Muni Chief Nat Ford on KQED’s Forum

Posted on December 14, 2007 by kfarr

Muni Chief Nat Ford and Mayor Gavin Newsom
Above: San Francisco Muni Chief Nathaniel “Nat” Ford (left) chats it up with Mayor Gavin Newsom.

KQED’s amazing community affairs program “Forum” featured Muni Chief Nat Ford Thursday. Michael Krasny asks some hard questions but didn’t always get great answers.

Some observations:

  • Mr. Ford seems to have a good grasp of Muni operations but presents no vision for improvement of the system. His ‘back to basics’ rhetoric seems like a cop out. Of course we need to have basic services, but where is the vision? Where is strategic leadership for one of the oldest and most used transit systems in the United States?
  • I was impressed by Mr. Ford’s frank understanding of Muni’s frustrating labor union agreements. He spoke eloquently and politely about labor issues, but seemed to present an underlying feeling that these labor agreements are roadblock to true Muni progress.
  • I was also impressed by Mr. Ford’s support of the Geary/Van Ness BRT lines. But, again, the real issue with BRT is Muni’s inability to implement, not whether or not they are necessary. I would like to have heard Mr. Krasny take Mr. Ford to task on why the T-Third was/is such a disaster and what Muni’s doing to prevent another implementation disaster with the BRT lines.
  • Mr. Ford was grilled a few times by callers and Mr. Krasny for his salary increase. It was a little heavy on the criticism. Face it: high level, CEO-like positions such as this need adequate compensation. The issue shouldn’t necessarily be with the amount but the lack of ties to performance. That’s just bad oversight by the City.
  • It was particularly amusing that Mr. Krasny announced that Muni is always a contentious issue that brings a massive amount of callers and email to the program. I’ll admit, as I was listening in my cab I tried calling for about 10 minutes but was never able to get through.

Link to Program Page (Direct MP3 Link) (Podcast Link)

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“I want everyone to feel that it is but the nucleus of a mighty system of streetcar lines which will one day encompass the entire city.”

Posted on December 12, 2007 by kfarr

James Rolph

I went to the library this evening to check out a great book about the history of Muni. Unfortunately, it is out of print and is now reference material. I couldn’t take it with me.

I consumed the first 30 pages to the infrequent din of library staff repeatedly announcing imminent closing. 30 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes, five.

While reading, I found a moving quote by San Francisco’s longest serving mayor, James “Sunny Jim” Rolph. He spearheaded the initial development of Muni during the years immediately after the great 1906 earthquake and fire.

He attended the opening of the first City operated (Muni) line — what is now more or less served by the 38-Geary line.

It is in reality the people’s road, built by the people and with the people’s money. The first cable road in the country was built in San Francisco, and now the first Municipal railway of the country is built in San Francisco. Our operation of this road will be closely watched by the whole country. It must prove a success! We must run it by proper methods. When we have built from the Ferry to the Ocean, it will be the best single route in the city, and we must extend it wherever possible, until it becomes a great Municipal system. I want everyone to feel that it is but the nucleus of a mighty system of streetcar lines which will one day encompass the entire city.

What passion! What vision! Where is that passion now? What has our City become?

It is a sad time for transit in our City.

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Distribution of cabs in San Francisco by company

Posted on December 11, 2007 by kfarr

Share of San Francisco taxicabs on the street by company

I always wondered what the exact makeup of cabs were on our City streets. To answer that question, I threw this pie chart together from data available on the Taxi Commission’s website that lists current medallion holders and company affiliation.

Chances are, you’ll get a Yellow if you hail a cab on City streets. Luxor and DeSoto are a distant second and third.

Raw numbers after the break.
Continue reading →

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Tourists hibernate for winter. My earnings decrease.

Posted on December 11, 2007 by kfarr

Spot the Tourists!

