Putting SF’s Transportation System on Track
Did you know that not only is this Bike Month, it’s also National Transportation Week? It’s an important opportunity to recognize the people who keep the country’s transportation systems up and running each and every day, while stressing the necessity of improving transportation services to meet the demands of a citizenry and economy on the move.
Not since its inception in 1962 has the commemoration of this week been so crucial. As we discussed last month, the deadline for the federal law that keeps the funds flowing for the nation’s aging transportation infrastructure, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act or MAP-21, is right around the crumbling corner: May 31.
As we work with our regional, state and federal partners to increase our investments in SF’s transportation system, we are also proud to work with our local leaders, and have the support of voters, to increase our investment in the people that keep our city moving.
This past month, the SFMTA made its largest Muni service changes in decades, and just this past week, Mayor Ed Lee announced that the SFMTA would receive an additional $48 million for new vehicles, as well as Muni and pedestrian safety projects. Much of this good news is due to Proposition B, which was passed by voters last November.
This mayor also showcased funding set aside for the hiring of 244 positions, of which 171 will be new transit operators and supervisors. The remaining 73 will include mechanics, maintenance technicians, bodywork specialists and cleaning crew members. As the SFMTA goes about implementing Muni Forward initiatives which are designed to reduce overcrowding, strengthen reliability and cleanliness and improve systemwide connectivity, these new team members will be vital in helping transform Muni into a 21st-century system.
The SFMTA and transportation in the city is embarking on a transformational period, one that will not only see newer, more efficient transit vehicles on the road, but also one that will hopefully see less congestion, more efficient transit, improved pedestrian safety and ultimately zero traffic fatalities by 2024.
As National Transportation Week rolls on, remember the dedicated men and women, many of whom who work out of sight, that help get you to and from your destinations by keeping the city’s diverse transit system running, and whose skill and insight will be key as we progress forward into a new era of transportation.
Muni buses are expertly operated throught busy downtown traffic. Oct. 24, 2014