sfmta winter newsletter

SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCY NEWSLETTER

Citizens’ Guide to the Bicycle Plan Page 3

Paratransit Coordinating Council 30th Anniversary CelebrationPage 6

VOLUME 5 / ISSUE 1

W I N T E R2 0 0 9

SFMTA Launches Translink® Trial PhasePage 7

WINTER 2009, Volume 5, Issue 1

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manner. Moreover, you are generous and sensitive to those in our community who are less fortunate, as evidenced by your pledges of $208,025 to the 2008 City and County of San Francisco Combined Charities Campaign—an increase of nearly 25 percent over the 2007 campaign.

Please be assured that I will continue to report back to you on developments as we navigate through this economic storm. I also extend my deep appreciation to each of you for the vital services that you provide to the people of San Francisco and for your suggestions as to how we can do our jobs better and more efficiently.

Finally, please join me in welcoming Jim Dougherty as our new Chief Safety Officer and Director of Transportation Safety. Jim brings to the SFMTA 24

years of experience in transit safety, occupational safety and health, industrial hygiene and environmental protection. Since 2004, he has served as the General Manager of Safety and Security at the Charlotte Area Transit System in Charlotte, North Carolina. Please introduce your-selves and work with Jim to uphold our long-standing commit-ment to safe operations.

Executive Director’s Message

Jim Dougherty, the SFMTA’s new Chief Safety Officer and Director of Transportation Safety.

Bicycle Plan Ready to RollBicycle advocates, deflated by a 2006 court injunction putting a halt to the City-approved 2005 Bicycle Plan, are feeling pumped up again.

The SFMTA has cleared an important hurdle in passing its 2009 update of the Bicycle Plan with the release of a comprehensive draft Environmental Impact Report by the City Plan-ning Commission (CPC). After passing a 45-day public comment period ending on January 13, City staff are now working with a consultant team to develop a Response to Comments Document. A final certification from the CPC may come as early as late spring, at which time the plan will go before

Elevator Enclosure Replacement Project Underway The BART/Muni Elevator Enclosure Replacement Project started at Civic Center Metro Station in early January. The SFMTA Accessible Services group joined the Marketing and Community Out-reach team to kick off an outreach campaign to alert the San Francisco disabled communities.

The outreach components included a mailer to thou-sands of Muni customers with disabilities. Other materials included station posters, platform display signs, station announcements and information posted on the SFMTA Web site. Outreach teams were deployed the first three days of construction at Civic Center Station.

the SFMTA Board of Directors for their endorsement and then move on to the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor’s Office for final approval.

Spearheaded by the SFMTA’s Bicycle Program, the 2009 Bicycle Plan comprises eight specific goals, over 60 proposed near-term and long-term projects and

more than 80 actions aimed at increasing safe bicycle use in the City. The highly anticipated project is an integral part of the SFMTA’s Strategic Plan and San Francisco’s Transit First policy encouraging auto-alter-native modes of transportation throughout the City. Implementation of the approved plan is projected to begin this fall.

For all 5,000 of us here at the SFMTA, these are challenging times. We read and hear about daily impacts of the economic downturn around the globe, across our nation, throughout our state and in our city. This is also a time of opportunity for us individually and collectively to demonstrate our strong commit-ment to the responsibilities of

this agency and to focus on our strategic goals despite difficult economic times.

While we are losing state transit funding as well as running an SFMTA budget deficit this year of $40 million—and a projected $129 million deficit in the next fiscal year beginning July 1—we are seeing a vast increase in federal capital funding for transit as part of President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvest-ment Act passed by Congress in February. Specifically, the SFMTA is eligible to receive $67 million for a range of projects that will allow us to update, rehabilitate and renew our bus and rail fleets, facilities and vital sys-tems while providing new and additional convenience features to our transit customers. We also anticipate that additional federal economic funding will soon be available to underwrite improvements in our pedes-trian, bicycle, traffic and parking programs. All of these new federal funding sources are focused on retaining and creating new jobs.

