SFMTA Spring Newsletter

SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCY NEWSLETTER

After Decades of Debate – Taxi Reform

Page 6

Capital ProgramUpdate Page 4 & 5

VOLUME 6 / ISSUE 2

S P R I N G2 0 1 0

SundayStreets 2010in Motion Page 7

SPRING 2010, Volume 6, Issue 1

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Please check out pages 4 and 5 for a complete update on SFMTA capital projects that are allowing us to renew or replace vital systems, structures and vehicles while also protecting the public’s huge investment in its surface transportation system.

SFMTA Appoints John J. Haley Director of Transit

John J. Haley joined the SFMTA in February following his appointment as Director of Transit. Haley is responsible for the overall direc-tion, management and operations of Muni service for San Francisco.

“John has worked in numerous cities and under-stands the unique challenges of keeping transit safe and on time in an urban setting,” said Nathan-iel P. Ford Sr., Executive Director/CEO. “I believe his extensive experience in both planning and operat-ing complex transportation systems will serve Muni and San Francisco well.”

Haley is a national leader in the transportation industry with over 30 years of public and private sector experience. He joins Muni from the Harris County Transit Authority (Metro) in Houston. As the Vice President of Infrastructure and Service Devel-opment at Metro, Haley implemented new bus rapid transit and commuter rail services, which significantly contributed to improved service reli-ability and ridership gains. He also directed internal accountability initiatives to improve operational efficiency and advanced Authority-wide plans to improve system safety.

Prior to his work in Houston, Haley served as a Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Deputy General Manager of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) and as a strategic advisor to major transportation agen-cies nationwide.

Haley takes over from David Hill, Interim Director of Transit, who has resumed his role as Deputy Direc-tor of Bus Operations. Hill oversaw the smooth implementation of Muni’s December 2009 service modifications, the largest service changes to the transit system in a generation.

Executive Director’s MessageIt is difficult to put into words my deep sense of regret and dismay relative to the litany of draconian actions that have been required to resolve the operating budget deficit this year. These actions have includ-ed the layoff of highly valued employees, a 10 percent reduc-tion in Muni service hours

effective May 8 and parking and other fee increas-es. We also are grappling with a projected $19 million deficit in the coming fiscal year beginning July 1. However, we begin to see a glimmer of light in the 2012 fiscal year based on actions taken by our Board of Directors this year, an apparent uptick in the economy and the infusion of new state gas tax revenues.

While there may be little solace in the fact that this scenario is being repeated at transportation agen-cies across the nation, at least we know that we are not alone here in the Bay Area. Seemingly, we can only hope that the dire recession that contin-ues to wreak havoc around the globe bottoms out and that the economies of the world return to normalcy. In the interim, we can continue to take just pride in the broad array of transportation ser-vices that we provide daily to residents and visitors alike, even if they are somewhat diminished by our reduced resources.

As I have underscored in Nat’s Notes following each Board meeting, our unrelenting challenges with the operating budget have fortunately been counter balanced by continuous advancement of the Agency’s Capital Improvement Program.

This has been particularly true during the first quarter of 2010 as we have scored major mile-stones on the Central Subway and the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit projects. At the same time we are seeing increased momentum on Muni, bicycle, parking and traffic projects.

With the focus clearly on keeping SFMTA systems, infrastructure and the fleet in a state of good repair, other improvement projects continue or are set to start in the near future.

SFMTA Executive Director/CEO,Nathaniel P. Ford Sr.


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Muni Schedule Changes Set for May 8The SFMTA will be implementing schedule changes to most Muni bus routes and rail lines, as well as other cost-saving and revenue-generating solutions, to close an operating budget deficit for the fiscal year ending June 30.

A reduction of approximately 10 percent of scheduled service hours--313,000 annually--was approved by the Board of Directors for May 8 along with other expendi-ture reduction and revenue generating measures. These reductions will save $28.5 million on an annual basis. All of the changes were developed based on ridership data as well as qualitative considerations such as geographic distribution, and they will be implemented May 8.

Weekday Changes

Service frequency reductions on all routes throughout the day mean that on busier routes, customers would experience more crowding and seating will be scarcer.

