SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA | Public Transport

[bayviews]

Canceled Muni Bus Runs Draw New Attention to Drivers' Absenteeism Rates; [National Desk] Zusha Elison. New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.: Apr 29, 2012. pg. A.29A

The absentee rate for Muni drivers is high when compared with the national average of 3 percent across industries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Managers at AC Transit and Muni say new labor contracts have helped reduce unscheduled absences.

Copyright New York Times Company Apr 29, 2012

Last Monday, Muni canceled 43 bus runs, leaving passengers with long waits, with no warning and no explanation for the delays.

The transit agency now cancels 35 to 45 runs each weekday to reduce overtime costs. As The Bay Citizen reported earlier this month, Muni is no longer paying overtime to replace drivers who call in sick.

The cancellations, which have resulted in cuts to bus service, are putting renewed attention on the contentious issue of driver absenteeism.

On average, about 150 out of 1,200 Muni operators -- 12.2 percent -- missed work unexpectedly during the last three months of 2011. Such unscheduled absences, as Muni calls them, include drivers who call in sick to take care of themselves or a member of their family, drivers who have jury duty and drivers facing disciplinary issues.

The absentee rate for Muni drivers is high when compared with the national average of 3 percent across industries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is also higher than the absentee rate for other workers at the transit agency. On a typical weekday, 7 percent of Muni's mechanics have an unscheduled absence.

But the percentage of unscheduled absences is not as high as the rate at one other Bay Area transit agency. At AC Transit in the East Bay, the unscheduled absence rate for drivers was 12.5 percent -- the worst in the Bay Area -- during the last three months of 2011. At the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, the absentee rate for bus drivers was 8.9 percent. The rate for the small force of 290 drivers at SamTrans was 4.1 percent.

Muni drivers say the health hazards and stress of the job contribute to the unscheduled absences.

"We're dealing with homeless people and sick people and mentally ill people and children and teenagers while we're trying to keep everything on schedule," said Ron Austin, vice president of the union that represents 2,200 Muni operators. "All this pressure rests squarely on the operator. You've got to be a baby sitter, and you've got to drive this 40-foot vehicle through very congested streets."

Muni and AC Transit rely on an "extra board," a group of on-call bus drivers who fill in if a driver is late or absent. Muni schedules about 1,200 drivers each weekday and has about 100 on call. AC Transit schedules about 525 drivers during the week and has 150 on call.

In the past, when all of the on-call drivers were working, Muni would pay overtime to drivers who were off to come in and cover any remaining shifts. But faced with a $29 million budget shortfall and out-of-control overtime spending, Muni decided last month to skip bus runs instead.

The move has been blasted by critics as a "stealth cut" to bus service in San Francisco. Ed Reiskin, the Municipal Transportation Agency's director of transportation, backed away from an unpopular proposal to cut service in order to save money earlier in the year.

Muni is not the only agency to cancel runs when drivers call in sick. AC Transit skips about 20 runs a day, according to Clarence Johnson, a transit agency spokesman.

Both agencies have seen a slight decline in driver absentee rates. The rate for AC Transit drivers was 13.9 percent over the past three years. It peaked at 18.5 percent in August of 2010. Muni's driver absentee rate has edged down from 13.7 percent in 2010 to 12.9 percent in 2011.

Managers at AC Transit and Muni say new labor contracts have helped reduce unscheduled absences.

The new contract with AC Transit's 1,200 drivers requires drivers to obtain a doctor's note if they are absent for more than three days, according to Mr. Johnson. And operators are generally not paid for sick days unless they take two or more.

Before the changes, Mr. Johnson said, some drivers would take a sick day in the middle of the week and then come in on their scheduled day off and get overtime. Now the agency's new labor contract includes a rule requiring drivers to work 40 hours a week before getting overtime.

"I don't want to cast any aspersions, but the old rules made it easy for you take days off and then get overtime," Mr. Johnson said.

But Yvonne Williams, president of the union that represents AC Transit drivers, said that two-day policy was having the opposite effect, encouraging drivers to miss more work.

"If there's a problem with unscheduled absenteeism, then it's a managerial problem and we're willing to work with them to fix that," she said.

Paul Rose, a San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency spokesman, said that Muni also wanted to hire more full- and part-time drivers.

"That would reduce missed runs and overtime," he said.

But Mr. Austin, of the Muni operators union, said hiring drivers would not be as easy as it once was. He said Muni drivers bore the brunt of the blame for Muni's slow and often late service.

"People aren't clamoring to work here anymore," Mr. Austin said. "With adversaries in City Hall, adversaries in the public, it rapidly becomes a job that's just not worth it."

[Anderson Reis]

My paper BART:

image hosted on flickr


See more: http://www.flickr.com/photos/andersonrs

[bayviews]

Originally Posted by Anderson Reis

My paper BART:

image hosted on flickr


See more: http://www.flickr.com/photos/andersonrs

Hey Andy, your photostream is fantastic!

Sao Paulo's a huge city with an amazing transit history & a great subway.

