Muni's All-Door Boarding - Rear Door Button Doesn't Always Work

Since July 1, 2012, Muni has been operating with the all-door boarding policy.  It's pretty nice that I don't have to wait in a long line for the front door by simply boarding the rear door and tagging my Clipper card.

If you are familiar with Muni Metro, all-door boarding has been going on with the light rail system for much longer ever since they brought in the grey Breda cars.  When the metro arrives at a surface stop and doesn't open the doors, you reach for the button on the left or right side that is illuminated to open the doors.

When the operators of the buses stop to pickup/discharge passengers, it's a luck of the draw if the operator will open the rear doors for you, a passenger exits the bus, or the rear door entry button works.

On the Muni buses, for the exception of the oldest ones in the fleet, all the rear doors have buttons on the exterior, one on the left and another on the right of the doors (see photo on this blog entry).  But having that button lit and available for use has been quite inconsistent since the agency allowed all-door boarding.

I've been riding Muni more frequently on the weekends and I ride a variety of vehicles to get to where I want to go.  I'd say about 30 to 50% of the time, the button does work to open the doors, but there are moments when the button doesn't respond and I have to hurry to the front door just to board the bus.  In one instance, the bus drove off because the button failed to work.

I feel Muni needs to make an effort to check all their buses to make sure the rear door entry button can light up and work properly.  They ordered their buses to intentionally have those buttons, and for just over six months, not all the vehicles allow entry due to the failure of the button.

This is a project Muni needs to work on.  If they gain the trust of their passengers to be allowed to enter the door with reliable working equipment (the buttons), more will board the rear to allow a more efficient transit agency.  All the metro trains have their door buttons work perfectly every time, now it's time to make sure they work on the rest of the fleet.

Is Muni's All-Door Boarding Policy Working and Big Mistakes the Agency Made

It's been twelve days, and now it's time to ask the big question...

Is Muni's new all-door boarding policy actually working?

In my opinion, the answer would be both yes and no.

Why no?
For Muni lines where rear-door boarding was happening all the time prior to the change in policy, I don't see much of a difference.  For example, I rode the 38L Geary Limited in both directions from 48th Avenue & Point Lobos to Geary & Park Presidio and things just seemed the same.  At the stops deep in the avenues where the bus would only pick up less than a few people, everyone still boarded the front door, regardless if they had a Clipper card or paper transfer in hand.  At the "major" stops like 25th & Geary and 20th & Geary, people boarded the rear doors as they did prior to July 1st.

Why yes?
For Muni lines that are not heavily used, the boarding process was much quicker.  Less people had to wait in line to board the front door, so the rear doors became the quick way to get on the bus and help reduce the dwell time.

One good example was on July 5th when I was at the Golden Gate Bridge on the San Francisco side.  I was waiting for the 28-19th Avenue bus and saw a group of ladies in a tour group with Clipper cards in hand waiting for the bus.  Instead of that mob boarding the front door, about three-fourths of them boarded the rear door and sat on the back half of the bus.  As you may know, a lot of tourists like boarding the front door and never moving to the back (thank you F-Market tourists), but boarding the rear doors encouraged them to take the seats in the back.

Some big mistakes Muni did:

1. They made the announcement too late about rear door boarding, they only gave the public five days notice.  When Muni informs the public about service cuts and fare hikes, they do it MONTHS in advance.
2. There's a lack of advertising.  With only five days notice, all they did was put information on their website, and some signage in the buses.  Some of us bloggers help spread the word, but having full page ads in newspapers and extra time to announce the program would have benefited Muni much more.
3. The all-door boarding stickers are so small.  The one you see on the top of this blog entry is for Muni metro.  The sticker is about the length of your hand.  I would have expected something a bit bigger for people to see and read.  The universal images help a little, but maybe a few words in English may make it easier for people to inform them that boarding the rear is okay.

BREAKING: Muni All-Door Boarding to Start on July 1

Photo from SFMTA
The official sign on all rear doors

If you recall from a past blog post, Muni is supposed to start the all-door boarding program on July 1, 2012.

It's now official.  Hours ago, the SFMTA announced starting Sunday, July 1, 2012 all passengers can board ANY door of ALL Muni vehicles and lines.

Statistically, Muni will be the first agency in the nation to implement all-door boarding for its entire fleet and routes.  The goal is to speed up the boarding process so buses can keep moving on our streets.  Muni will have to invest an extra $900K in salary and benefits to hire ten more fare inspectors.  The extra cost will be offset by an estimated $200K in tickets written to violators and other cost savings.

How all-door boarding works:
This is exactly like the Proof of Payment system already in place on the Muni metro and the rear door boarding procedures remains the same for the rest of the Muni fleet.  This has been unofficially and illegally done on non-metro lines such as the lines going through Chinatown for many years, but has proven itself to board buses faster than through the traditional method of front door only.

Passengers with a Clipper card, metro ticket (Limited Use Ticket/LUT), paper transfer, paper pass, visitor Muni Passport, and other pre-paid Muni media can board any door.  Those using a Clipper card or LUT must tag their card at the card reader inside the vehicle.  Those non-Clipper media can simply board and take a seat.