On lighter routes, customer wait times would increase and transfers between infrequent routes would be more challenging. The Agency recognizes that after these changes it must re-double its commitment to providing all scheduled service and to managing ser-vice to minimize vehicle bunching.

Beginning and ending service hours also will change on some routes. For example, many routes would end 30 to 90 minutes earlier at night and most community routes would end one to two hours earlier at night and start 60 to 90 minutes later in the morning.

Weekend Changes

Like the weekday reductions, Saturday and Sunday service reductions also include frequency changes throughout the day and service ending earlier on many routes. Some routes will also start 15 to 60 minutes later and most community routes will start 1 to 3 hours later in the morning.

In other actions related to balancing the operating budget, the Board approved a number of staff recom-mendations including:

• IncreasingtheannualResidentialParkingPermitfrom $76 to $96

• IncreasingSFMTAgarageratestoreflecteconomicconditions and market demand in specific garages

• Chargingpostageandhandlingfeestocustomersusing credit cards

San Francisco Transit Customers Save Big TimeSan Francisco ranks third nationally in the savings ac-crued by riding transit as opposed to driving, according to a March 3 report released by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). “These figures show that San Franciscans save $1,011 a month or a whopping $13,134 annually by riding Muni and other transit sys-tems in the Bay Area,” said Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., SFMTA Executive Director/CEO.

“Beyond the solid cash savings that transit customers enjoy month after month,” Ford noted, “public transit reduces the carbon footprint of every individual who steps on a bus or train while also helping reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.”

“I urge all SFMTA employees to share this compelling information with families and friends—especially those who currently don’t ride Muni—so that they can save money during these difficult economic times,” Ford said.

• Chargingatransactionfeeforcustomersvisitingthe SFMTA Customer Service Center at 11 Van Ness Avenue

• Chargingemployeesforparkingintheyardsandeliminating free garage parking for employees, vendors, non-profit managers, the SFMTA Board and other boards and commissions, Board of Supervisors aides and the Department of Elections

• Increasingcitationsby$2torecoverthestate-man-dated courthouse fee

Full details on the bus route and rail line modifications as well as the revenue generating measures are avail-able at www.sftma.com or by calling 311. A customer information and education campaign is underway to inform our customers before and during implementation of the service modifications and fee changes.

A family waits for a bus in Muni’s new “Seismic Wave” transit shelter on Market Street. The new shelters feature a heightened emphasis on sustainability and smart technology. Many feature photovoltaic cells embed-ded in the roof that provide all the necessary power for lighting and other electrical functions. The new “Wave” shelters are expected to replace Muni’s existing shelters within a year.


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CAPITAL PROGRAM UPDATE

SFpark Opening a New Era for ParkersThe SFMTA’s SFpark is rolling out a new parking management system that will challenge San Francisco’s reputation as the place where drivers go to idle.

Beginning this summer, SFpark will launch a two-year pilot pro-gram that will utilize surface-mounted traffic sensors to monitor available parking at 6,000 metered spaces and over 12,000 spaces in City-owned parking garages. The sensor-based system allows drivers to download real-time information via Web and mobile de-vices that direct them to nearby available parking in eight highly-trafficked areas of the City. User data will allow the SFMTA to understand parking patterns and to assist in adjusting meter and garage parking prices based on demand.

“The whole goal of parking management is to promote com-mercial vitality,” says SFpark’s Jay Primus. The new demand-responsive pricing approach means charging the lowest possible price to ensure there is almost always a space available on every block within the pilot areas, which should make local merchants happy. By creating more availability, the new SFpark system will minimize circling and double parking which will support the SFMTA goal of making Muni faster and more reliable, according to Primus. With parking trend data in hand, the SFMTA will also be able to increase parking prices during peak hours or extend the current two-hour parking limit in certain areas when warranted.