Many of you will be directly involved in leveraging these funds and implementing projects. All of us, however, need to play an active roll in making certain that we fully exploit every opportunity to conserve resources and to control costs. While transit ridership and revenues are up, other sources of revenue, such as parking, have declined as our costs continue to rise—thus the SFMTA budget deficit. Accordingly, I would ask each of you to seek out ways to lower costs by working smarter, by finding better, more efficient ways of accomplishing our tasks and by identifying those expenses that do not contribute to service delivery to our customers. Please share your ideas and suggestions with your supervisor or manager.

It has been said that tough times demand tough people. I believe that the SFMTA team is not just tough, but diligent, dedicated and capable of meeting our core transportation functions in an exemplary

Top three Combined Charities donors accept their awards at the campaign’s Leader-ship Event held at the California Academy of Sciences. Pictured from left to right: Debra A. Johnson, SFMTA Chief of Staff and Director of Administration on behalf of Nathaniel P. Ford Sr.; Robert Sanchelli of the Public Utilities Commis-sion; and Peter Straus, SFMTA Senior Planner.

With penguins as the backdrop at the California Academy of Sciences, Dr. Gregory C. Farrington, Execu-tive Director of the Academy, welcomes those who pledged $500 and above to the Combined Charities Leadership Event.

In December 2008 Christiane Hayashi joined the SFMTA as the Director of Taxis and Acces-sible Services. Before accepting this appointment, Chris served as a Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco for more than 18 years. As a Deputy City Attorney, she worked in a broad range of subject matter areas to improve City government: representing Hetch Hetchy in the Bay Delta proceedings to protect San Francisco’s water rights; assisting the City Purchaser’s Office to draft modern procurement laws; reaching out to San Francisco communi-

ties to improve emergency preparedness as part of the Year 2000 project team; and for the past five years, representing the SFMTA. Most recently, she assisted the SFMTA with reorganizing and updating the City’s trans-portation laws in the new San Francisco Transportation Code.

Christiane Hayashi, SFMTA’s new Director of Taxis and Accessible Services.

As a result of the work at Civic Center Station, the street elevator at that station will be inaccessible until April.

Once the work is completed at Civic Center, the construction will continue at the Embarcadero, Montgomery and Powell stations as follows:

• Embarcadero Station elevator: May—August 2009

• Montgomery Station elevator: September— December 2009

• Powell Station elevator: January—April 2010

The purpose of the project is to upgrade the elevator enclosures at four Muni/BART Metro stations, extend the life of the equipment and improve the reliability of the elevator doors.

SFMTA Executive Director/CEO,Nathaniel P. Ford Sr.

Editors’ Note:

You may have noticed that your SFMTA quarterly newsletter has undergone a facelift. This quarter’s edition introduces the publication’s new name and a redesign that we hope will make the newsletter not only more relevant to SFMTA activities but more enjoyable to read as well. Our new title, En Route, encapsulates the SFMTA’s goal of keeping San Francisco moving and on its way. End of the Line, a new photo feature that showcases the lighter side of our Agency, is the first of a number of new features we hope to roll out this year.

We welcome your suggestions, submissions and com-ments. Story ideas and photos are welcome as well, as are information updates on the great job your division or a col-league may have done on a recent project. Please send correspondence to Janis Yuen at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.


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The Habit’s Annual Christmas WalkThe Habit Family of Lodi makes an annual pilgrim-age to San Francisco to celebrate the season and to ride the cable cars. Below, Jodie Habit tells us about the family’s excursion and their wheelchair-bound daughter’s anticipation of this yearly tradition.

For the past 17 years, on the second weekend of December, the Habit family sets off on our annual “Christmas Walk” in San Francisco. We have be-tween 20 and 25 family and friends of all ages who take the hike from the cable car turntable at Powell and Market to Fisherman’s Wharf. We trek through Union Square, march up Grant Avenue in Chinatown, take a coffee break at a bakery in North Beach, wan-der through Washington Square and finally end up at Fisherman’s Wharf for dinner. Once dinner has ended, we head back to Powell Street via the cable car.

