SF State/19th Avenue & Holloway Muni Metro Stop: Passengers Jumping from Platform

Would you dare to jaywalk across three lanes of traffic on one of San Francisco's busiest streets?

Let's take it up a notch, would you jump off a Muni metro platform and jaywalk across three lanes of traffic just so you don't miss your bus?

The fact is, this does happen.

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Take a look at the Google Maps image I've posted.  This is the metro platform stop for the M-Ocean View line at 19th Avenue and Holloway, in front of SF State.  You are looking at the east side (inbound) platform.

On some mornings, I notice passengers who just got off the inbound M-Ocean View line decide to jump off the platform and run across those three lanes of traffic just so they can take a shortcut to the bus stop that's on the sidewalk to catch the 17, 28, or 29 lines.  The first time I saw that, it was older Chinese women who was doing this, by risking their own life trying to make it across without getting hit by an incoming car.

While it's entirely possible to jump the platform and make it to the other side, the west (outbound) platform has a fence to prevent people from jumping, especially SF State students finding a cheap way to get across without walking down the ramp and using the crosswalk.  The city has installed fencing from Holloway to Winston to prevent jaywalking, especially at the track junction that was wildly popular and very illegal to get from one side of 19th to the SF State campus.  The city had to install the fencing because there have been some instances where people walking on the tracks was hit by a train or university police had to chase down someone on the active rail tracks.

It makes me wonder, why isn't there any fencing to prevent jumpers for the inbound side of the platform?  I wouldn't dare to attempt to jump from a platform and run across three lanes of traffic on the busiest and most dangerous road in San Francisco just to catch a bus.  I'd rather walk down the ramp and use the crosswalk, even if that meant missing the bus.  It's better for the city to prevent people getting mowed by a car than installing the barrier after the fact when someone's dead or in a coma.

Maybe I should text a tip to SFPD the next time I see it happen; never mind, since they don't read it in a timely manner.

Muni Metro Exiting Passenger Hit By Car - Will SFPD Finally Enforce the Law?

Many of who takes Muni metro have experienced at least one close call when exiting a surface stop and a car decides to blow past the train.  Those moments put chills in your bones, and maybe the feeling you want to slash the tires of that moron.

For you loyal fans, I've written about this a couple of times: An incident where I had a close encounter with a speeding SUV while I was exiting the metro, and a popular stop along the N-Judah line where cars pass by a stopped metro vehicle on a regular basis.

As we are aware, state law forbids drivers to pass a stopped light rail vehicle that is boarding and discharging passengers, or basically whenever the train doors are open.  We call this the "Do Not Pass" law.  Drivers are only permitted to drive past a light rail vehicle once it goes into motion, and not when just the doors close (there's the assumption passengers may still exit the train), or can legally pass a vehicle if it is in a designated "safety zone" at 10 MPH if it is marked with signage saying so.

Just yesterday morning at Taraval and 19th Avenue, a passenger exiting the L-Taraval train was struck by a car, and while it's not life threatening injuries, it delayed the entire line for 45 minutes.  (News article from SF Appeal).

You would think education would work, well it seems the answer is no [facepalm].  People continuously disobey the law and puts passengers entering and exiting the trains in danger.  When will the SFPD conduct enforcement and teach violators a serious lesson in driving?

Citizens constantly complain about laws being broken in their neighborhood, but the cops just don't do anything or say there's more serious things they need to do.  There are tons of occasions that the police or even the city will finally make changes or stronger enforcement when someone GETS KILLED because of it.  For example, a former two-way stop at 47th Avenue and Fulton was so extremely dangerous the city kept it a two way (stop signs for north & south) and extended the red no parking zone for better visibility, but only turned it into a 4-way when a pedestrian was hit and killed by a speeding driver going on west on Fulton.  The SFMTA tried stalling citizens complaints by responding it would "delay Muni," but from the many who called to complain, we all knew it was total bullshit.

When I drive on streets like Judah and Taraval, I always respect the law and wait behind the metro vehicle to let it do its job to embark and disembark passengers.  I've had assholes honk at me, including a taxicab, demanding me to pass the vehicle; all I do is keep my foot on the brake, roll down my window, point my finger at the yellow sticker on the back of the train saying not to pass, and pull my middle finger up to flick them off.

I don't have hundreds of dollars to pay the fine and court costs.

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.

SFMTA Should Reject Spending $1.6 Million for Free Youth Passes in Light of Muni Metro Meltdown

UPDATE: SFMTA Board approved giving free passes to youth, instead of investing money towards keeping Muni running, especially since the meltdown.  Big frown!  Read Tweet from Muni.

Original posting: Yesterday was one of Muni's worst days ever with two major incidents: a passenger being dragged over 500 feet when struck by a F-Market streetcar, and the meltdown of Muni metro.

Muni Metro serves tens of thousands of people every single workday, and a transformer at the Van Ness station practically ended all tunnel service within the city, therefore forcing city buses to take the brunt of transporting riders from West Portal to Embarcadero.  Muni blames the transformer on the weekend's heavy rains for ruining the commute after 6PM, but fortunately service is restored to the light rail system for the morning commute.