Ground Broken for Central Subway Project; BRT Advances

SFMTA Bike Projects Proceed Despite Lingering Injunction Capitalizing on an opportunity created by the partial lifting of the Bicycle Plan court injunction, the SFMTA, spearheaded by the Agency’s Bicycle Program staff, has implemented nine of the 10 new bike lane projects from the Agen-cy’s landmark Bicycle Plan that was given the green light by the court late last year. A 10th project, a proposed European-style cycletrack on JFK Drive, coordinated by Bicycle Program and Department of Recreation and Parks staff, is currently in the design phase.

In addition to the bike lane projects, the injunction relief has enabled the SFMTA to apply over 350 shared lane markings, or sharrows, install over 200 bicycle racks and initiate a small number of other “innovative treatments” since Thanksgiving. A pilot installation of flexible traffic channelizers, baseball bat-shaped plastic poles that emphasize the buffer space between traffic and bike lanes, on a one-block section of Market Street has been met by local cyclists with overwhelming approval, and plans are in place to expand the treatment to nine other segments along Market Street.

On the horizon: More bicycle parking, bike safety and outreach, bicycle facility and planning and designated bike lanes on both the Great Highway and John Muir Drive.

The City will return to court in June to pursue a complete lifting of the injunction. In preparation, the Bike Program staff is working to prepare 21 projects for implementation in the first year following the lifting of the injunction.

TransLink® Ramping Up for Rollout as Clipper Cable Car Operators are training on and testing hand-held TransLink readers, and customers should start using the card this spring. Work crews are performing the prep work required to install new TransLink ticket vending machines and faregates in stations. The prep work continues until August when actual installation of the new equipment starts. It concludes in October. The green TransLink card will be replaced by the new, blue Clipper card this spring.

Other Details about Clipper/TransLink:

•BeginninginApril,adultcustomerstransferringwithintwohourstoandfromMuniandGoldenGateTransit and Ferry services get a 50 cent savings per transfer.

•AlsoinApril,adultcustomerstransferringwithintwohoursfromBARTtoMuniwithinSanFranciscoget a 25 cent discount, and a free transfer is provided to customers going from BART to Muni at Daly City Station along with a free return trip on Muni to Daly City BART if taken within 24 hours.

•InSeptember,RegionalTransitConnection(RTC)monthlypassstickerswillnolongerbesold,andRTC cardholders will begin using Clipper/TransLink features on the RTC card to load monthly passes.

•January2011willbethe lastmonthforsellingseniorandyouthdiscountpaperpasseswhichwillthen only be available on Clipper/TransLink

For more information, simply call 1.877.878.8883 or go online at www.translink.org.

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The SFMTA’s Central Subway Project racked up major milestones during the first quarter of 2010: Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approval to start final design, inclusion of $20 million in President


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ARRA Funds Fuel RehabLeveraging $71 million in American Re-covery and Reinvestment Act funding from the Federal Transit Administration, the SFMTA is advancing key capital proj-ects that would have otherwise been de-layed due to the lack of funding. Projects include:

•Lightrailvehicledoorandstepreconditioningandsystemsrehabilitation

•Motorcoachlifecyclerehabilitation

•Farecollectionequipmentreplacement

The SFMTA also has been able to undertake important, on-going preventive maintenance work throughout the Muni systemthatisrequiredtopreserveorextendthefunctionalityand serviceability of the Agency’s assets.

As a result of these investments, the number of direct, on-project jobs created or sustained by ARRA funds currently stands at 601. More will be created as the remaining ARRA funds are expended.

Ground Broken for Central Subway Project; BRT Advances

SFgo Hitting on All CylindersSFgo, the City-wide Intelligent Transportation Systems program, is ramping up for a busy summer. Tasked with the job of de-congesting San Francisco’s perennially overcrowded streets, SFgo is poised to embark on a number of ambitious projects that will serve this goal. Two major projects moving forward in 2010 are the team’s imple-mentation of a Parking Guidance System (PGS) and the upgrade of network communications infrastructure to install transit signal pri-ority in the Van Ness corridors (Franklin, Gough and Polk streets) for the forthcoming Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

The PGS system, funded by a grant from the federal Urban Partner-ship Program, consists of variable message signs, fixed guide signs and field traffic cameras that will help get drivers out of their cars faster. Electronic message sign displays will broadcast traveler in-formation and public service announcements and alert motorists of parking availability in the nine City-owned garages which will reduce long lines at garages and utilize parking resources more effectively.

