Monday, September 24, 2012

Time To Get Fixing!

I have a long standing relationship with San Francisco Municipal Railways, Muni.  I have been a rider of Muni buses my whole life.  Everyone in San Francisco likes to complain about our bus system, but the fact is Muni makes it possible to get anywhere in SF without a car.  Now that the buses have bicycle racks on them, getting around on public transportation is easier than ever.  However, there are issues.

Two years ago I had to call the Muni complaint line several times a week because bus drivers along my route refused to change lanes to pass anyone on a bicycle .  Several times I was pushed into parked cars because Muni drivers would not give me room when they passed.  Many times they tailed me too closely and honked for me to get out of their way (on a two lane road) or cut me off after passing unsafely at bus stops.  After about the 12th complaint I noticed that this was no longer a problem and that someone had decided to do some training.  Not one driver on that line has since been a problem in the last two years.  When a second bus line was added to our street I had to start the complaints again because no one had taught the new bus line drivers that being aggressive with 70 ton buses against human beings on bicycles was unprofessional.  That has changed and I now find all of the Muni drivers to be very courteous and considerate.  I never have any problems with them anymore (thanks Muni!!)

So here is my new battle.  Can you see the problem(s)?

Not A Stop


This is an outbound 43 Masonic and this is the sorry excuse for a bus stop that you can find at Judson and Gennessee.  During school hours, (school meaning CCSF, the largest learning institution in the United States, and Riordan High School) every single 43 driver stops here, blocking all lanes of traffic and forcing dozens of bus passengers at a time to exit into an active bike lane.  As you can see. there are usually cars involved, too.  There are times I have been stuck here, swarmed by people for as long as 3 minutes at a time.  It is a very, very busy drop off.  Absolutely no attempt has been made to make this a safe stop for anyone and there is always tension as a result.  Other than a strip of paint, there is no formal bus stop here.

This happens at the even busier 43 stop on the inbound route on Phelan Blvd. at the college's main entrance.  At that stop I am frequently passed by 43 drivers who cross a double yellow line into moving traffic to allow enough room to make a sharp right turn cutting off the lane of car traffic, and the bike lane without actually stopping near the bus shelter.  This forces me to make emergency stops to prevent being hit by the tail of the bus while I am simultaneously swarmed by passengers walking out into the street and bike lane to meet the bus (many times the back end of the bus is still partially blocking the traffic in the opposite direction!)

I have called to complain about this, but I have seen no change.  So now I am calling Muni out publicly.  Muni drivers are professional drivers with special licenses and they know better. Muni needs to do something about this.  Now!  The area around CCSF is extremely busy and is a primary bicycle corridor.  Drivers need to drive like professionals who care about the people around them and Muni and the City need to ensure that every bus stop in this corridor is planned for the safety of all.  Get on it, people!


Addendum- and here is the same stop back in April, at the tale end of about 40 people getting off the bus.

Off To School


12 comments:

  1. Keep after them- they will have to respond.

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  2. In the short while I've been commuting by bike, I've had several busses blast by me just a tad too close for my comfort. City bus drivers think they rule the city and laws do not apply to them.

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    1. I hate that If you note the time, direction, route number and bus number (on the back of the bus) you can use that to make a complaint through 311. It works if people do it! The problem is, not enough people do. It takes a few minutes, but it is easy and brings results!

      For the most part, I think the drivers want to do the right thing, I just think they have a mind set that makes them defensive (not surprising if you watch what they go through) and defensiveness can be just as dangerous as pure aggression.

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    2. And by "hate" I mean "love". I love that you can use such simple info to make a complaint!

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  3. I am impressed that constant calls to complain actually created change. Good for you!! The first 43 Masonic bus stop issue you describe seems to be due as much to poor design as driver behavior. (Less sure about the second?) In general I support designs that make poor behavior impossible, but in this case Muni and DPW should work on both ASAP.

    It looks to me (just from the picture) that there should be (in this order from right) sidewalk, bike lane, and then a curb extension for the bus stop. It also looks clear that there needs to be a crosswalk where people naturally want to cross (at the bus stop!) Parking could easily be removed to make space for this.

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    1. Indeed. Removal of a single space would allow for a better stop. But even then, the driver would actually have to pull into the bus stop. It would block the bike lane, but that would be OK as it is predictable and easily avoided by cyclists. In this case, it always feels like this is what the drivers do to ensure that no one blocks them or gets in their way (obviously a subjective assessment, but I don't think it is too off the mark).

      As to 311 complaints- they do work! The 23 drivers have been, in my dealings with them daily, extremely courteous and easy to ride with since that time. After a bit of calling (a lot less than when I started with the 23, the 36 drivers that were introduced to the street have improved, too (although I can very much tell if there is a replacement route driver).

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  4. I agree with Karen's comment. So often in San Francisco, bus stops are designated by a mere faded line of yellow paint on asphalt. The city really should provide its transit riders with safer and more accessible and recognizable stops, even if (or especially if) this comes at the expense of parking. (We are in an officially "transit first" city, after all.) The bus stop in your photo could be designed in a manner safe for bicyclists and transit riders to simultaneously use the location, as Karen describes.

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  5. Off topic, saw you in this video, after 2 min!

    May have been a nice critical mass! Some friends were there too, one was passing there also.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eb3urqL7M4

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    1. Very off topic! You should have waited for our piece on it, but I am glad there is video of that intersection. I stopped to cork that car that was directed into the middle of everything and it was interesting. The riders going by were making the evening inconvenient for the drivers (for may 7 minutes in total), and in response, several drivers were making it very dangerous for themselves and others. That woman with the flare was nuts! She was trying to encourage a Fed Ex truck to drive into people! Can't say I am too pleased to see the driver buying in as his workplace is on the side of his truck and he is easily tracked. I think maybe FedEx needs to see that.

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    2. and that lady continues! jenny oh over at platty jo shared an experience where a BMW purposefully swerved at a bunch of bikers who had left the main group to go and eat. got out of the car and then pushed jenny. cops were near, and came over. took an hour, but she finally managed to get the cops to file a report. lady was there and admitted it (and lied about retaliation) as well.

      this is the part of CM i wont miss. hopefully in 20 years it will be more peaceful and celebratory.

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