Today at 1PM in City Hall, the SFMTA Board of Directors will be having their last meeting of the year, and I'm betting the board and citizens on the microphone will be ranting about the disruption of Muni metro.  Some will put blame on the weather while others will put blame on the neglect and deferred maintenance now punishing the city.

Also on the agenda is the board will be voting on $1.6 million in grant funding from the MTC to provide free Muni youth passes for those who qualify.  The rest of the grant money ($5.1 million) will be going towards a rehabilitation of the light rail vehicles. (View PDF of proposal here)

Other than my views of using taxpayer money to fund free rides for kids (I deeply oppose any free rides for kids), in light of the major Muni metro meltdown last night, I want the SFMTA Board to reject the $1.6 million in funding and change the proposal to spend that money to fixing the critical infrastructure of Muni in order to maintain operational status.

While I know $1.6 million won't solve all our problems, at least fixing certain critical components such as making sure the electrical transformers for Muni metro won't explode is more important because the metro service serves a bigger population, and not just kids who might be eligible for a free pass.  I depend on Muni metro on days when I go to the ballpark, and many of you depend on it to bring you fast service to your workplace in downtown.

What would you spend $1.6 million?  Making sure Muni works for all, or give free passes for kids?

I'd make sure Muni works for all.  And for you kids, be lucky Muni gives the BIGGEST DISCOUNT for youth passengers versus other agencies in the Bay Area.

• Muni: $2 adult, $0.75 youth (62.5% discount) with free transfer.
• Samtrans: $2 adult, $1.25 youth (37.5% discount) with no transfer.
• VTA: $2 adult, $1.75 youth (12.5% discount) with no transfer.
• AC Transit: $2.10 adult, $1.05 youth (50% discount) with additional $0.25 for one ride transfer.

 I've made my point.  REJECT FREE PASSES FOR KIDS.

9th Avenue and Judah (N-Judah Outbound) is Dangerous for Passengers

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Seasons greetings to all my readers and I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  As some of you may know, I've moved into the Inner Sunset district and have been here for the past few months.  It's always great that I'm just a short walk from all the merchants and restaurants along 9th Avenue and on Irving, especially some places I haven't patronized since I was a little kid eating Sunday breakfast with my parents.

One of the greatest perks is the ample access to public transit.  On 9th Avenue and Judah, you can practically go any direction with the 6, 43, 44, and 66 lines.  But the fastest way to downtown is on the N-Judah.

I love the N-Judah for its air conditioning and quick rides to downtown, but I'm really concerned about the 9th Avenue and Judah outbound stop.  If you have a driver's license, you are aware of the "Do Not Pass" law which requires drivers to stop behind the last metro car door when the train is embarking and disembarking passengers.  It's a matter of safety that passengers can exit the train without getting hit by an incoming vehicle.

While the city does put an effort to put stickers on the back of metro vehicles, police sting enforcement, and those big signs saying "Do Not Pass" (not everywhere in the city), this gets largely ignored at the 9th and Judah stop for the outbound trains.  Every time I exit the metro, there's always a car that buzzes through; even though there's an island between the tracks and the roadway, drivers still ignore the law.

Some of you may be saying, if there's a boarding island, I can pass a metro car that's embarking/disembarking passengers?  The answer is mixed.  State vehicle code, section 27156 makes it clear that only a car can pass a light rail vehicle only if there's specific signage, ("safety zone") traffic officer, or police officer telling the driver to pass, but only at 10MPH.  When there's no specific signage permitting passing or a cop directing traffic, then the Do Not Pass law applies.

9th Avenue and Judah at the N-Judah's outbound stop does not have any signage permitting passing a metro train, therefore it is a violation to pass it.  But one big problem that I have is there isn't even a "Do Not Pass" sign at the stop.  If you see the Google Streetview on the top of this blog entry, there is absolutely no signs anywhere reminding drivers about the law.

For me, I'm quite worried when I exit the metro at a surface stop.  I fear that a driver will just decide to pass and I'll be the next person going to the hospital.  Back in January, I had a close encounter and two other passengers exiting almost got hit too.

For passengers: Always remember to look before you take the final step off the metro.
For drivers: Respect the law.
For Muni: INSTALL A SIGN!

Muni Metro to West Portal or St. Francis Circle?

Ever ride Muni metro going outbound and notice the sign on the train says "West Portal?"  This typically happens when the metro is trying to recover from a delay or providing additional service for a ballgame at AT&T Park or a major event in downtown.

In order for Muni trains to turn-around, they use the switchback down at St. Francis Circle.  Muni used to do this at the L-Taraval track turn-off at West Portal Station in front of the library, but that sometimes holds up train traffic.

What I normally do when I want to visit downtown is I park near St. Francis Circle because there's always available parking and no meters.  It also helps me get access to my car on the way back so I can go grocery shopping or get dinner.