Passengers paying with cash, youth fare coupon books, and those needing the wheelchair lift or bus kneeling feature must board the front door of the bus.  Cash fares to the farebox, Clipper cards uses the reader, and youth coupons handed to the driver.

Pesky rules to remember:

1. All Muni lines are now using the honor system known as "Proof of Payment."  You must have a valid pass or fare receipt at all times.  Expired passes and fare receipts/transfers are invalid and a violation of city law.  It is necessary to have unexpired media at hand at all times.  Passengers are subject to inspection by an officer of the peace or transit fare inspector.
2. Anyone using a Clipper card or a Muni metro Limited Use Ticket (LUT) must ALWAYS tag their card/ticket on a Clipper card reader, regardless if you have a valid monthly pass or know your electronic transfer has not yet expired.  If you have a current monthly pass and didn't tag it, the fare inspector will have to hassle with you and check the data on your card using their handheld reader, and that's a waste of time.  For more information on why it is important to tag your card, click here.

Respect and Courtesy
This is a very important topic for all-door boarding.  If you are used to the unwritten "commuter rules" for BART, you know the basics for the upcoming July 1st implementation of Muni's all-door boarding.

Rule #1: Always let passengers exit the vehicle first.  It's a matter of courtesy to let exiting passengers leave the vehicle first, then boarding passengers enter second.  Also, exiting passengers should always be ready to exit the vehicle, don't do it late; if it's crowded, be vocal and say you need to exit the bus just BEFORE it arrives at the stop.

Rule #2: Don't clothesline passengers.  If you have a Clipper card, try your best to board the correct side of the rear door that is closest to the Clipper card reader.  If you board the wrong side, don't stick your arm out to tag your Clipper card on the opposite side, you could hurt someone; just wait until everyone else boarded, then tag your card.

Rule #3: If you are the only passenger at the stop, just board the front door.  It's a waste of time and annoying to a bus driver and fellow passengers if you are the only person at a bus stop and you want to board the rear.  Just use the front door.  This makes even more practical sense for the less used Muni lines such as the community service routes.  Exception: Muni metro lines, just press the door open button.

Rule #4: Respect the fare inspectors.  Have your fare media available for inspection in an easy to access place.  Don't crinkle your transfer up and toss it in your pocket.  If you have a Clipper card, I suggest using a clear plastic protective sleeve instead of digging in your pocket for your wallet.

Rule #5: Always properly tag your Clipper card.  Getting the dreaded "three beeps of death" is not just annoying to hear, but also holds up other passengers behind you trying to board and tag their card.  Never swipe the card like a credit card, don't move the card around the sensor, or quickly tap the card and move the card away from the sensor.  The proper procedure is: Hold the card steady on the reader until you get the single beep confirmation tone, and then remove the card.  Read more for tips on properly tagging your Clipper card.



So that's it.  Monday, July 2nd will be the first business day for the program.  Let's see if it really speeds up service as it promises.

On a side note: Strangely, I just finished a blog post hours prior to Muni's big announcement; I was questioning why there was no updates or if it was going to start on July 1st.  Then I get the twitter message and had to delete all the material I had ready.

Muni to do All-Door Boarding? The Good and Bad

Late Friday, Streetsblog SF presented a report about Muni changing to all-door boarding starting July 1st for the entire transit system. This would expand beyond the existing metro system's policies and would be the first in North America to establish such a major program.

But as you all know, Akit isn't here to stand on the sidelines and cheer, he's got his own thoughts on this idea. If you are reading this blog entry, what else would you expect from this blogger?

Perks of all-door boarding...

1. We all know the agency's buses are slow; it shouldn't take 45 minutes to go end to end on the 38L-Geary Limited, but that's what happens all the time. We all know Muni's average speed is a sluggish 8 MPH, in fact, you can probably ride a bike and make it to your destination faster.
2. In theory, if we go with all-door boarding, passengers don't need to flood the front door of buses and wait in line to either pay in cash or tag their Clipper card. That should be able to reduce the time for boarding and encourage more passengers to spread out on the buses where many bunch-up in the front half and refuse to go to the rear.
3. More people want a Clipper card to pay for their rides? Why not enjoy the benefit of tagging your Clipper card to enter a different door?
   

But I do have my concerns...

More Fare Evasion
This has to be the riskiest thing Muni will have to face. The honor system is not exactly the greatest idea in our city. When I ride the 38-Geary and see people boarding through the rear door, hardly anyone is tagging their Clipper card, or doing the "flash their pass/transfer" at the driver who isn't even paying attention to their rear mirror; and let's remember, this is happening today, before the new policy is in place!

Also, with the possible plan to allow all of SF's youth to ride free (in which, I hate the idea), and that will cause even more turmoil. Youth could argue to inspectors and police: "why do I need to tag my Clipper card's free pass when you already allow all-door boarding?" If inspectors or cops decides to write a ticket to a person under 18, that's a trip down to the Juvenile Justice Center as per state law; that means backing up the already busy juvenile court system.