The $11 million Van Ness Corridors Arterial Management System project, funded through federal, state, regional and local monies, will lay the groundwork for the highly anticipated Van Ness BRT project. The SFgo project includes installation of traffic signal con-trollers linked by fiber-optic interconnect conduit along with other necessary communications systems to enable transit signal priority for Van Ness Muni routes and fleet vehicles on crossing routes.

TransLink® Ramping Up for Rollout as Clipper Cable Car Operators are training on and testing hand-held TransLink readers, and customers should start using the card this spring. Work crews are performing the prep work required to install new TransLink ticket vending machines and faregates in stations. The prep work continues until August when actual installation of the new equipment starts. It concludes in October. The green TransLink card will be replaced by the new, blue Clipper card this spring.

Other Details about Clipper/TransLink:

•BeginninginApril,adultcustomerstransferringwithintwohourstoandfromMuniandGoldenGateTransit and Ferry services get a 50 cent savings per transfer.

•AlsoinApril,adultcustomerstransferringwithintwohoursfromBARTtoMuniwithinSanFranciscoget a 25 cent discount, and a free transfer is provided to customers going from BART to Muni at Daly City Station along with a free return trip on Muni to Daly City BART if taken within 24 hours.

•InSeptember,RegionalTransitConnection(RTC)monthlypassstickerswillnolongerbesold,andRTC cardholders will begin using Clipper/TransLink features on the RTC card to load monthly passes.

•January2011willbethe lastmonthforsellingseniorandyouthdiscountpaperpasseswhichwillthen only be available on Clipper/TransLink

For more information, simply call 1.877.878.8883 or go online at www.translink.org.

The SFMTA’s Central Subway Project racked up major milestones during the first quarter of 2010: Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approval to start final design, inclusion of $20 million in President

Rail Replacement on a Roll An $18 million rail improvement project covering three Muni lines—the N Judah, J Church and L Taravel—that began late last year is providing new rail, repaired pavement and other in-frastructure and streetscape upgrades. Work on each of the projects is over weekends and involves substitute Muni shuttle bus service to replace closed sections of the J, L and N lines as the work proceeds. Construction to replace the accessible plat-form on the N Line at Ocean Beach began in late March and is be-ingaccomplishedduringweekdays;itdoesnotrequiresubstitutebus shuttles. Additional work at intersections along the J Line continues over weekends in April and September.

Mega Project to Transform St. Francis Circle

The SFMTA’s Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, funded primarily by the Federal Transportation Administration’s Small Starts program and Prop K sales tax revenues, is expected to break ground in 2013. Touted as the next generation of express bus service, the Van Ness BRT is modeled after a Brazilian con-cept already embraced by numerous U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Cleveland and Eugene, Oregon.

Continued on Page 8


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The SFMTA Board of Directors approved a Taxi Medallion Sales Pilot Program that is the first step to comprehensive Taxi reforms in the City that have been the subject of debate for decades.

SFMTA Taxi staff launched the undertaking with an extensive schedule of Town Hall-type meetings with Taxi drivers and companies to ensure that the Taxi industry had broad-based and meaningful input into the process that resulted in the pilot program for the sale of Medallions.

Medallions are the permits required to own and oper-ate a San Francisco Taxi. Since passage of Proposition K in 1978, qualified individuals who were interested in buying a Medallion had to get on the Waiting List which established seniority for potential buyers when Medallions became available for sale. Many have been on the list for nearly two decades.

Under the interim pilot program through the end of this year, Medallion Owners who are 70 years or older or who have a permanent disability that prevents them from fulfilling the Full-Time Driving requirement can sell their Medallions which can be purchased by individuals who are Driver Permit Holders who also meet all existing eligibility require-

After Decades of Debate: Taxi Medallion Reform

ments for Medallion ownership.

As the SFMTA intends to sell 60 Medallions this year, more people on the Waiting List will have the op-portunity to purchase a Medallion, thus reducing the waiting time and number of individuals on the list.