The reason why I'm blogging about this is to ask Muni why the metro signs say "West Portal" when the true destination of the train is actually St. Francis Circle?

I encountered a problem on Sunday when I boarded train 1478, an outbound shuttle train stating "West Portal."

When the train reached West Portal, I kindly asked the driver if she's continuing onto St. Francis Circle. Usually, operators will allow passengers to stay on for the short ride the next two stops (14th/West Portal and St. Francis Circle), but when I asked the driver if it's going to St. Francis Circle, she said "NO" and pointed her finger towards the door to tell me to catch the next train.

I told the driver of 1478 that my car is parked there and that since the train is being turned around at that point, if I could stay aboard.  She said to me: "You work for Muni?"  I said: "no I did not" and I was booted off the train with another fellow passenger getting off at the same stop.  In fact, two other passengers sitting down and in plain sight of the driver's mirror wasn't asked to leave the train, only me and the other passenger who was bold enough to ask the driver.

The fellow passenger and I waited for the next train, luckily it was a K-Ingleside train, and we were following train 1478 towards St. Francis Circle.  Instead of taking 1478, the K-Ingleside train had to wait for five minutes for the 1478 to clear out of the way so we could advance to the stop and be let off.

So... what's Muni's official policy regarding trains bound for "West Portal?"  Is operators required to continue to haul passengers to St. Francis Circle?  Or why isn't Muni operators programming the signs to actually say "St. Francis Circle?"

Many Drivers Don't Respect the Do Not Pass Laws at Muni Metro Stops

"Hey, what the f--- are you doing!?!?!?!"

That's the first words I blurted out loud when I just exited the metro yesterday morning before 9AM. To those I offended by saying the f-word in public, sorry.

Here's what happened:
I had to visit a local x-ray center to get my teeth scanned, so I took the M-Ocean View metro from my workplace at SF State to 14th and West Portal. When the train got to 14th Avenue, I exited the train, looked both ways to make sure it was okay to cross, and noticed a grey SUV approaching at about 300 feet towards the train in the right lane (the train was in the track lane on the left).

There was enough time to reach the curb with the assumption the SUV would stop as well (even if the SUV was approaching, I could walk fast enough to cross), so I hopped off the train and was about eight feet away from the sidewalk/curb.

Instead of the SUV stopping, it decided to keep driving through the stopped metro train with inches to spare from clipping me. To make matters worse, two other passengers stepped off the train (exited) and saw the SUV pass by IN FRONT OF THEM. That's when I yelled out, "HEY, WHAT THE F--- ARE YOU DOING?!?!"

Instead of the SUV driver admitting to a mistake and quickly coming to a stop, it decides to quickly stop at the intersection and speed off very quickly down West Portal.

As for me yelling out the f-word, I sure had a lot of people staring at me, but hopefully they knew why; that idiot driver could have mowed down up to three people, including myself.

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This brings me to the topic of the day: Why are people disrespecting the "Do Not Pass" laws when a light rail and cable car is stopped at a designated stop to discharge and accept passengers?

Every time I ride the metro or the California line cable car I see it every time, some prick driver deciding to speed through while the vehicle is stopped to discharge and accept passengers.

It seems to be worse on the California cable car line because tourists sometimes don't look both ways and you get a bunch of rude drivers who just doesn't obey the law; in one case, I was a driver, and stopped for a cable car discharging passengers. The taxicab behind me decides to blow his horn at me, so I give the driver the finger as more passengers discharge from the cable car.

Even Stanley Roberts of KRON took on this issue with this video report:

The law states that if a metro train or cable car is stopped to pickup/discharge passengers, a driver must stop behind the vehicle to allow the passengers to board and exit without fear of being hit. A driver can attempt to proceed/pass a railed vehicle on the right side only when the vehicle starts moving.

In some circumstances, the boarding island will have a sign saying it's OK to pass, but at a reduced speed. You find these on Ocean Avenue for the K-Ingleside line where you can pass on the right, but only at 10MPH when the light rail vehicle is stopped at the island. In other cases, you can pass at full speed because the island has barriers to separate pedestrians from vehicles (e.g. St. Francis Circle metro stop, see photo by clicking here).

In my case, 14th Avenue and West Portal didn't have a barrier, only a boarding island that only covers half of a one car train, therefore the "do not pass" law applies.

Drivers who violates the law: What's your damn hurry? Is it worth a $250 fine and a point on your driving record? Is it worth facing a judge in traffic court and possibly spending time at traffic school? It is worth raising your insurance rates? And is it worth possibly hitting a pedestrian, paying their medical bills/funeral costs, getting arrested, prosecuted, and spending time in jail? Hell no.

So do me a favor drivers, when a metro train or cable car is stopped and passengers must exit by crossing a traffic lane, just stop behind it. All I need is more x-ray radiation to check for a broken arm, leg, and other stuff.

Hey Muni, Fix Your Destination Signs

Ever ride Muni and sometimes notice your bus or train's destination sign doesn't seem right? I know some of you N-Judah passengers are not that happy when the train operator boots your ass out of the train at 19th and Judah to go back towards downtown when the destination sign says: "Ocean Beach."

