Lack of Communication between San Francisco Government Agencies?

You would expect that in this day of age and a modern city government, that their agencies/departments would be communicating with each other so they are all on the "same page." Surely the 311 program has helped bridge that gap by directing people in the right direction when they need services and information...

Yet, there are still problems between agencies sharing information so the public can be informed with straightforward information, instead of getting one answer here and a different one there.

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Example #1: Just today, I was riding Muni's 18-46th Avenue bus to work and noticed that Upper Great Highway was shut down due to sand on the road. Both entrances at Sloat and Lincoln (north and south directions) had to be closed.

But whatever city agency shut-down that road segment did not inform SFMTA/Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT) about the closures so they can switch the road signals at those two key intersections to 4-way stop.

How did I learn this fact of lack of communication? I called DPT traffic signals directly, instead of calling the incompetent idiots of 311 who would just ask questions of why the signals should be changed.

This leaves two big problems, lack of communication between city agencies, and if the signals ran their normal (three color) cycles, some person may think it's OK since it's a green light and ram the steel gates closing the road and this means a possible LAWSUIT against the city for negligence.

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Example #2: The PGA golf tournament (President's Cup) is coming to San Francisco's Harding Golf Course next week (October 6-11) and this will bring in up to 25,000 golfing fans every single day to the south west region of the city. As always, combine it with over 32,000 SFSU students who are getting their education right next to the golf course, and hell will be here in no time.

But to the point: The city is informing the public that the entire length of John Muir Drive will be closed (south end road of Lake Merced, also home to the SFPD shooting range), and a portion of Skyline Blvd. from at least Sloat to Great Highway. While they are informing drivers with big electronic signs, 311 has not been helpful if these closures will affect SFMTA/Muni's 18-46th Avenue bus line that goes directly into both of these closed areas, mainly because city agencies failed once again to share information.

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Bravo City and County of San Francisco, bravo. How long until Mayor Newsom's term is up?

AC Transit Transbay Buses: No magnetic tickets starting tomorrow

Attention AC Transit riders: if you take any Transbay line and pay with a magnetic striped (paper) ticket media, today is your LAST day to use it.

Starting tomorrow, October 1, 2009, Translink will take over all paper media for the Transbay bus lines. From what I've learned, they decided on this switch for three reasons: Need for quicker boarding due to temporary terminal to be opened soon, closure of the AC Transit ticket office at Transbay Terminal, and the fare changes with a three month grace period to fry the old transit tickets. This basically translates into cost savings for the agency.

This policy of forcing all paper ticket holders to switch to Translink is following a new trend; it's working very strongly on Golden Gate Ferry with over 70% of weekday riders paying with Translink, and Golden Gate Transit with about 24% of their weekday ridership using the card as well. Golden Gate gave-up on the paper tickets as a cost measure, but to also encourage people to feed Commuter Checks electronically via Translink to also save trees by not sending out vouchers to registered users.

For those paying with cash or you Cal students with a flash pass, you can still use those types of fare media.

Michael Jackson's "This is It" Advance Tickets Available & How to SAVE MONEY

If you haven't heard the word, Michael Jackson's "This is It" movie tickets are now for sale! It will be an exciting thing to watch the late "King of Pop" show his moves.

But here's the big deal folks... how about saving some money for the big show?

1. Fandango is offering all Visa Signature cardholders until September 30th to get buy one, get one free tickets, regardless if you buy a ticket for a show today or something in the future. There's a limit of one offer per month, but since it's near the end of the month, why not bring a friend? Save about $12 with this offer. Info here.
   
2. Go to Costco and purchase Cinemark/Century Theaters vouchers that can be claimed anytime. They cost almost $15 for a pair, but you save money.

The best deal is the Visa Signature offer if you bring a friend, but if you are only going by yourself to see Michael Jackson on the big screen, get the Costco voucher.

Clipping Nails on Muni - Very Annoying

The unofficial rules of the bus is to stay off the cell phone, don't take more than one seat, do not block the exit doorway, and keep conversations in a quiet voice.

But someone always has to break that silence... the nail clippers. The sound of the clipper making that loud clipping sound disturbs the peace of public transit. Regardless of where you sit on the bus or train, someone in that vehicle is doing something really nasty.

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I've had one experience when I was riding the bus back home and the passenger behind my seat was clipping her nails in public. It lasted for nearly 15 blocks until I finally snapped, turned around, and told her to stop doing it. Her excuse: "don't speak English."

In my pissed-off rage, I told her very slowly, "DO NOT CLIP YOUR NAILS ON THE BUS" and even did a mime impression to show that it's not right.

Sure enough, she didn't get the damn message and just kept clipping. The bus driver never got involved and I was the only passenger with the balls to confront her.

I'm proud of what I did, you don't do that annoying crap EVER in public. Get your butt home and you can spend your precious time clipping your nails.