Look forward to seeing more of your Sao Paulo transit photos & uptdates on this forum!

[Anderson Reis]

Hi bayviews,

Thank you for your compliments. When I have new photos on Flickr will inform you and post here on the forum.

Thanks.

[Woonsocket54]

Amazing image of criss-crossing trolleybus wires on Fillmore Street in SF.

image hosted on flickr

source: eviloars flickr account

[Anderson Reis]

Look at that picture I found curious BART. Does anyone know what's going on?

image hosted on flickr


What is the name that the system uses to monitor BART trains?

[bayviews]

Originally Posted by Anderson Reis

Look at that picture I found curious BART. Does anyone know what's going on?

image hosted on flickr


What is the name that the system uses to monitor BART trains?

Some train operators don face masks to protect against deases from passengers & dirt, dust, & other particulate matters in the tunnel.

The Signal System is called the BART Train Control System.

[Anderson Reis]

Thank you!

[quashlo]

Originally Posted by Woonsocket54

Amazing image of criss-crossing trolleybus wires on Fillmore Street in SF.

Fillmore and Haight to be exact, the intersection of the 6 and 22 lines… Four turnouts.
http://g.co/maps/h5fzu

Some other impressive crossings… I’ve ignored all the stuff Downtown, as it’s somewhat trivial to find interesting crossings there thanks to all the buses and double wire along Market Street.

Five turnouts
Fillmore and Sutter: http://g.co/maps/edst5
16th and Bryant: http://g.co/maps/5uxpy
California and Presidio: http://g.co/maps/3gtbt

Four turnouts
McAllister and Divisadero: http://g.co/maps/38bej
18th and Castro: http://g.co/maps/k6dcy
16th and South Van Ness: http://g.co/maps/g934e
11th and Mission: http://g.co/maps/vxsxd
Fillmore and Jackson: http://g.co/maps/4uq73 (technically, one of the four main wires is not a through wire)

Three turnouts
Fillmore and Sacramento: http://g.co/maps/m7p8e
(there’s definitely a few more of these, but I put this one down because it’s catenary instead of simple overhead like the majority of the network)

Wyes
Van Ness and North Point: http://g.co/maps/uz6x5
Turk and Masonic: http://g.co/maps/nc28g

Crossings with streetcars
Church and Duboce: http://g.co/maps/vdq3g (wye crossing of 2 light rail lines, plus one trolleybus line)
Church and 30th: http://g.co/maps/cdkwt (light rail wye, plus one trolleybus line)

And then there’s the hairpin turn on the 33 Stanyan at Market and Clayton.

[FDW]

Originally Posted by bayviews

Thanks for posting.

Those vintage Milan streetcars are big fans of the tourists!

Their fares are also cheaper than the CableCars.

The modern Breda LRVs are MUNI's speedy Milan cars!

To be honest, I prefer the PCC's to the Milan Cars. And I'm also iffy on the Breda's.

Originally Posted by Anderson Reis

Hi bayviews,

Thank you for your compliments. When I have new photos on Flickr will inform you and post here on the forum.

Thanks.

I should make some comments about BART. While I do think that BART did a good thing in helping to set up a new momentum for Mass Transit projects, and while it certainly had a massive influence North American transit design, it still set up some rather annoying precedents in North American Rapid Transit. These include the Park and Ride model of station design (rather than actually building some stuff around to make it a destination, a trend that is slowly being reversed), the station design where the station is set far from the nearest major street (complicating connections with other transit, and making less accessible on foot to nearby areas) as opposed to directly straddling over said major street, and lastly the extreme distance between stations, usually 4-5 Km outside of the City Center.

[mopc]

Originally Posted by Anderson Reis

Hi bayviews,

Thank you for your compliments. When I have new photos on Flickr will inform you and post here on the forum.

Thanks.

Wow you have amazing pics in Flick, please visit the Sao Paulo thread to find basically all Sao Paulo metro and CPTM pics possible, the link is in my signature.

[Fan Railer]

Speaking of BART, here are some clips from the system that I shot two days ago on my trip to SF. Enjoy the amazing acceleration =) The riding videos should be up in a few days.

[Fan Railer]

First of the long riding clips; Enjoy the AC propulsion sounds =)

[bayviews]

Originally Posted by FDW

To be honest, I prefer the PCC's to the Milan Cars. And I'm also iffy on the Breda's.

Couldn't agree more! I've always liked the speedy PCCs with their comfortable padded seats & timeless design. You'd hardly know they were designed in the late 1920s! The Milan Cars are very slow & noisy & their hard wooden seats are the pitts. Their OK though for the tourists.

[Fan Railer]

[Woonsocket54]

Source: http://www.delongwine.com/metro-california-wine-map.php

[Anderson Reis]

Originally Posted by mopc

Wow you have amazing pics in Flick, please visit the Sao Paulo thread to find basically all Sao Paulo metro and CPTM pics possible, the link is in my signature.

Thank you for the invitation.