On a few occasions, it may be an honest mistake. For example, I ride the 38L-Geary Limited going inbound towards the Transbay Terminal, and the sign accidentally says "48th Avenue,' but we know the bus is really going towards downtown. Even the photo I provided for this blog entry shows just how funny it is to find some Muni operators already using "Chinatown Station" when it won't be ready for another few years.

But as always, you can always laugh at the F-Market's signage: "Nowhere in particular."

Unhelpful and Uncooperative Operators who Refuses to Fix Bad Signage
The primary reason why I'm writing about this is just the bad attitude you get from Muni operators for pointing out the problem. Just yesterday, I was waiting at 14th Avenue and West Portal for the next inbound train. A K-Ingleside/T-Third train arrives and the destination sign says "West Portal."

I asked the operator: "Are you turning back at West Portal? Your sign says "West Portal."" The operator doesn't speak loud enough even though my ear is right next to the opening in the window. I asked him to speak louder and he gives me a snarky remark saying it's going to downtown. I argued that all inbound K/T inbound trains should always say the final destination is: "Sunnydale" and his current signage is misleading. That sure pissed him off as he jammed the accelerator and hit the brakes hard.

I had the same situation happen when I was going towards AT&T Park and the K/T train said: "Embarcadero Station." I had to verbally ask the driver to make sure we are all on the same page.

Do some of those operators realize that when speaking to a passenger through the window, they should at least speak up or at least turn their head and speak towards the passenger if the train is stopped?

Come on Muni, make sure your operators have the correct destination signs at all times.

Stay Off The Yellow Strip! Stupid People on Sunday Who Risked their Lives

When you ride any rail transit agency, you always know to stay behind the yellow line or edge of the platform.

Well... just yesterday, I saw two really dumb things happen.

My normal journey on a weekend to AT&T Park for a Giants game is to take BART at Daly City, and transfer to Muni metro at Powell. Let's learn what happened:

At Daly City BART's platform #1, a ten car train usually stops short of the platform and the driver has to manually adjust to move it to the end of the platform. Since the train stopped short and didn't line up with the black tiles (indicating it's a doorway), a bunch of girls decided to walk on the yellow safety strip, and the train just started to move. While they didn't get hurt, it just shows you shouldn't attempt to board a train car until the doors open.

At Powell Muni metro station, I was waiting for the next train to the ballpark, and just about 200 feet was a train approaching. I saw a college age woman standing on the yellow strip with her back facing the approaching train. She was waving her tote bag over the tracks and wanting to pose for a picture, and when the train was less than 100 feet away, I yelled at her to "get off the yellow strip!" because nobody else was doing shit to get her away from the fast approaching train. It was either, yell at the stupid woman, or if the operator was paying attention, hit the emergency stop button and sound the horn. She heard me and quickly moved away.

The Muni metro incident was much worse than the girls at the BART station. In the event nobody did anything, her head would have slammed into the metro operator's mirror that sticks out along the side of the train.

Sigh... safety, people!

Muni Patron Filming Open Metro Door Considered Pushing Emergency Stop Button - Decided to Film Incident

A lot of you might have watched the video of a Muni metro door that was open while in the subway on your local news or favorite local blog site.

It's shocking to see an open train door while the train is operating at full speed down the subway tunnel. One wrong move and a passenger could have been thrown out the door. Just to make it more amusing, none of the passengers filmed didn't do anything; they just stood there like the door was shut.

But what's so shameful about this is a report from KPIX news. The news reporter interviewed the person filming the video and he said:
"My first thought was somebody push the red button, stop this train, this is dangerous, somebody is going to fall out of here..."

On the next paragraph, the KPIX reporter said:
"Merenkov did not hit the button himself because he wanted to document the dangerous situation."

EXCUSE ME? Did I just read that correctly? In the interest of "news" the guy just films a dangerous situation like that and contemplated taking action by not taking action? What would have happened if a passenger fell off the train and got killed or seriously injured? That would be something that would haunt the recorder for the rest of his life because he had the chance to prevent it.

The guy filming it should have made the decision to activate the emergency stop button or inform a person nearby to press it immediately.

This is terrible, and a total disgrace. People ignore the problem, and the person filming it could have taken action to stop the incident from happening, but instead, films the damn thing?

Is there an "idiot of the month" award? I'd like to hand it to that guy.

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Just to refresh everyone's memory, I wrote a blog entry mentioning about an incident on Muni metro where a man fell face first on the train and was bleeding all over the floor. When the train stopped at the next stop, I got the driver's attention and he called the paramedics to check on him, and had to put the car out of service because of the pool of blood on the floor.

What I didn't tell you is the other passengers who helped the guy who had the gash on his eyebrow said not to inform the driver. I first said to them, I need to get the driver's attention because of the blood on the floor and the risk of pathogens, but the two passengers helping him said NO.