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There has to be a health code violation or something... especially when the person litters them all over the ground.

What do you feel is the most annoying thing people do on public transportation?

(Photo from Flickr user "Mr. T in DC" using a Creative Commons License)

Translink Card program updates from the MTC management

Yesterday, Translink released their report to their management group/board members consisting of representatives of the local Bay Area transit agencies.

Instead of making you read all the crazy numbers and such, I'm going to highlight some of the new updates about the program and some new items of interest for you cardholders:

1. There has been a major increase in the use of the Translink cards and the average weekday patronage is now 37,000 (per day). This increase is credited due to the addition of BART, Caltrain, and the local schools and colleges reopening for the Fall semester.
2. There is a proposal to change the current Translink RFID cards from ones with the contactless card with the contact chip, to be solely contactless (basically, no more shoving it in a slot to add funds).
3. Golden Gate Ferry is in the lead with 70.05% of their weekday commuters paying with their Translink card, primarily because they have forced their commuter discount book users to convert. Many other participating agencies are less than 5%, except Golden Gate Transit with 26%.
4. SamTrans has tenatively scheduled installation of Translink equipment for September 28th, 2009.
5. SamTrans is having new buses built and has worked out a deal to have the buses all wired-up so installation can be faster and easier.
6. VTA is planning to install Translink equipment in October.
7. BART ticket machines will be able to do Translink transactions starting in mid 2010.
   
8. Golden Gate Ferry may consider buying automated ticketing machines similar to Muni's planned purchase of gates and machines that accepts Translink only.
9. VTA and Caltrain is in the bidding process for having their ticketing machines upgraded to do Translink transactions.
10. SF City owned parking lots are considering to introduce Translink cards as payment and the pilot program will start no later than December 31, 2010.

This is good progress for Translink, but there will be no significant changes or major announcements in the near future; unlike what we have seen in the last three months with the addition of BART and Caltrain, and the demonstration of the new SFMTA/Muni metro gates.

BREAKING: Cal State University to Issue Bachelor Degrees to Japanese Americans Interned in WWII

This is truly a bittersweet moment to hear:

The Trustees of the California State University system will issue honorary bachelor degrees to any CSU student who was forcefully sent to internment camps during World War II (1941 to 1943).

The SF State Golden Gate [X]Press reports that all trustees voted in favor bill AB 37.

There are many Japanese American CSU students who were in college at the time of the war and had no choice but to leave when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 that forced all Japanese Americans on the west coast to evacuate to assembly enters, and eventually internment camps.

Executive Order 9066 is considered one of the worst modern day violations of civil liberties and human rights in the United States. It always puts tears in my eyes when the U.S. government finally said they are so sorry for committing such an atrocity and hardship on the interned Japanese Americans, and compensated them with $20,000.

It took the efforts of the JACL, NCRR, and advocates like my late grandmother, Tsukayo "Sox" Kitashima to campaign the government to issue a formal apology and designate funds to compensate the survivors, and that dream came true in 1989.

Today, in 2009, we can proudly say that the CSU system can now issue bachelor degrees to any surviving and posthumously students who had their lives shattered with the stroke of a President's pen.

It would truly be an honor to witness a commencement ceremony this year at SF State to have President Robert Corrigan issue that degree.

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If you know any individuals that should be issued their bachelor's degree, or need to inquire about the passage AB 37, please contact: (562) 951-4723.

Please make sure to advocate to the appropriate CSU campus President to also hold a ceremony at their commencement ceremony in May.

$10 tickets for $20? AT&T Park ticketing surcharge crazy

Have you ever seen such a rip-off on event tickets?

AT&T Park is hosting the Supercross event where motorcyclists race against each other on a huge dirt track for one night only.

So... AT&T Park is promoting these great seats for just $10... or is it?

Take a look at the photo and you'll see that when you add all the service fees, you are paying 100% more (double) the cost of the face value of the ticket. THAT TOTALLY SUCKS.

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Even crazier is that the UFL is coming to AT&T Park by hosting three football games for the new team known as the "California Redwoods." Since season tickets are not that expensive, I went down to the Giants Dugout Store at AT&T Park to purchase tickets, knowing well that by buying advance tickets at the event site, you DON'T PAY A SURCHARGE. I saved over $35 for this Giants baseball season and picked out the best seats in the house.

With that in mind, I spoke to one person who could not find it in the computer. A co-worker came by and said that non-Giants tickets are sold there, but a surcharge would also need to be paid. I refused to pay the fee because every person knows that it's surcharge free when purchased on-site.

I even tried the automated machine (which I was told was not working by the idiotic employee), and they only sold Giants tickets.

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What's your thoughts? Should surcharges be levied on people who wants to see events?

Should there be a state law that regulates the maximum a service fee/surcharge can be levied? Some charge 17%, UFL tickets average 13%, while the Supercross event can charge up to 100%.