Taken with Transportation Podcast: Safety First, Second and Always

Our riders expect to arrive at their station or stop safely. That’s why safety is at the heart of everything our operators do.

Everyone who steps on a Muni vehicle deserves to get to their destination safely. And in “Safety First, Second and Always,” the new episode of our Taken with Transportation podcast, we discuss safe driving on Muni.

You can trust that your operator is taking great care to make your ride a safe ride. “It’s very important for me to get my passengers from point A to point B safely,” Julian Lance Perry, a cable car operator, says in the episode. “I love my passengers a lot.”

Julian Lance Perry has been with the agency since the late 90s. We speak with him in the new episode of Taken with Transportation.

Recognizing a job well done

We have several recognition programs for Muni operators, such as Operator of the Month and Systemwide Operator of the Month. Operators with longstanding safety records are honored every year as official Safe Drivers.

“They are the best of us as an agency,” SFMTA Transit Director Brent Jones says about our Safe Drivers. “And they are leading by example for all the other operators who are approaching that threshold of excellence.”

We ask Jones in the episode what he might want to tell people about our operators. “Imagine [taking] on the stress of driving a multimillion-dollar vehicle down very narrow streets,” he answers. “And taking the time to help people boarding the vehicle, providing great information, and dealing with people who may be having a tough day and may take it out on you. And doing that on a daily basis over a span of a 30-year career.”

Operator Raymond Robinson makes safety a priority so he can ensure his riders get where they need to go without worry. 

How to listen

We also speak with operators Lan Lau and Raymond Robinson in the episode. Both, along with Perry, were among the celebrated Safe Drivers this year.

You can find “Safety First, Second and Always” on our podcast webpage (SFMTA.com/Podcast) and the SFMTA YouTube channel. We’re also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart and other podcast platforms.