What the hell is wrong with people these days? Blood on the floor is a serious health risk; just like the open door incident, that's also a major risk to the public. People who see incidents like this should inform officials immediately and not wait around or get some major public exposure by filming the problem.

Muni Metro's Ticketing Machines are Not User Friendly

The Muni metro station ticketing machines are not too user friendly, especially when they raised the minimum reloading amount for existing Clipper cards from $2 to $5. While you have to punch a bunch of buttons to get what you need, at least it the machines have the capability to purchase new cards, load various amount of e-cash, and purchase any available passes or ridebooks available.

30 Coin Limit?
Last Sunday, I had a bunch of pocket change I wanted to convert into Clipper e-cash, and the experience wasn't as pleasant as I expected. I spent a few minutes at home sorting through all the change and had ten dollars in quarters, just enough to load $10 of Clipper e-cash to my card.

I went to the Powell Street station's Muni ticketing machine with my roll of quarters in hand and told the machine I wanted to load $10 of Clipper e-cash to my existing card. The machine told me to start feeding money into the machine and I started dropping my quarters in there. When I inserted $7.50 in quarters into the machine, it told me to stop feeding coins as I inserted the maximum amount (30 coins), and I was forced to insert a few dollar bills to reach the $10 I told the machine earlier I wanted to insert.

In all fairness, I wish the machine would have told me there was a 30 coin maximum limit. It was Sunday and the bank was closed to exchange my $10 of quarters into bills.

Even more frustrating about the Muni ticketing machines...
The metro ticketing machines doesn't have much flexibility when you want to add Clipper e-cash to your account; before you even insert money into the machine, you have to tell the machine what exact amount you intend to purchase (starting at $5). The choices on the screen are very limited and start off in five dollar increments.

BART's new Clipper purchasing capabilities on their ticketing machines are so much easier. When you buy regular BART tickets, you can adjust the amount you inserted into the machine to get it to the exact value you need (e.g. round trips without residual value left), and since many of the machines now allow Clipper e-cash purchasing, you get that same benefit to adjust how much you want to add to your card. Still, the weakness of BART's ticketing machines with Clipper purchasing is it will only do e-cash purchases only.

Even an in-person vendor can offer you the flexibility because you can tell the vendor what specific amount you want to add and get change for your purchase.

Compare for yourself:
Video footage of a Muni ticketing machine doing a purchase.
Video footage of BART ticketing machine doing the same purchase.

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I think Muni should change the way their ticketing machines operate. Why should a passenger be punching a bunch of buttons just to initiate a loading of Clipper e-cash on their existing card and only have a limited choice of what to purchase? Lastly, why raise the minimum reloading from $2 to $5 when BART's can do it for just five cents (yes, I said it, five cents).

What's Up with the Very Slow Muni Metro Rides in the Twin Peaks Tunnel?

How was your weekend? Mine good because I picked-up a couple of sandwiches at Ike's Place (I split a Menage a Trois & 'Hella' Fat Bastard sandwiches with a colleague), and went book shopping down at the liquidated Borders at the Westfield mall in downtown.

Whenever I want to head out to downtown, I park my car nearby St. Francis Circle and take Muni metro's K/T or M lines. But this weekend, the Muni metro was just flat out slow along the Twin Peaks tunnel between Forest Hill and Castro stations.

We all are used to the Twin Peaks tunnel stretch from those two stations and it's always been slow. I'd always feel the brakes kick in every several seconds and feel the train speed-up just briefly. One reason is that Nat Ford admitted during a SFMTA Board meeting the tracks are in poor condition, thereby the trains could not go full speed along the tracks. Back in my younger days about 15 years ago, the metro trains ran in manual, went full speed, and blazed down the Twin Peaks tunnel; but when the automatic system kicked-in and Muni started running the whale trains known as Bredas down the tracks at slower speeds, and it just continuously got slower and slower. But last weekend, it was super slow.

The worst segment is when the inbound metro trains are getting close to Castro station when the straight track starts to curve to the start of the Castro street platform. The trains are now running at a crawl speed vs. a much faster speed like before. It also runs extra slow going outbound from when it leaves Castro station to when it reaches the straight track segment. I've also noticed the trains running slower this weekend along the straight tracks to/from Forest Hill to/from the curve to the Castro station.

Gees Muni, so a big government agency says your trains and rails suck, so you run slower on that segment alone? The rest of the metro track segments on your automatic train system are running at its regular (fast) speeds. Fix the damn tracks or give me a good excuse of why I shouldn't just take BART more often.

Did Muni & Clipper Screw-Up the "Sunday FunDay" Pass Promotion?

If you are one of the thousands of Muni passengers taking advantage of the "Sunday FunDay" pass program during the month of December and used a Clipper card, you could have been cheated out of more than just the initial $2 all-day fare.

Since I'm keeping watch of the tweets coming fresh from the bakery oven, I'm noticing some passengers getting charged a second or third time for using their Clipper card on Muni during their "Sunday FunDay" promotion period.

Twitter user: "verbalcupcake" said:

"Clipper Card fail: I haven't gotten the promised all-day SF transfer Muni assured us Clipper would calculate on Dec. Sundays. Lame."