[Woonsocket54]

Freakish incident involving trolleybus wires - a rare incident for North America

San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...MN2O1OSOFL.DTL

3 hurt as Muni trolley knocks down live wires

Jaxon Van Derbeken, Ellen Huet

Monday, June 4, 2012

(06-04) 18:13 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Three people were injured when a Muni trolley bus snapped live electrical lines at Market at Fifth streets during the Monday evening rush hour, authorities said.

The 4:07 p.m. incident forced the closure of Market between Third and Eighth streets and part of Fifth Street, snarling downtown traffic. Crews were unable to shut off live downed electrical lines until just before 5 p.m., and the street was expected to remain closed at least until 7 p.m., authorities said.

Witnesses described hearing a loud, explosive noise when the accident happened.

Initial reports were that the "hub" mounted on the 5-Fulton trolley's pole that includes a transformer became detached and snapped live wires as it fell from the bus, authorities said.

One pedestrian, a woman in her 20s, was hit by one of the wires, said Fire Department spokesman Mindy Talmadge. She and another person were taken to St. Francis Memorial Hospital. The nature of their injuries was unclear, but Talmadge said neither was badly hurt.

Paul Rose, a Muni spokesman, said a third person had also been taken to a hospital.

One of the victims, a pedestrian who was apparently a tourist, was helped by a San Francisco man after being hit by one of the wires.

"I heard a pop and saw one man under the wire," said Hilton Holcomb, 57, who was crossing Fifth at the time of the incident. "I saw sparks and the fire coming through. I pulled him to the side of the road."

Holcomb said the man was conscious but was shaking and complaining that he felt like his hands were on fire.

"I've seen these wires fall before," Holcomb said, "but I've never seen one with explosions and fire."

Jaxon Van Derbeken and Ellen Huet are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. E-mail: jvanderbeken@sfchronicle.com, ehuet@sfchronicle.com.

[bayviews]

Originally Posted by Woonsocket54

Freakish incident involving trolleybus wires - a rare incident for North America

San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...MN2O1OSOFL.DTL

No biggie.

The overhead wires were fixed by the line crews & service was restored to normal within a few hours.

[bayviews]

Mayor Lee & Leader Pelosi Celebrate $10 Million Federal Transportation & Infrastructure Investment In Mission Bay
Targeted News Service. Washington, D.C.: Jun 22, 2012.
Copyright © Targeted News Service. All Rights Reserved.

The office of the San Francisco Mayor issued the following news release:

Today Mayor Edwin M. Lee joined Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to announce a federal $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve transportation infrastructure in the City's Mission Bay neighborhood.

The funding, called Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER), will support the Mission Bay/UCSF Hospital Multimodal Transportation Project by completing the remaining backbone transportation infrastructure necessary to support the dynamic Mission Bay community, representing $9 billion in combined investment from the State, the City and the private sector. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and San Francisco Building Trades joined the announcement.

"San Francisco's dynamic Mission Bay neighborhood has become an international model for sustainable, transit-oriented development and a hub of innovation and job growth," said Mayor Lee. "The TIGER grant award for Mission Bay speaks to the power of public-private partnerships. I am grateful to President Obama, Leader Pelosi, Secretary LaHood, Lieutenant Governor Newsom and our partners for making this project a success."

Mission Bay is transforming from a blighted, abandoned rail-yard to a mixed-use, transit-oriented innovation center and thriving neighborhood. TIGER funds will complete the street grid, build pedestrian and bicycle facilities, improve the highway off-ramp and construct a short-run loop for the light rail that will enable SFMTA to double service to the area.

"San Francisco has always led the way in infrastructure investments that grow our economy and spur prosperity for local communities," said Leader Pelosi. "This $10 million commitment for transportation at Mission Bay builds on that record: to create jobs in our city and serve as a model for sustainable development nationwide. I was proud to advocate on behalf of this worthy project and applaud Secretary LaHood for his continued commitment to rebuilding America."

"President Obama's support for an America built to last is putting people back to work across the country building roads, bridges and other projects that will mean better, safer transportation for generations to come," said Transportation Secretary LaHood. "TIGER projects mean good transportation jobs today and a stronger economic future for the nation."

"Mission Bay is revitalizing an entire sector of San Francisco and creating jobs. The TIGER grant for this project will build on state and local investment to support this important infrastructure," said Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom. "Transit-oriented development surrounding the biotech, medical and educational uses which serve as the core of this growing community provides a model for creating a vibrant and sustainable future for California."

Mission Bay is an economic engine crucial to the region and state which, at full build-out, will be home to a projected 30,000 jobs in critical fields like healthcare, biotech and education. The Mission Bay/UCSF Hospital Multimodal Transportation Infrastructure project is shovel ready, with permits in hand and preparatory work underway, insuring that these funds will be leveraged immediately. Mission Bay includes a 43-acre UCSF research campus and state-of-the-art UCSF hospital serving children, women and cancer patients, now under construction. More than 40 private biotechnology companies - including Bayer, Fibrogen and Nektar - have moved to Mission Bay. The result is a booming economic cluster of statewide and nationwide significance, focused on innovative life science research and development.