Tourism is San Francisco’s top industry by revenue. San Francisco is the 3rd most popular destination for overseas tourists. (1) (2)

During the summer at least a quarter of all of my fares were tourists. Sometimes these visitors are aggravating — going from a downtown hotel to Pier 39 can get old after a while. But, most of the time it is a pleasure to spend time with out-of-towners. I enjoy guiding them to hidden treasures in our City.

But, regardless of whether or not I like tourists, they have an effect on my bottom line.

How much of an effect, I wondered?

Continue reading →

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Is the Transit Effectiveness Project just expensive City government masturbation?

Posted on December 11, 2007 by kfarr

IMG_0669

I attended a presentation by the Transit Effectiveness Project at the November 28th meeting of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition (TALC).

I was excited at the prospect. Finally, the City Controller Office is doing serious work regarding a delinquent, City funded entity (MUNI)! What a responsible and noble task! Considering the City almost entirely funds this entity, let’s get control over the actions of this entity.

Associate Engineer for SFMTA, Britt Tanner, presented the findings. Peter Straus, Service Planning Manager for the SFMTA, was also there.

Needless to say, it was a disappointment.

I summed up my frustration when the floor opened for questions and comments. I said the following:

  • We all agree, this ridership research data is accurate and helpful, although it’s nothing new. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
  • The ideas for service improvement are good, although they’re nothing new. (1) (2) (3) (4)
  • Here’s the real issue: the fault of MUNI improvement lies with IMPLEMENTING improvements, not research or thinking of new ideas. Maybe we need to fix the way we fix MUNI?

Their response? “This time it’s different.” Ms. Tanner and Mr. Straus, with all do respect, I don’t think this time is any different.

The project’s own mission statement says the TEP is a project to “review, evaluate, and make recommendations on the existing Muni transit system…” (emphasis mine)

The project’s own mission statement DOESN’T INCLUDE IMPLEMENTATION! Would you pay to go to a restaurant where you are seated, choose an entree from the menu, and simply imagine eating food?

At the end of her presentation, Ms. Tanner described the project finalization timeline, “We’ll present these findings to the Board, then we’ll implement!” (paraphrased) It is a grave concern that the “we’ll implement!” stage is given so little thought.

I am sad to report the TEP appears to be nothing more than an expensive masturbatory exercise, lacking both the teeth and balls to make true improvements to the City’s public transportation infrastructure.

For shame, City Controllers. Do your job.

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Sunday by day, Sunday by night

