There’s a lot of news sprouting up today concerning our city’s transit and transportation, have a look.
The Mayor and the SFMTA just announced that Muni will see a 61 percent restoration of service, starting September 4. Don’t let the number deceive though, that’s 61 percent of the 10 percent that was cut in May. Still, it’s a little better than the half restoration that was scheduled before.
According to the press release service improvements will include:
-Owl service back to every 30 minutes
-End times restored for Community Routes and many Local/Rapid Route
-Restored light rail vehicle (LRV) service
-Added capacity to 13 weekday routes, and three weekend routes
-Revamped F-Line scheduling
The Examiner reports that crime on Muni has dropped since police enforcement has been beefed up during the last couple months. From January to the end of June, there were reportedly 569 incidents on Muni. During May and June, there were only 62 each month.
The article also talks about a change in two laws that may help keep the transportation lines safer. The Board of Supervisors is reportedly expected to approve the change, which increases fines for loitering with a weapon in and around Muni, and “aggressive pursuit.”
The city’s Central Subway project is now projected to displace the residents of 19 homes along Stockton Street according to the Examiner. They will be given 42 months of rent in another place while construction continues, payed for by the Federal Transit Administration. The SFMTA will vote on the project today, which includes plans to build an affordable housing complex to replace the homes.
The fancy new parking meters that were just implemented last week are already scheduled for a boost in numbers, as reported by the Examiner. The original plan was 5,100 new meters, and that number’s now slated for 16,200 thanks to a lefty loan from the MTC. The city is also planning to take 5,000 spaces that are currently free, and garnish them with a smart meter.
According to the article, that brings San Francisco’s paid parking space count to 30,000. But hey, that’s 30,000 little workers to help pay back that loan. The SFMTA is projected to approve the loan today.
