivitiestoSFMTAfacilitiesandofferonboardstrengthening,stretching,aerobicexerciseandbloodpressurescreenings.Backfirst’sHealthstrongMobileservicesareavailableweeklyat:

•GreenDivision,Monday,9:30a.m.to2:30p.m.•FlynnDivision,Tuesday,10a.m.to3p.m.•WoodsDivision,Wednesday,9:30a.m.to2:30p.m.•PotreroDivision,Thursday,10:30a.m.to3:30p.m.•KirklandDivision,Friday,9:30a.m.to2:30p.m.

Ifyouwonderhowtheseservicescanhelpyou,con-siderthatsittinginfrontofyourcomputerorworking

inthesamepositionalldaycanbehazardoustoyourhealth.Studiesshowthatmovement,stretchingandlightexerciseeffectivelybreakupunhealthy,prolongedstaticposturesandgreatlydecreasethelikelihoodofwork-relatedachesandpains.

HowdoIuseE³C?Thecenterisopendailyforyourpersonaluseatyourconvenience.Allequipmentandwellnesstoolshavebeencarefullyselectedtoensuresafeandeffectiveself-monitoredstretching,gentlestrengthen-ingandcardioexercise.Trythe“Finein9”routine,asession,guidedbyaBackFirsttraineronTuesdaysandThursdaysfromnoonuntil2p.m.,ofstretching,relaxationandstrengtheningthatyoucandoinjustnineminutes!

Wherecanyougetadditionalhelp?PleasecontactthestaffatBackFirstformoreinstructionandhelpwiththeuseofequipment,guidancewithaspecificexerciseprogramandnutritionalcounseling.YoucanreachBack-Firstat415.923.6357orbye-mailatwww.BackFirst.net.

Caution: Please use all equipment safely and only as directed. If you suspect that you may have a medical condition that precludes you from exercising, please contact your personal physician before starting.

Maintain, Don’t Gain This Holiday Season!

Combined Charities Fundraising Campaign UpdateThe un-audited results are in. Overall, 18 percent of City and County of San Francisco employees participated in the Combined Charities Campaign, generously donating a total of $1,112,763 for those in need. As an Agency, the SFMTA racked up a 24.7 percent participation rate with 1,046 pledges. Of particular note, we got 700 pledges in seven days!Congratulations to the following SFMTA winners of the Campaign’s Final Drawing: C. Scott, a baseball autographed by San Francisco Giant Edgar Renteria; Darton Ito, PUC water bottle; George Gaitwood, PUC water bottle; and Manito Velasco, SFPD tee-shirt.

Muni Newsletter Fall 2010 Edition

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Transcript of Muni Newsletter Fall 2010 Edition