Public Transportation

"Travel Like a Local" Tips for San Francisco Tourists

A cheery publication aimed at visitors to our fair city encouraging them to "travel like a local" on public transit is a massive softball waiting to be belted over the fence and deep, deep into the bleachers. Jokes about remembering to avoid scattering detritus when rolling a joint on the bus o ... More >>

Running of the Bull: Cable Cars Are Trundling Money Away From the Transit You Actually Use

Waste Management: Why Muni Won't Ban Serial Bus-Soilers

BART to Add Cleaner Vinyl Seats in 100 Train Cars

Au revoir, fecal bacteria​BART's board of directors voted unanimously today to replace the much-reviled fabric seat covers in 100 train cars with cushioned vinyl covers that will be much less susceptible to stains and bacteria.The public has long been clamoring for cleaner BART seats. The retro-fa ... More >>

Is BART Spokesman Linton Johnson in Trouble?

This is no joking matter ​One of the many demands Anonymous put out there in exchange for ending the weekly BART protests was that the transit agency fire its chief spokesman, Linton Johnson. And while the group might have succeeded in making him a target, its having no such luck in ousting him.BA ... More >>

BART Website Hacked, Protest Planned for Evening Commute

Just call in sick today​The notorious hacker group, Anonymous, breached BART's website yesterday, releasing personal information of thousands of Bay Area commuters. On top of that, the group is now warning that it will disrupt transit service tonight during the evening commute.So yeah, find a diff ... More >>

Google Maps Now Tracks BART in Real-Time

GoogleBART riders, kneel before Google​No need to rush out the door to catch that next BART train. We all know it will probably be late anyway. But to temper your anger over this often frustrating transit system, Google has rolled out its real-time tracking system for public transportation that's ... More >>

Most BART Riders Escape Tickets for Eating and Drinking

BART Needs $2 Billion Worth of Repairs

BART maintenance is a trainwreck. ​More than one-fifth of the equipment BART uses is in poor or shoddy condition -- and fixing it would cost taxpayers at least $2 billion, according to a January report by rthe U.S. Government Accountability Office.America's public transit facilities have -- for ye ... More >>

Arlington, Home of the Rangers, Largest City in U.S. Without Public Transit. Blame the Rangers.

You won't be riding this to a Rangers game​As precarious as riding Muni to Giants games can be, it'll always beat taking public transit to Texas Rangers contests. Because you can't. Wikipedia readers and others have been bandying about the claim that Arlington -- home to the Rangers, Dallas Cowboy ... More >>

Not Tried BART Yet? Now's The Time To Do It.

You will love me​Have you heard? There's a thing called BART in this here Bay Area. And BART wants to make sure you know about BART -- that's why this week was 'Try BART Week.' If you haven't yet sampled the public transit goodness that is BART, today's the day to do it: if you do, you could win f ... More >>

Muni's Fare Gate Problems are Unique to San Francisco

Michael RhodesMuni's new gates didn't cause problems elsewhere​Other American transit systems using fare gates essentially identical to Muni's have not been besieged by fare-hoppers able to outsmart the high-tech system with a wave of the hand, SF Weekly has learned. Muni has become the unwelcome ... More >>

Gay Sex, Terrorism Cited as Reasons to Close Subway Station Restrooms

'Leaving a bomb in the men's room' can apparently have multiple meanings...​Last week, we wrote about the nearly decade-long closure of public bathrooms in the busiest downtown BART stations. "They're still closed because terrorists are still trying to kill people," BART spokesman Linton Johnson t ... More >>

The Muni Death Spiral

Your transit system is terribly inefficient, extremely slow, and wildly expensive. Here’s how you can fix it.

If BART reopens its public restrooms, then the terrorists win

Transit Experts: Caltrain's Future Grim

Going, going, gone?​On April Fools' Day, the CEO of Caltrain made an announcement we wish was just a joke: The agency is beyond broke, and will move to cut half its service. And that's only if it's lucky enough to survive at all. That was the bad news. Here's the worse news: According to transit e ... More >>

Broke Caltrain Moves to Cut Half its Service

You likely soon won't see one of these during non-commuter hours​Whenever your CEO prefaces his message to the board with "This is not an April Fools' joke," you're in for some bad news. And bad news is what Caltrain boss Mike Scanlon delivered yesterday: "There's a possibility this railroad could ... More >>

Muni Fail

Federal scrutiny could threaten funding for the Central Subway boondoggle.