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The policy for cash (non-Clipper card) paying customers is to pay $2 and get an all-day paper transfer from the operator. The transfer is then valid for the entire day without the need to pay an additional fare, unlike on non-FunDay promotion days when transfers expire in 90 minutes. It's a pretty simple promotion for those customers.

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But the promotion is not going so well for Clipper card e-cash and Limited Use Ticket (metro vending machine) purchases...

Muni's website says to all Clipper and LUT customers:
(See Muni's Sunday promo info from their website by clicking here)

Your first Sunday FunDay trip
During the Sunday FunDay promotion, tap your card or ticket to the Clipper reader upon your initial boarding or subway entry to receive your Sunday FunDay all-day transfer.

OK, that sounds fine. I just tag my card on the first vehicle or metro gate. Let's see what else they say:

Second and subsequent vehicles
After your first Sunday "tap," present your card or ticket to the bus operator or station agent to gain access to Muni.

Important: Do not tap your card or ticket again as re-tapping will deduct another fare payment from your fare media. Refunds will not be made for subsequent deductions.

Uh, what? Another PR fail? Like this one, and how about this one?

Am I understanding this correctly? Muni is asking Clipper card and LUT customers to visually show their card/ticket to the operator or agent to gain access to the vehicle? Are you telling me all Clipper e-cash and LUT transactions only issued a 90-minute e-transfer?

As a veteran user of the Clipper card program, that has to be the worst and most incredibly stupid policy I've ever heard of.

As most users of Clipper cards know:
Muni operators instructs all passengers to tag their Clipper card upon boarding the vehicle. There's no excuses or skipping that step on any day, including this Sunday "FunDay" promotion. How in the world is a Muni operator or station agent going to magically identify who did pay $2 on their initial ride of the day vs. those who are just cheating the system of $2 when Muni's "FunDay" website instructs them to "present your card or ticket" to the operator or station agent?

How about all those Muni metro patrons who enters the underground stations and use Clipper or LUT? They only get the standard 90 minute transfer, and once the 90 minutes expires, they have to pay another $2 (Clipper e-cash) or deduct a second single ride (LUT) from their card when entering the metro system after the first use. Don't forget, some stations don't have a second station agent to buzz you into the system, and they are not psychics who can identify who has an all-day pass or not.

This is one big incredible failure. What was Muni and Clipper thinking (or possibly drinking and smoking) when they created this promotion?

If Muni and Clipper did this correctly, the Clipper card and LUTs should have their e-transfer expiration at 11:59PM so all passengers can continue to tag their card on their second, third, etc. vehicle/metro gate without being charged full fare.

DING! There goes the common sense bell.

"Sunday FunDay," what an insult to the public.

I demand Muni and Clipper to issue apologies and refunds to all passengers who was charged more than $2 during the "Sunday FunDay" promotion. If you are with me, drop a comment saying so.

Akit Delayed Muni Metro Today

Before you think I caused trouble on Muni metro today, please be aware: No, I didn't go nuts on the train, nor did I cause a disturbance with the fare inspectors. There is a very good explanation on why I had to be involved in delaying Muni metro.

Disclaimer: If you just ate your lunch, I'd suggest coming back in 30 minutes. This story is a little bit nasty...

After a nice lunch at Ike's Place at Lime (on Market), I took the F-Market to Van Ness station to catch the next train to AT&T Park to buy some World Series goodies. Lucky for me, the N-Judah just arrived when I got on the platform.

I was sitting in the second car, in the front half section, and facing towards the rear end. At Civic Center station, a man just stood up, was walking towards the third exit door, and he tripped and fell face first into the floor (everyone heard a big thud sound). A couple of passengers helped to pick him up and the train doors closed and progressed to Powell.

Ugh, not a pretty sight. He was all dizzy and was bleeding all over the train floor and his clothes. When the train got to Powell, I got off quickly to move to the first car so I can inform the driver, and also noticed the injured passenger exiting; the guy was so out of it, he fell on his back on the platform and scooted himself against the wall.

I got the driver's attention and quickly told him what was going on. As a trained first responder at my job at SF State (even though I was not on-duty), the safety of myself and others is a priority and the risk of blood borne pathogens on the floor was also a serious concern. The driver hit the emergency brake and called Central Control for an ambulance. At the same time, a station agent was on the platform to look at the guy who got hurt.

The train was stuck on the platform for about 5-10 minutes to assess the situation. The driver eventually ordered all passengers off the train and another N-Judah arrived shortly thereafter.

In the end, the passengers wasn't happy they had to get off the train, but most understood why.

I'm no hero, I just did the right thing like any responsible person would.

A Newer Way to Evade the Muni Metro Gates

If you thought the Muni metro gate fiasco is over, think again. Muni is still working with Cubic to fix the existing problem of people using their hand to open a gate, but now there's another way to enter the system with much less effort.