Posted on December 11, 2007 by kfarr

IMG_0655

This past weekend

  • I worked Sunday 5am-3pm, slept from 4pm-11pm, and then worked Monday from 12am-11am.
  • A group of about 6 hipsters flagged my van down in the Mission around 1am:
    • It was a friend’s 21st birthday and they got him smashed like good friends should. I took some of them back to their West Oakland house and the rest to their college style houses in Berkeley.
    • Most of them were pretty sober and they were fun companions on the long trip. It took about 45 minutes from pickup to getting back ‘on the market’ in the City.
    • One of them (drunkenly) complained about the price. But, the rest knew that an investment in a taxi at the end of the night was a necessity given BART ends early and they didn’t want to drive.
    • His complaint started me thinking about pricing. What people say about pricing is often at odds to their actions. That is, a person’s willingness to purchase a product or service is often higher than they would admit, especially with rather inelastic services such as late-night transportation. Pricing is a very difficult task.
    • When consumer says, “What a rip-off!” yet he or she STILL purchases the product or service, is it REALLY a rip-off? It must not be! Of course, we always want things cheaper. But, if you’re willing to buy the product or service, it must not be a rip-off.
  • I picked up some gay guys in the Castro late Sunday night just after the bars closed. They were trying to stuff their friend in the cab for about 60 seconds until they finally realized he (she? he? I wasn’t sure.) didn’t want to party with them. It was odd. But they were all in good spirits.
  • I took a nice lady and her mother from a retirement home to a doctor appointment way across the City. They had a hard time getting cabs to pick them up from the retirement home, so I gave them my mobile number and they called me directly when they needed a ride back. That was the first time I gave my number out, and it worked great!
  • I took a nice German guy from downtown (near a BART station) to Golden Gate Park. He didn’t have a particular destination in mind so we talked about what would be best to see. I really enjoy talking about the City with visitors; I feel it’s a form of community service to speak against the traditional tourist brainwash and tell them about the treasure of amazing neighborhoods in the City.
  • I had a lot of airport runs on Monday morning. It’s a great shift to get lots of SFO runs.
  • I took a couple from their hotel in the Wharf (north side of the City) to the airport:
    • It was during the worst of the morning rush hour, so I was worried about taking the main roads to get on the interstate.
    • Columbus is a nightmare especially when it terminates to Montgomery (slow as molasses downtown), Gough and the Embarcadero are rather roundabout routes and are usually packed too. I took Leavenworth through Russian and Nob Hills and then jogged over to Hyde>8th>Brannan>280 South.
    • I often worry that the passengers think I’m “taking them for a ride” when I do this, since Leavenworth seems small and dead with stop-signs dotting each intersection. But, as far as I can figure, it’s the fastest way to cut through the City when the main streets are clogged with commuters.
    • It’s surprising how much customer service is a part of this job. Keeping a customer happy is obviously the best way to get tips. Not feeling comfortable with a selected route can really make people sour (and scared).
    • They were very happy with my route.
  • I took a former lawyer to the airport and we had a great chat about choosing life paths. She didn’t end up with her current job until she was in her mid 30’s. Until then, she was on a pretty serious life search, never quite satisfied with her career. We also had a good chat about life in the UK. She shared my surprise with the severely short winter days in Scotland and how much they can affect one’s psyche.
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Captain Obvious: Walking is nice and walkable urban spaces are in high demand.

Posted on December 6, 2007 by kfarr

Pedestrians cross a street in San Francisco
Above: Pedestrians rock the crosswalk. Note the awesome vintage MUNI bus in the background.

American Public Media’s Marketplace has a great segment about the rising popularity of walkable cities in the United States.

Link (Here’s a direct link to the Real Audio file.)

Some points come to mind:

  • Mr. Leininger’s claim that “Gen Xers” like walkable cities because they saw them on TV is rather goofy. Gen Xers like walkable cities because it’s a better way to live!
  • Walkable cities are extremely popular among young adults. Despite low, entry-level incomes they spend a huge chunk of their income on housing. As these youths grow older (and the cost of housing relative to their overall income decreases) will they continue to demand pedestrian friendly cities? How will this affect the value of suburban real estate? Will suburb growth finally end, or will it go further and suburban real estate will drop in value?
  • Leininger’s analysis of an urban housing supply problem is SPOT ON. Rent control and ‘affordable housing’ initiatives exacerbate this. I’m amazed that San Francisco, one of the most walkable cities according to this report, isn’t building any more median priced rental housing! Does this seem odd to anyone else?
  • Our transportation infrastructure is very slow to catch up to this trend. How long until we see transportation policy that mirrors this demand?
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Driving the graveyard shift

Posted on December 6, 2007 by kfarr

San Francisco taxi waybill and medallion on a clipboard

I switched my shifts around. I stopped working Saturdays so I could get my Friday nights back. I kept my Sunday (5am-3pm) shift and added Mondays and Tuesdays from midnight-11am. (That’s the only time they have available for newbs like me.) It’s exciting to drive a new shift.