The price of a Medallion will be set by the SFMTA but cannot exceed $400,000 each. Buyers will pay a Me-dallion Transfer Fee of 15 percent which goes to the SFMTA and a five percent Driver Fund Transfer Fee. To ensure that the industry is involved in monitoring the pilot program, a Taxi Medallion Sales Pilot Program Advisory Council will be appointed. Council members will also make recommendations for longer-term Taxi Medallion reforms in the City by the end of 2010.

Sunday Streets 2010 in MotionNine Sunday Streets events are scheduled this year, which began March 14 on The Embarcadero. Each event runs from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. As over the past two years, Sunday Streets can only succeed with lots of volunteers to assist with information tables, events along the route and staffing intersections.

For information and to volunteer for any of the upcoming Sunday Streets events this year (see schedule below), please go online at www.sundaystreetssf.com/volunteer.• April18:Bayview• May23:Bayview• June20:Mission• July11:Mission

• August22:TheGreatHighway• September19:WesternAddition• October24:CivicCenter/tenderloin

Volunteers receive a complimentary T-shirt and baseball cap along with the satisfaction of being part of a program that is nationally recognized and that contributes to the unique quality of life that we enjoy in San Francisco.


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Van Ness BRT Next Gen Express Service on Track

Barack Obama’s proposed budget for the next federal fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 and groundbreaking for utilities relocation on this $1.57 billion undertaking. The president’s proposed budget also includes $15 million for the Van Ness Bus Rapid (BRT) Project.

When it opens in 2018, Central Subway will whisk customers from 4th and King streets to Moscone Center, Union Square and Chinatown under one of the busiest travel corridors in the City. By 2030 daily ridership on the new line is projected to top 76,000.

Van Ness BRT on Track

The SFMTA’s Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, funded primarily by the Federal Transportation Adminis-tration’s Small Starts program and Prop K sales tax reve-nues, is expected to break ground in 2013. Touted as the next generation of express bus service, the Van Ness BRT is modeled after a Brazilian concept already embraced by numerous U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Cleveland and Eugene, Oregon.

A joint effort between the SFMTA and the San Francis-co County Transportation Authority, the Van Ness BRT is expected to greatly reduce transit travel times and to improve reliability on Van Ness Avenue by featur-ing two dedicated transit lanes (one in each direction) between Mission and Lombard streets for Muni and Golden Gate Transit vehicles.

The project’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Report are expected to be released for public review this summer. The review analyzes four possible lane config-urations including two concepts with dedicated transit

lanes in the center median and one with dedicated lanes in place of current right travel lanes. Special articulated, low-floor hybrid buses will be purchased and serve en-hanced stops similar to light rail stations. Referred to by some as “light rail on rubber tires,” the Van Ness BRT thoroughfare is expected to be operational by late 2014.

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Transbay Terminal to Move to Interim Facility in May While not an SFMTA project, start up work on the new Transbay Transit Center is yet another capital undertaking that means improved public transportation in the City. It begins with the current Transbay Terminal at First and Mission streets, which has been a regional transit hub for over 60 years, being closed later this year and then de-molished to make way for the new, world-class transit center that will rise at the same site. The Transbay Transit Center will connect not only AC Transit buses from the East Bay, Golden Gate Transit and Samtrans with Muni, but will include an underground rail station for Caltrain from the Peninsula and will be the northern terminus for the California High Speed Rail Line from Los Angeles.

During the five-year period when the new transit center is under construction, AC Transit and Muni operations will be relocated to a temporary facility in May bounded by Howard, Beale, Main and Folsom streets. AC Transit will operate on the interior of that block with Muni on the perimeter. Affected Muni routes include the 38/38L Geary, the 71/71 L Norie-ga, the 5 Fulton and the 108 Treasure Island. These routes will be extended to serve the interim terminal. The 41 Union and 82X will also serve the temporary terminal but along their ex-isting routes.