Since many Muni metro stations have two booths, a primary booth manned all the time and a secondary booth normally during weekday rush hours and some weekends, the agency has instated a new policy:

• Passengers with valid proof of payment, other than Clipper cards and paper magnetic stripe passes, can now enter the metro system by using the gate closest to the unmanned booth (sign shown in the photo). The gate is unlocked when a passenger walks towards it.

It's not a big shock to me, because it's just another way to evade the system, just like the swing gates were used during the 30+ year era of the turnstiles.

On one hand, it's another way to evade the system if you don't have valid proof of payment, but the other benefit is that if you have a pass or paper transfer not compatible with the gates, there's an easy way to enter the system than hauling your butt to the other set of gates.

Even if the booth is unmanned and there's fare inspectors nearby, they might not even notice those who are evading because they are not doing the hand trick over the sensor. Someone could act like they are tagging their Clipper card (using some non-RFID card) and enter the system, and it doesn't look suspect at all. The flipside of this is if a passenger with no intention of evading tags their card improperly and they walk through the gate doors that opens automatically (without the need to tag); the Clipper card is invalid (not tagged) and may get cited by an inspector for evasion during their journey or when exiting.

Here's the sign in full:

BREAKING: No More 25 Cent Surcharge on Muni Metro Paper Tickets

If you haven't heard the word, you are going to celebrate, just like Giants fans on sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks...

There's no more 25 cent fee for Muni's Limited Use Tickets! Fresh from the Examiner, the fee is now waived for you lazy folks who doesn't want to buy a plastic Clipper card.

UPDATE: Clipper confirms this and it will be effective tomorrow (Friday, October 1, 2010)
UPDATE #2: Now official by the SFMTA/Muni.


Just a courtesy reminder: For you Bay Area residents, help save the earth by not getting paper Muni LUTs. Get yourself a plastic Clipper card for free with a minimum $2 added to the card. Here's a comparison...

Muni Limited Use Ticket:

• Made of paper, not durable.
• No fee to obtain.
  
• Valid for only 90 days.
• Can store up to two Muni rides.
• Can purchase ticket to be valid for adults, and youth/senior/disabled.
  
• Automatic transfers for Muni included.
• Not valid on all other participating transit agencies accepting Clipper (Golden Gate, BART, Caltrain, & AC Transit).
• Once lost, no replacement given.
  

Clipper Card:

• Made of plastic, durable (to a certain limit).
  
• No fee to obtain until June 2011.
  
• Does not expire.
  
• Can store up to $300 in e-cash, various e-passes, and e-ticket books.
  
• Cards issued at vending machines and in-person retailers encoded for adults. Youth and seniors must apply, and disabled must go through RTC registration.
  
• Automatic transfers, including inter-agency transfers honored.
  
• Valid on all other participating transit agencies accepting Clipper (Golden Gate, BART, Caltrain, & AC Transit).
• If card is lost and registered with Clipper, replacement and restoration of funds available.
  

New Muni Metro Gates in Action (with Videos) & How to Beat the Surcharge

The new Muni metro gates and ticketing machines are now in use at the Powell station's main gates (west entrance) and things are not going as well as they planned. With only three ticketing machines issuing the new paper tickets, the lines were very long. When compared to BART, they have nearly a dozen; Muni needs to add a few more for this busy station.

Since it was too challenging to film while people are impatient after waiting ten minutes to buy a ticket, I went down to Civic Center station to try out the ticketing machines and gates, and make a couple of videos on how to use the new equipment.

As I mentioned before, the purchasing of each new "limited use ticket" or LUT costs 25 cents, valid only on Muni, and expires in 90 days. Since nobody likes to get nailed with fees, here's an easy way to avoid it:

• The new ticketing machines can also issue plastic Clipper cards with NO SURCHARGE! Since Clipper is still doing the promotion to issue free cards to the general public, the machines will also give you a new card as long as you add a minimum of $2.
• Instead of paying $2.25 for a paper ticket surcharge (25 cents) and one ride ($2), just follow the on-screen instructions to obtain a Clipper card with $2 balance, add $2 in cash to the machine, and you have a brand new reusable Clipper card that lasts longer than paper, won't expire in 90 days, and can be used on other agencies.

Let's watch a couple of brand new YouTube videos I produced about the new metro equipment.

How to use the new gates with paper Muni passes:

How to Add Clipper E-Cash using New Ticketing Machine:

Trying the New Muni Fare Gates & Ticketing Machines

During the next few weeks, Muni is installing the new fare gates and activating the ticketing machines. To give you a refresher, I mentioned in previous posts about what the new gates are like, and how the new limited use ticket works.

Just last week, the new gates and ticketing machines was activated at Civic Center station. The east entrance (primary agent booth) has half of their gates are new while the other half are turnstiles. However, the ticketing machines are not yet ready. The west entrance (secondary agent booth) has all brand new gates and ticketing machines active for usage.

Since I had to go see Wicked one last time before it was to leave the Orpheum forever, it was time to try out the brand new equipment. Here's a brief summary of my experience:

1. When exiting the station, the swing gates are slow to identify you so it can open. You have to break your walking stride by stopping until the gates open.
   