This is the part of the walk my daughter, Elizabeth, looks forward to the most—as we all do! Elizabeth, who is 10 years old, has physical and mental disabili-ties and uses a wheelchair. While waiting in line for the cable car at Aquatic Park the family sings Christ-mas carols. The closer we get to our turn, the more excited Elizabeth gets. She waves her arms and can’t wait to get out of the wheelchair for the excit-ing ride down to Powell Street.

Once it is our turn, the cable car Conductor always allows Elizabeth and me to board first. We collapse Elizabeth’s wheelchair and the Conductor places it in the back of the car by the rear brakes. The Conductor then ensures that Elizabeth and I are seated comfort-ably inside of the car. Then the Conductor allows the

remainder of our party to board along with others waiting in line. The rest of the adventurous Habits opt for the chill and breeze on the outside of the car. The tickets are collected and the Conductor smiles at Elizabeth warmly and says “hold on.”

Then we’re off. Elizabeth squeals with excitement. Her laughter makes others on board laugh, too. The other Habits hoot and holler, hanging on to the out-side poles as we pass other cable cars. The Grip and Conductor give us historical information about San Francisco. They seem to enjoy the ride as well.

Once the ride comes to an end on Powell Street, the Conductor ensures that everyone has disem-barked. Then the Conductor assists Elizabeth and me off the car and retrieves her wheelchair. The San Francisco cable car workers are always polite, warm and friendly to us. My family and I are always impressed with how courteous and kindhearted the cable car workers are toward Elizabeth and how they make the ride stress-free. We sincerely thank them for making the best part of our annual Christ-mas Walk so memorable.

The Habit Family at the Powell and Market Street Cable Car Turnaround.

Wi-Fi Online at One South Van Ness AvenueWi-Fi service is available on the 3rd and 7th floors at 1SVN and will be extended to the 8th floor and basement soon. As SFMTA’s occupancy grows, service will be extended as needed.

The new Wi-Fi service comes in two versions:

• ThefirstWi-Finetworkiscalled“SFMTA”andprovidesasecure and private connection to the SFMTA’s IT infrastruc-ture for SFMTA staff. The use of this network is limited to SFMTA-issued laptop computers, which are automatically connectedwhen theybootup.Staff cannow“roam”be-tween floors and maintain IT connection while on the move within the building.

• The other version is intended for temporary use by ourguests. It is called “SFMTAGuest” and operates like atypical public Hot Spot found in many coffee shops. The

SFMTAGuest service allows for connection to the Internet so our guests can connect and communicate as needed. This service will not allow access to SFMTA network re-sources.

BlackBerry or other SmartPhone users:

• The SFMTAGuest service is available for SFMTA userswho have Wi-Fi capable BlackBerry devices. If requested, the SFMTA Help Desk will forward instructions on how to access the Wi-Fi from your SFMTA-issued BlackBerry.

All other non-SFMTA issued Smart-Phone devices are able to access the Wi-Fi network, but will not be supported.

For assistance, contact the SFMTA Help Desk a t 415 .701 .4320 o r [email protected].

SFMTA’s Off-Street Parking Division manages 16,000 spaces at 40 parking facilities and generates nearly $85 million in gross revenue annually. A list of these facilities can be found at www.sfmta.com. The mission of the Off-Street Parking Division is to provide clean, safe and convenient parking to visi-tors, employees and businesses in the downtown core as well as commercial and residential districts. Various parking policies and programs administered by the Division support San Francisco’s Transit First policy by helping to reduce traffic congestion on City

Rail Improvement Project On Track to BeginThe Rail Improvement Project is one of the priorities of the SFMTA’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The proj-ect, scheduled to start this summer, will replace rails at seven locations, perform one platform reconstruction and reconstruct an accessibility ramp.

The project is now in the bidding process, having completed the Conceptual Engineering Report and the Detailed Design phases late in 2008. While working with Muni Operations on the logistics, the Transporta-tion Planning and Development Division, supported by the Marketing and Community Outreach team, is gearing up for the community outreach programs. The first two community meetings will be held in March in the Sunset District.