I can understand Muni has card readers on their back doors, but only on one side. If a passenger boards the opposite side, they'd have to do the wrestling clothesline move to validate their Clipper card. Even on the metro lines, passengers complain there are too few card readers and passengers boarding a crowded train will have to get through a layer of people just to validate their card.

Passenger Courtesy
Remember riding BART and you always let passengers exit first, and then you board? On Muni... HA! The Muni metro at Powell Street station is a perfect example of seeing old Chinese ladies shoving their way onto an outbound K-Ingleside train while dozens of other passengers are trying to exit FIRST.

Even for me, I got off jury duty and rode the 8X to downtown, and I was about to exit when a Chinese lady decided to board the rear door illegally and sandwiched me into the stairwell's handrail just so she can board first.

If Muni wants to do this, they need to teach passengers some respect. Let people exit first, then board the rear door. If you want to board first while I'm exiting, I don't mind blocking the doorway until you get the hell out of my way.

Smaller & Lesser Known Lines
All-door boarding is a good option for major bus lines and ones heavily used by the public. All the 38 Geary lines is a perfect example because 54,000 people ride the Geary lines on a single weekday at approximately a 75% on-time rate (stats from SF Examiner). By improving boarding times, the Geary lines can increase their on-time rate even higher, or if very successful, adjust their time schedules.

But smaller lines like the 39-Coit, 18-46th Avenue, 17-Parkmerced, 3-Jackson, and a ton more doesn't need all-door boarding. If you think about it, if there's only a few passengers waiting at a bus stop, why not just let them board the front door? What if there was just one passenger? Why waste time and let them board the rear when the front door should be the primary way?

Fare Inspectors
If Muni plans to expand all-door, they need more fare inspectors.

I can understand, if all-door expands to only major lines, hiring extra inspector teams to conduct inspections won't be so bad because they can still concentrate on the metro lines and the lines added to all-door boarding. Surely, they can still inspect the lines without all-door as surprise inspections just to keep people in check with the rules.

If Muni decides to expand to the smaller lines, what a waste of resources it will be. If all-door boarding was on the 17-Parkmerced, I'd bet fare evasion would jump because fare inspectors would hardly ever do any fare checks, and those entering the back door could have a transfer that's fake, expired, or just nothing at all, and the driver would just assume the passenger is A-OK. The larger the number of all-door boarding lines, the more inspectors will be needed to keep passengers in check with obeying the honor policy. Or even worse, forcing inspectors to blanket the whole city to do fare checks on every single line of Muni to make sure of compliance of boarding the rear doors.

What's easier is the smaller lines stick to regular policy, board the front doors only, and exit doors are just exit doors. The driver has full control to make sure every person who enters the front door has paid their fare, used a valid Clipper card, or has shown a paper transfer. Drivers are defacto fare inspectors with authority to halt a passenger who has an expired transfer or something else going wrong, so why hire tons more inspectors or thin out the inspector teams to cover the whole city, when an operator can do themselves?

F-Market
The F-Market is a tourist line and truly needs to stick with front door boarding. I'd say about 85% of visitors pay for the F-Market in cash, so by allowing rear-door boarding, that will say to tourists, "hey, my streetcar is free!" Very few passengers board with a Clipper card, so front door boarding needs to stay to make sure they collect the revenue to help fund the agency.

If Muni wants all-door boarding for the F-Market, they need ticket machines. Put them at all the major stops so that it reduces dwell time for the vehicles (at the Ferry Building, it can take five minutes for everyone to board and pay cash). Muni could also consider having official ticket sellers at major stops during peak periods (weekends, Fleet Week, holidays, summer time) to encourage faster boarding. Lastly, Muni could consider bringing back the conductors that used to be on the streetcar lines many decades ago to check tickets and force new passengers to pay their fare.

All these suggestions for the F-Market are expensive, but it reduces the risk of fare evasion. If it was up to me, I'd stick with front door boarding only as a cost effective measure. Plus, doing fare inspections on tourists would be torment on the inspectors, from people with various language barriers, and international visitors won't even pay-off the citation because will Muni really chase them for a $100 ticket if they are in France?

If Akit Ran Muni...
If I was the king of Muni, here's what I'd do about this topic:

1. Only implement on the major and most heavily used bus lines.
2. Implement at all major stops, even for less popular routes where there's a lot of passengers waiting to board (e.g. SF State curb stops on 19th/Holloway).
   
3. Do not allow all-door on smaller bus lines and the F-Market.
   
4. Add pre-purchase ticketing machines at popular stops to encourage faster boarding.
5. Educate passengers early on about the rules and courtesy to other passengers.
6. Change the attitude of passengers about all-door boarding by discouraging fare evasion (does hypnosis work?).
7. Change the penalty structure; instead of a $100 fine, add an incentive to pay within three weeks and it's cut to $50; youth who violate are still remanded to the juvenile court system as I strongly believe youth crime is the path towards future crimes (even the city says so).