2. When entering the system, once you approach the gate you want to enter, the optical sensor notices your presence and asks you to tap your Clipper card.
3. The ticketing machines work well, but when tagging your card to add value, you have to hold it on the sensor tag for a long period of time. Oddly, other transit agencies don't have that lag time with the exact machine from the same manufacturer.
   
4. Strangely, the machines forces you to pick how much e-cash value you want to add (minimum $2). Old Clipper add value machines is just insert as many dollar bills as you want and that's your value. The new machines do have an edge, it can issue change while the Clipper machines won't.
   
5. Users of paper passes can enter using the card swipe device. With your right hand, face the pass stripe down and to your left, and swipe the pass in a downward motion.
6. While Muni transitions their old turnstiles for the new gates, if you use a Limited Use [paper] Ticket, at anytime you enter the station with turnstiles, the card must be tagged to the stationary reader next to the agent's booth. The turnstiles with Clipper readers won't accept them.
7. For the love of god, please don't use the new emergency swing gates. The alarm sound is really really annoying.

Here's the time schedule for the installation and activation of the new gates (as per SFMTA):

• Civic Center: Already active since last week
  
• Powell: Week of September 6th (this week)
• Castro and Church: Week of September 13th
• Embarcadero, Montgomery, and Forest Hill: Week of September 20th
• West Portal and Van Ness: Week of September 27th

Basically, Muni expects to complete the transition by early October. In November, the transition of paper "A" passes and disabled stickers will be Clipper only.

Hopefully, Muni and Cubic (manufacturers of the gates and ticketing machines) can shake out the bugs for quicker responsiveness of the system.

Photos of the New Muni Fare Gates

Muni is in the process of installing new metro fare gates and ticketing machines. I was able to photograph two stations with major installations happening.

Some background:
Muni's current fare gates have been in existence for over 25 years (basically, since the metro system was born) and they are getting old. The machines can jam on occasion, and a lot of people take their sweet time shoving $2 worth of coins into the machine just to enter the system. The machines are not dollar bill friendly and the station agents encourage customers to use their change machines to get the dollar coins, or rip-off BART's ticketing machines for quarters. The machines are so old, you might find one on the electronic screen that says "ASS or $2.00."

The New Fare Gates:
Muni is finally giving the old fare gates the heave-ho and welcoming a new generation of fare gates. Since Muni is transitioning to Clipper, so does the new fare gates taking advantage of the RFID card technology. The gates will not accept coins and will accept Clipper cards and Muni's "limited use" paper Clipper cards. The gates have also been fitted with temporary card swipe devices because while the gates will be eventually in service, certain paper Muni passes will still be in use until April 2011.

Instead of the classic turnstile we have been used to, they now have doors that open both ways. There is also a wide gate for disabled, those with baby carriages and luggage.


The New Ticketing Machines:
Since the fare gates will not accept coins, the metro stations must have ticketing machines, similar to BART's ticketing machines. Clipper card users can check on their balance, add e-cash, and add passes (including those from other agencies). For the casual passenger, they can purchase a brand new plastic Clipper card or purchase Muni fare with a paper "limited use" Clipper card.

The "limited use" Clipper card is going to be a unique feature for Muni metro. There will be no more spitting out of transfers from the fare gates; passengers will get a paper version of a Clipper card with the rights and privileges that cash paying customers get, such as 90 minute transfers. The big disadvantages of the paper card is it will cost $0.25 for every "limited use" ticket issued, can only be used on Muni, and the lifespan of the card is 90 days (OK to reload funds).


Currently, the gates and ticketing machines are not yet ready for public use. You can find the new gates and ticketing machines at Civic Center secondary/east gates, and just the ticketing machines at Powell Station (both entrances).

To view all the photos, click here or watch the slideshow below:

Muni's Rail Service via St. Francis Circle Returns September 4th

At the SFMTA meeting today, big boss Nathaniel Ford has stated rail service for the M-Ocean View and K-Ingleside lines is estimated to return on September 4, 2010.

As you may recall, the St. Francis Circle rail project has forced Muni metro to use bus shuttles between West Portal Station and Balboa Park Station for both the M and K lines. The M-rail line has been temporarily suspended, the K line now terminates at 14th Avenue and West Portal, and L-Taraval trains are running on a more frequent basis with two car trains running everyday.

This project has run into some controversy. For example, the photo I've provided states that Muni has been in trouble with residents and business owners over the buses idling with their engines on at West Portal for long periods of time. As a general rule for terminal stops, motorized vehicles must have their engines shut-off while waiting for their next run.

If you have ever driven across St. Francis Circle during the construction, the temporary driving configuration around the track project is really confusing, and I almost feared getting my car hit with the sharp left turn needed to go onto Portola.

Since the project end date is September 4th, just imagine riding the M-Ocean View or K-Ingleside shuttles while school and college is in session. That's right, get ready to enjoy your bus shuttle ride full of school children, SF State students, and City College folks when it reaches mid-August.