Construction, tentatively slated for this summer, includes the following locations:

• JudahStreetatLaPlaya(OceanBeachKeyStop)

• JudahStreetat19thAvenue

• JudahStreetatSunsetBoulevard

• TaravalStreetat19thAvenue

• TaravalStreetatSunsetBoulevard

After construction is completed at the above loca-tions, the Rail Replacement Project will move to Church at 18th Street, Church Street at 30th Street and San Jose Street at 30th Street. Construction at these locations is scheduled for 2010.

streets and by promoting alternative modes of trans-portation. The Division monitors current and anticipated parking demands and evaluates the need for the expansion and development of new parking facilities.

For visitors, these parking facilities offer a first impression of San Francisco. Parking facilities must be managed and operated in a manner that reflects our commitment to customer service, our careful stewardship of the public’s capital investments, our protection of crucial revenues and our professional management of City services.

SFMTA Takin’ It to the (Sunday) StreetsAn expanded Sunday Streets program will return this year with the SFMTA at the helm. The 2009 version of Sunday Streets will ac-commodate six different events at four locations throughout the City beginning in April and concluding in September. The popular San Fran-cisco event focusing on family fun and physical activity allows locals and visitors an opportunity to exercise and explore their way through various parts of the City. This year’s Sunday Streets venues feature two waterfront routes, from AT&T Park to Aquatic Park and from AT&T Park to the Bayview Opera

House, a route through the Mission district and a Great Highway route connecting Golden Gate Park to the San Francisco Zoo along Ocean Beach. Localstreetswillbeclosedtomosttrafficduring

the events, which are free to all. Family-friendly activities and health-oriented events for all ages will be featured. “We encourage everyone to join us for this wonderful opportunity to explore our beautiful city and to come together as friends, families and as a community in a healthy and

environmentally-friendly way,” stated Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., SFMTA Executive Director/CEO. The first Sunday Streets event is slated for April 26.

Off-Street Parking: Clearing City Streets


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in the public trial. The final stage of the trial will expand Stage 2 initiatives to include youth, senior, disabled and Chinese and Spanish-speaking custom-ers. At the end of the trial, approxi-mately25,000TransLinkcardswillbedistributed.TransLinkonMuniiscurrentlyscheduledforpubliclaunch later this year.

SFMTA employees can sign-up to receive a free Trans-Linkcardloadedwiththeiremployeepassandenterthe Tag2Win contest via the SFMTA intranet News and Services section. Employees without SFMTA intranet [email protected] or by calling 415.701.4367.

TransLinkiscurrentlynotavailableoncablecars,Caltrain or BART. By 2010 all Bay Area transit agencies will join AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit and Ferry in offeringTransLink.

SFMTA Launches Translink® Trial PhaseNo longer a futuristic form of fare payment, the Trans-Linksmartcardfarepaymentsystemisfinallyaboardall Muni buses, trolley coaches and light rail vehicles.

Currently the trial phase is in full swing. The trial phase is instrumental in helping reinforce training of SFMTA staff,retailersandTransLinkcustomerservicestaff.Itwill also help identify any glitches within the system and provide helpful feedback from customers prior to TransLink’savailabilitytothegeneralpublic.

Stage 1 of the trial phase began in October with approximately 1,500 employees registered to use the card. In December, Stage 2 of the trial phase was launched. It included recruiting a limited number of trial customers and select community groups via online and promotional activities. As of March, ap-proximately 4,500 customers registered to participate

Every Penny CountsSFMTA Staff Recovered $685,000 from Board of Equalization Tax Audit

The City and County of San Francisco received a $685,000 refund from the California Board of Equaliza-tion (BOE) in September 2006 resulting from its re-audit of the taxes assessed for the period from April 1, 1999 to March 31, 2002.

The BOE routinely audits the City for pur-chases it makes that require payment of sales or accrual of use taxes. For the audit period, the City was assessed and later paid $2.6 million in taxes, interest and penalties based on an auditor test employed by the BOE’s auditors. The City also was assessed and paid $2.83 million in taxes, interest and penalties in the prior audit period, from April 1996 through March 1999.