During my shifts

  • It rained the entire morning of one of my 12a-11a shifts. It makes driving quite dangerous in the City, but the danger was offset by significantly increased business. I cruised the 1-California and 38-Geary lines when radio calls were slow — the rain makes people much more likely to hail a cab and I got a lot of pickups.
  • I am beginning to feel the City as a living entity. Despite the odd sleep schedule, I am blessed to get to see the City in its wee hours as it ‘sleeps’ and then comes alive in full force.
  • The midnight to 11am shift has unique identifiable chunks:
    • Midnight till 3am is drunkies time. I transport a lot of drunkies coming home from (or going to other) bars. So far, I really enjoy the drunkies. They’ve behaved much better than I thought they would and make great conversation, although it’s not always coherent or of the highest calibre. They also enjoy pretty much whatever music I happen to be playing, and often they’ll ask me to turn it up. It can be a lot of fun if you get a good group in the cab.
    • 3am-4am is very quiet. Occasionally I’ll pick up post-partiers or bar/restaurant staffers going home, but I usually just have a few fares during this time. While not very lucrative, it is a very relaxing time. I feel like I own the City. The thin traffic consists of mostly other cabs, police cars and trash trucks.
    • 4am-6am is the radio dispatched ‘early’ commute rush. Many security traders work on east coast time and need to be at work an hour or two before markets open at 9:30am Eastern (6:30am Pacific). While it is year-round steady business, these passengers are frustrating because they’re quiet at best, rude or short tempered at worst. During this period, competition for radio calls is insane. The competitiveness is further magnified as most of the calls come in from the Marina, Pac Heights, Russian Hill, and Nob Hill. There are many cabs in a small area. I once ‘bingoed’ an order (I was at the intersection being announced) only to see FOUR other DeSoto cabs approach from all directions seconds later, hoping to get the order first.
    • 6am-9am is the regular morning commute rush. Radio orders increase, as do the diversity of orders. No longer is it just traders going to work with dispatched orders, now people start going cross-town to a hospital, airport orders increase, and workers anxious of being late hail cabs on the street to escape MUNI purgatory. I focus most of my fare searching still in the Northern area of town (Marina/Heights/Hills), but I’ll start branching out some.
    • 9am-11am slows down a bit, but diversity of rides continues to increase. Orders come from all over the City for all sorts of destinations. At this point, all neighborhoods of the City have equal chances of finding hails or radio calls. I wander all around the City.
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The best Democratic candidate debate you didn’t know existed.

Posted on December 6, 2007 by kfarr

NPR Democratic candidates debate

NPR hosted a radio debate Tuesday between the Democratic presidential candidates.

It was a radio-only debate with no cameras, no audience, and no strict time limits for candidate answers (although they were kept thankfully brief). It was an excellent forum to hear their ideas.

Link (You can also get it as an MP3 for you mobile audio junkies.)

One scary thing I learned:

  • Seemingly “progressive” Democrats seem to be frighteningly against free trade, especially with China and Mexico. Their justifications were varied and had some juice, but I am a fan of trade first, regulate later most of the time (with regards to product safety, environmental impact, fair pay). Rarely should we ever significantly restrict trade but for human rights violations or other egregious acts. But, restricting trade to keep “blue collar jobs in America” is scary, antiquated thinking. We need better education for our displaced workers, not more shitty jobs.
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The City’s continuing support of MUNI is worse than no-bid Halliburton contracts in Iraq.

Posted on December 1, 2007 by kfarr

Halliburton equals MUNI?

Surely, you’re familiar with no-bid contracts in Iraq. The United States federal government and its armed forces awarded numerous reconstruction and basic services contracts with no open competitive bidding processes during the early years of the Iraq War.

The most notorious beneficiary of these no-bid contracts was Halliburton and its subsidiaries, to the tune of over a billion dollars. There are hundreds of articles on this subject.

You may also be familiar with the City and County of San Francisco’s infamous Municipal Railway (MUNI).

Just like Halliburton in Iraq, MUNI is the sole beneficiary of a yearly no-bid contract by the City since its inception in the early 1900s. “Now, just wait a second,” you say, “MUNI isn’t awarded a contract by the City government, they are the City government!” It’s that sort of thinking that has led us down a path of poor service and general transit incompetency.

Continue reading →

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