Double Deuce: SFBike.org Caught Flexing Again

  Last time I checked, there is no 3-foot passing law between bicyclists and vehicles currently on the books in either San Francisco or The State of California. But the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has made it there duty to foresee the future and provide us with a seemingly inane safety video on their website entitled Riding Predictably where they show us the law:

                   

                                              video courtesy of SFBike.org

  Even Celeste LeCompte from today's SFGate.com has been getting her ledes from SFBike.org  "Ride safely. Even though you're riding slowly, don't forgo the helmet, stop at traffic signals and ride predictably." Her great article about the Slow Bike Movement is where it IS.

  So anyway, after being pleasantly surprised at finding a quirky and informative safety video on their website (I always ask them for safety literature when I see them on the street, but they never seem to have any), I was shocked to hear @ 2:56 the declaration that the 3-foot law is "The law." (People without brakes on their bicycles:  Please watch 2:11) SB910 passed the senate this spring, but as of the date of this posting it has not become law.

Benevolent Blacktivists And Their Fight

  Ministers from several Bayview neighborhood churches stood on a Muni platform Monday morning and bought fares for more than 200 passengers to help residents that struggle to afford Muni. This in response to the SFPD's actions over the weekend after officers exchanged gunfire with a suspect who evaded paying his fare on the T-Third Street line. It was later determined the suspect shot himself and was not killed by the SFPD.

  KTVU rode the T-line Monday and found that fare evasion strikes a deep nerve in The Bayview, including Jamil Patterson. "It's a buildup," Patterson said. "I've seen eight police officers come to arrest one young man for not having a transfer."

  Muni records show the T-line also has the highest number of fare evasions, assaults and robberies in Muni's entire light rail system. Which begs the question, if the T-line has the highest numbers of all crimes in the system, then why are Bayview residents feeling harassed when the SFPD steps up enforcement on that same line? Because that's all they've ever felt is harassed. 

Bikes On MUNI: Myths Debunked

    The SFMTA is considering a pilot program where non-folding bicycles would be allowed on all MUNI Metro trains during off-peak hours. There has been misleading information put out there by certain people/groups about why this plan would work. I would like to debunk a few myths perpetuated by the bicycle elitists here in San Francisco.

Myth #1:  via SFBikeCoalition - "Only 2 of 20 US cities with light rail service currently do not allow bikes on any routes, including San Francisco's Muni."  photo courtesy of Flickr

Phoenix's LRV's are designed with open floor-plans to accommodate bicycles, MUNI's are NOT!

• The only reason we're one of two light-rail systems in the country to not provide bicycle access aboard light-rail trains is because these systems were designed before a time when 3-car trains seemed necessary.  If the MUNI Metro system had been designed more recently all the stations would accommodate 3-car trains.

• and, from a Streetsblog article about folding bikes being allowed on MUNI, "Front racks installed on Muni buses have allowed them to carry bicycles for a number of years, but the Breda light-rail vehicles currently used by Muni are poorly designed for the task.

Myth #2: "BART, Caltrain, and most urban transit systems allow bikes at all times"

BART, or DC's Metro, are designed for bike use, MUNI LRV's are much less spacious.

• Folded or full-size bikes aside, comparing the capacity of a light-rail system, with that of a regional rail system or urban subway system (each running 6-10-car trains, compared to 2-3-car trains on light rail systems) is purely disingenuous and downright misleading.

Myth #3:  "The MUNI trains can handle bikes easily during off-peak hours" 

• MTA spokesperson Paul Rose, who actually favors a study to see if these practices would be feasible, admitted in an SF Chronicle article, "[T]he idea is being studied but could prove problematic, given that the trains are often crowded before and after the morning and evening commutes.
  

    In closing, even those who wish that bikes on MUNI could be feasible, reluctantly admit that this is just not an option.  As an avid commuter bicyclist in San Francisco I would love to throw my bike on the J-Church from Balboa and hop off at Dolores Park and continue my commute from there, but this is just not a practical approach when you consider the Breda trains' limitations.

    Instead of fighting for a lost cause (which would involve replacing every LRV with trains designed with open floor-plans) let's encourage MUNI to study 3-car trains during peak periods. We could also lobby them to consider operating streetcars during rush-hour periods on the N-Judah and M-Ocean View lines, which we be dedicated solely for bicyclists and their bikes.

    There are alternate solutions to this problem other than taking an 'all-or-nothing' approach or abusing factual data to solidify your own political ideologies.  Take away the bike, and now you're just a Jehovas Witness with butt callouses.

America's Cup Runneth Over

photo courtesy of SFExaminer.com

via SF Examiner explains how MUNI, BART and other transit agencies are expected to handle the pedestrian traffic from Pier 29 during the America's Cup Race in 2013.

VIDEO: Videogame Lets You Be a MUNI Driver, Give Black People Free Rides

Slinky Sister City Streetcar Reappears

The Castro - Usually, being bumped off the historic "F" streetcar line at Market/Noe can be a bummer, especially in bad weather.  But today, as i was directed to disembark by the operator, I turned to look East down Market Street, and spotted a slender, blue streetcar.  One that I had never seen before.  Apparently, i was witnessing an initial test run of the return of one of the most unique streetcars in the historic fleet, a carriage from San Francisco's Sister City of Zurich, Switzerland.  
          "In June, 2004, Market Street Railway facilitated the delivery of Brussels No. 7037 to the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) following its retirement. Muni modified the tram for service in San Francisco, and renumbered it to 737.
In June, 2005, the car made its first appearance on the street, but at the request of Mayor Gavin Newsom, it wears the blue and white livery of San Francisco's sister city Zürich, Switzerland, which operated similar looking cars (but narrow gauge and non-PCC). In the future, No. 737 may be restored to its original 1952 cream Brussels livery" (via Market Street Railway).

          The streetcar was running in 'training' mode, so it stopped without passengers.  The exterior was this almost periwinkle blue that reminded me of the sky if you look straight up.  The driver threw open it's doors, revealing a classic interior with abundant wood and brass adornments.  The gleaming paint, authentic emblems, touches of gold and the window trim were among the notable details.

          I hope to see this streetcar more frequently, and soon i hope to ride this historic piece of our living, moving past.

View of train approaching Market/Noe from the east.

    

Insignia located along the side, close to the rear.

Place and date

View of train leaving station