The SFMTA Finance division felt a review of the audit process used by the BOE’s audi-tors was sorely needed to comply fully with the BOE’s sales and use tax guidelines, and to avoid the excessive penalties incurred in the last two audits. Gani Soy, SFMTA Capital Assets Coordinator and a former BOE Sales Tax Auditor himself, spearheaded the re-audit request with the BOE after getting approval.

Paratransit Coordinating Council Celebrates 30th AnniversaryFormed in 1978, the San Francisco Paratransit Coordinating Council (PCC) was one of the first organized advocacy groups working on behalf of paratransit services in the country. Com-prised of paratransit customers, van and taxi providers and social service representatives, the PCC advises the SFMTA on matters of paratransit and accessibility. It also advocates for the needs and views of the elderly and disabled community. Working in close collaboration with the SFMTA, the PCC has helped shape the SF Paratransit Program into one of the premier paratransit programs in the country. The SFMTA provides door-to-door para-transit services to seniors and people with disabilities who are not able to use the fixed-route Muni system.

This year the PCC turned 30 years old. To honor the sustained and passionate service of PCC members over the years, the 30th An-niversary celebration was held at San Francisco City Hall’s South LightCourtonNovember17.Thegrandcelebrationwasattendedby over 300 people and featured speeches by State Senator LelandYee,SenatorMarkLenoandNathanielP.FordSr.,SFMTAExecutive Director/CEO. Former PCC member Jane Bolig served as an exceptionally witty and charming mistress of ceremonies. The event also honored award-winning paratransit drivers with special proclamationsfromthePCC,SenatorYeeandSenatorLeno.

The PCC has been instrumental in establishing a comprehensive, demand-responsive paratransit system with an extremely high level of customer satisfaction—93 percent satisfied with their sur-veyed trip. The Paratransit program provides over 1.1 million trips annually to San Francisco’s senior and disabled community.

SFMTA Director Bruce Oka with Senator Mark Leno and PCC Chair Cheryl Damico.

Senator Leland Yee presents Cheryl Damico with a Resolution from the California Legislature.

Revitalize Your Office DayDid you know that the fastest growing number of workplace injuries in the United States take place at the computer work-station? According to Physical Therapist and BackFirst Direc-tor Michael Leary, the reason for this trend is that the body doesnothavetomovetoaccomplishitstask.“Wewereorigi-nallymeanttomovearoundtohuntandgatherforsurvival,”saidLeary.“Nowallthat’snecessaryistopointandclickforseveralhoursatatimetobringhomethebacon.”

Static postures, such as sitting in one position in front of the monitor all day, can create problems of decreased cir-culation in the arms and hands, increased muscle tension in the upper back and neck and contribute to low back disc protrusion and pain. The solution to these problems is very simpleaddedLeary:“Justtakingtwotothreeminuteseveryhalf hour or so will break up those static postures, improve circulationandrevitalizeyourbody.”

Here are a few effective exercises:

• Lower back—Stand up, place your hands on your hipsand while looking forward, gently bend backwards at the waist. Hold for a second or two. Repeat two times.

• Neck—Standandplaceacoupleoffingersonyourchin.Glideyour head back without tilting upwards to gently stretch the small, sub-occipital muscles in the back of your neck. Take in a big breath and exhale, hold the stretch for three seconds. Repeat twice and finish with a few shoulder rolls to relax the larger muscles in your neck and shoulders.

• Arms—Stand up and raise your hands overhead. Shakeyour hands with fingers open back and forth for 10 seconds to reduce the swelling in your hands and forearms. If you aresoinspired,letoutafew“Hallelujahs!”

During this “mini-ergo” break, you have accomplished a lot.For more information on specific exercises and benefits of ergo breaks, contact Michael Leary at BackFirst at 923.6030 or at [email protected].

After a thorough review the BOE agreed to reclas-sify some of the purchases identified in their audit as audit adjustments and, as such, not subject to sales or use taxes. The City received the $685,000 refund from the BOE as a result of the re-audit. An additional $18,273 was received by the City on behalf of three departments (Police, Port and Sheriff) as a refund for sales tax paid to out-of-state vendors that do not have permits in California.

West Portal circa 1917.


