Tonight I went to The San Francisco Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP) to see if these people actually stand a chance at improving anything. Normally I’d lurk at such an event, but as soon as I walked in the door, papers were shoved in my hand and before I knew it I was talking to all the key players in the MTA, one by one, person to person. My complaints were heard, and written up on the wall for all to see.
If you can imagine for a second, if everyone came to that meeting with a complaint about Muni, how many comments would be on the wall? It was jammed with various complaints, everything from “what’s up with nextbus” to “we need more cowbell”.
I talked to, among other people, the person in charge of complaints at Muni, the director of GoGeary, and the director of TEP, Leah Shahum. If that name rings a bell, it’s because is also the executive director of the SF Bicycle Coalition. Why is that important? The SF Bike Coalition is very powerful.
For those of you who care about San Francisco transit, here is the “word on the street”:
- Nextbus on all electric lines, officially, mid-2007
- Nextbus on all lines, including diesel, end of 2007*
- Rescuemuni is having problems due to a lack of voluneers
- Livable City is well on it’s way to becoming a successful transit org
- SPUR is well funded, and is an excellent way to contribute ideas and suggestions
- While the Citizens Advisory Council has already found it’s members, I was told I should try to get on in case someone resigns.
And overall, according to Leah Shahum, I should try to at least show up to the meetings for these various organizations. She told me that she started out as someone who simply had a problem with biking around the city when she moved here 13 years ago, and well, she has had quite some success.
Just showing up is the first step to success.
–
* Imagine nextbus on the 38 or 71. It would just be a big blob of points slowing moving down the map at 8mph.