Transit Advocates Rejoice as $70M Shunted From Airport Connector to Muni, BART, Others

Celebrate good times -- BART and Muni won the lottery!​Public transit advocates are all but dancing in the aisles of public transit following a ruling that yanked $70 million in federal funding away from the controversial Oakland Airport Connector and led to moribund local transit agencies being s ... More >>

Board Members Predict Even Feds' Threats Can't Derail Oakland Airport Connector

​What will it take to derail BART's half-billion dillar planned extension to Oakland Airport? How about the price quadrupling while the anticipated ridership dropped by two-thirds? Nope. How about the predicted commute time actually being slower than the existing shuttle system? Nope. Well, how ab ... More >>

Oakland Airport Connector Lives to Be Controversial For Another Day

​The regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission moments ago voted to stay the course, applying $70 million in endangered federal funds not to the Bay Area's moribund transit agencies but a controversial, half-billion dollar proposed BART extension to Oakland Airport. "Closer than I thought, b ... More >>

Train patrol: BART plans increased police presence

Have You Seen This Missing Elderly Man Who Enjoys Hanging Out at BART and Bus Stations?

Paul McAdoo​Paul McAdoo sounds like an interesting guy -- and if you see him, be sure to stop and have a chat. Then call the Menlo Park Police Department, as McAdoo has been missing since mid-October. The 86-year-old dementia patient has taken off for spells at times in the past; his family told p ... More >>

NYC's Metropolitian Transporation Authority Threatens Man Marketing S.F. Muni T-Shirts

Joseph Moore is K-onfused​ A few weeks back, San Francisco resident Joseph Moore got so fed up with Muni that he decided to express his disdain via custom-made clothing. The resultant T-shirts utilize various San Francisco Metropolitian Transportation Agency line names, which appear in black block ... More >>

Great News: You Can Still Ride BART. If You're Partly Blind, You Can Still Suffer.

If you can't make out this sign, then riding BART is even more hazardous than you might have thought​ Many riders have been pissed off of late about BART's ongoing labor soap opera. But two riders with bad eyesight may hold BART in special contempt now that the the 9th Circuit Court ... More >>

Newsom Reacts To News of BART Strike Within Hours -- Beating Response to Big Muni Crash By 12 Days

​Mayor Gavin Newsom took a lot of flak for his non-response to the Muni crash on July 18 that sent nearly 50 unfortunate riders to the hospital. Although Newsom has quite a lot of influence in the running of Muni in his role as mayor and appoints the members of the Muni board, he didn't say anythi ... More >>

BART Trains Stop Running at Midnight. BART Union Negotiations Go On Forever.

Just when you thought they were out ... they pull you back in​You know how BART is going to run 24 hours during Labor Day weekend while the Bay Bridge is closed? Well, maybe not! How about zero hours?A strike -- and the idea of a Dunkirk-like fleet of small boats being required to move folks acros ... More >>

Transit Spotting

A transportation activist points to inefficient and costly projects like the Central Subway.

Oscar Grant Protesters Hope to Shut Down Fruitvale BART Station Next Week

More on the wayA group of East Bay residents protesting BART officials' handling of the shooting death of Oscar Grant on New Year's Day say they plan to shut down the Fruitvale station on Thursday, March 5, during evening rush hour. The effort will mark the first organized attempt by protesters to ... More >>

Oscar Grant's Buddies File $1.5M Worth of Charges Against BART

Five pals of the man shot dead by BART police on New Year's Day have filed a claim accusing the rapid transit system of illegal search and seizure, excessive force, and false arrest and are demanding $1.5 million. The claim was filed by lawyer John Burris, who earlier sued BART for $25 million on be ... More >>

Train Wreck

Major public transit agencies around the country — including San Francisco's — may pay billions for risky deals with bankers.

Subway Daze

BART fears city subway project poses danger to busy downtown S.F. station.

Caltrain allows drinks - see seat stains for proof

Cost of Muni FastPasses Probably Won't Go Up

BART Cards Due to Suck Less

God Rides BART, Gets His PSP Stolen

Burning Atlanta

BART Map Revamp: Getting Better or Worse? You Decide

BART to Change Its Maps

Muni Chief's "Quiet Time"

Nat Ford to staff: Don't talk to me!

The Muni Paradox

A new ballot measure could change this absurd concept: less management for more money

24 Hour BART Means Vomit, Systemic Hangover

Porkmistress Pelosi

Madam Speaker says she wants to tame pork-barrel spenders. Takes one to know one.

BART’s Radar Dreams

Spinning Our Wheels

The summer has brought a bevy of frustrations, delays, and smoggy afternoons to Bay Area drivers. Do you manage to look the other way?

Gridlock

Bill Lieberman, new planning director for the Municipal Transportation Agency, wades into the swamp of San Francisco transit politics

Bus Stopped

How an attempt to make the 38 Geary bus work became another senseless San Francisco social cause

The Tax Man Cometh

The federal government looks to eliminate abusive tax shelters, and it may cost San Francisco tens of millions of dollars

Subwaylaid

Why the new mayor should spend his political honeymoon taking the doggle out of a boondoggle known as the Central Subway