To view updates on this exciting project, please visit http://temporarytermi-nal.org/webcam

The SFMTA had eight percent fewer systemwide accidents in 2009, including collisions with vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, derailments and dewirements, compared to the same period in 2008 for a decline of 194 accidents, from 2,462 to 2,268. Dur-ing the same period, customer incidents increased by 14 percent,

or 838 compared to 737 in 2008, an increase of 102 additional incidents. “Clearly, we need to deepen our concentration on and attention to customers both inside and outside of Muni vehicles,” said Executive Director/CEO Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., “as a means of reversing this trend.”

Accidents Continue Downward Trend but Incidents Increase


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Debra A. Johnson: Director of Administration, Taxis andAccessible Services Murray Bond: Deputy Director of Communications and Marketing and EditorJanis Yuen: Manager of Internal Communications & EditorMark DeAnda: Public Relations Officer and Associate EditorChimmy Lee: Graphic DesignerHeather Moran: Photographer

To share comments about En Route or to suggest story ideas, please e-mail [email protected].

En Route is the official employee publication of the SFMTA. In an effort to keep our City green, this newsletter is distributed in an elec-tronic/printable format. A limited number of hard copies are available in reception areas and Gilley rooms.

Toy Drive Brings Smiles to 680 ChildrenThanks to the generosity of employees throughout the Agency, 680 needy children received toys this past holiday season as a result of the SFMTA 12th Annual Holiday Toy Drive.

The toys were donated to San Francisco General Hospital Volunteer Center and its adjoining facilities such as Potrero Health Clinic and South of Market Health Clinic.

Alicia Hopkins, who headed up the drive, extends deep gratitude to all employees who donated to the worthy cause and made the holi-days a special time for so many children.

De Anda Takes Silver in Film ContestMark De Anda, a Public Relations Officer in Communications and Marketing, took second place in the Public Transportation at the Movies Contest sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association. His winning entry, The Graduate, referenced the closing scene of the film with Dustin Hoffman and Katherine Ross, in her wedding gown, seated on the rear seat of a transit bus. De Anda says the scene drove home the point “that public transit is there when you need it, and can get you anywhere you need to go—evenifit’soutofaquestionablerelationship.”

Census Means Money to San Francisco BynowyoushouldhavereceivedyourU.S.Censusques-tionnaire. The Census is a count of everyone residing in the United States that is conducted at the beginning of eachnewdecade.Byanswering10simplequestions,youhelp improve our schools, roads, hospitals, job-training programs, public transportation and more.

Why should everyone participate in the 2010 Census?

•Censusdatashapesthefutureofyourcommunityanddefines your voice in Congress

•Census information helps determine locations forschools, roads, hospitals, child-care and senior citizen centers, and more

•Businessesusecensusdatatolocatesupermarkets,shopping centers, new housing and other facilities

•Thecensusdetermineshowmanyseatseachstatewillhave in the U.S. House of Representatives and the boundaries of legislative districts.

Don’t miss your opportunity to make a difference!

Encourage your family, friends and neighbors to do the same!

For more information please go online at http://2010. census.gov/2010census

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Rail Replacement on a RollMost of Muni’s 70 miles of track work is more than 30 years old. A robust schedule of key rehabilitation and replacement projects is necessary to ensure safe, reliable Muni service for generations to come. Executive Director/CEO Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. stressed that, “The SFMTA will con-tinue to aggressively pursue these vital repairs and improvements in order to provide safe and reliable Muni service to our customers.”

SFMTA Hosts Safety TrainingThe SFMTA hosted the U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Transit Administration Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) Rail Incident Investigation course in January. Twenty-five individuals par-ticipated, including 12 SFMTA employees and representatives from the FTA, the California Public Utilities Commission and other transit properties. The course included a derailment exercise at our Muni Metro East Facility where students had to investigate and determine the causal factors. The SFMTA also hosted the Transit Industrial Safety Management meeting April 12 to 16 and will host the TSI Advanced Rail Incident Investigation course May 24 to 28.

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SFMTA employees march through downtown San Francisco during the 2010 Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade held February 27. Over 50 employees, family and friends participated in the event to showcase the Agency’s Central Subway Project which will link San Francisco communities to Chinatown.

Documents

SFMTA Spring Newsletter