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Transit Effectiveness Project Moving ForwardAs the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP) transitions from planning to implementation, employees through-out the agency are working together to develop the TEP Implementation Plan, which will include a schedule and prioritization. The plan will be the guiding document for the dura-tion of the project. Concurrently, the TEP team is working with the San Francisco Plan-ning Department to initiate the environmental analy-sis process and other regulatory obligations.

While this effort is underway the SFMTA will continue to work on improving Muni service by hiring more Operators. Muni Operations has also initiated reliability improvements ranging from new terminal practices to the strategic deployment of Parking Control Officers.

This is an exciting time as Muni evolves into a 21st century transit system of which SFMTA employees and customers can be proud. Check for more TEP updates in the next newsletter or visit sfmta.com/tep.

Recognizing a Job “Whale Done” “Whale Done” recognizes a job well done. This pro-cess of recognizing appropriate and commendable behavior is derived from the book, Whale Done, by KenBlanchard,authorofthe“TheOneMinuteMan-ager,”alongwithThadLacinak,ChuckTompkinsandJim Ballard.

Two of the authors trained KillerWhalesatSeaWorldin Florida. They observed that you cannot repeat-edly punish a 9,000 pound whale, then get in the wa-ter with it and expect it to do what you ask. The same

is true for people. We cannot repeatedly ignore or criticize our colleagues and expect their performance to improve.

Connecting and building positive relationships require trust, which takes time. Once trust has been estab-lished we must make an effort to accentuate the positive. This is accomplished by focusing on what is being done right and by recognizing any improvement.

This approach understands that human beings are bound to make mistakes. When mistakes are made, we must use our words to build people up not tear them down. We can further encourage the desired result with a detailed, targeted compliment called a Whale Done.

The four steps to complimenting your colleagues with a Whale Done are:

1) Praise immediately or as soon as possible verbally, by e-mail or in writing

2) Thank the person for the specific behavior

3) Share why this is important; perhaps link the behavior with a goal or strategic plan item

4) Encourage them to keep up the good work

That’s it. Pretty simple, right? Perhaps the best thing about delivering a Whale Done is how good youfeelonceit’sgiven.Youmighthaveheardtheadage, “Whenever I point out a flaw in someone else, there are three fingers pointing right back at me.” This is also true in the reverse. “When I rec-ognize others’ positive behavior, three fingers are pointing back at me.” A simpler way of saying this is,“Yougetwhatyougive.”

This Whale Done approach is being taught to all Operations Supervisors and Managers and soon will be shared with all SFMTA Supervisors and Manag-ers. Perhaps the best part of using this approach to building positive relationships is that it can be used by anyone and anywhere, at work and at home. Go ahead and give someone a Whale Done and let us know how it was received. Share your feedback with Warren Cole by sending him an e-mail [email protected].

Transit Effectiveness Project HonoredOn February 23 the Municipal Fiscal Advisory Committee (MFAC) honored the excellent work of the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP) team as part of the 29th Annual Public Managerial Excellence Awards. The awards recognize and acknowledge exemplary job performance and leadership by San Francisco City employees.

The TEP is the first comprehensive review of the Muni system in a generation and is a partnership between the SFMTA and the City Controller’s Office.

The team was recognized for demonstrating effective cross-departmental collaboration, strong project management and the useful application of data collection and analysis.

Pictured from left to right: Chris Gruwell, MFAC Event Chair; Liz Garcia, Program Manager and Sally Allen, Program Manager, from the Controller’s Office; Britt Tanner, Engineer; Julie Kirschbaum, Program Manager and Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., Executive Director/CEO from SFMTA.

Muni’s Diverse Heritage CelebratedThe SFMTA carries a long tradition of cel-ebrating our rich and diverse heritage. Well ahead of the rest of the country, the City and Muni recognized the rights of minorities. The first minority Operator joined Muni in 1941.

The 5th Annual Celebration of Black Ameri-can History Luncheon, co-sponsored by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the SFMTA, took place on February 18 at the Hotel Whitcomb in San Francisco. The event was attended by many City de-partments and several City officials. SFMTA Board Vice Chair Reverend Dr. James McCray Jr. delivered the invocation.

San Francisco Labor Council Community Services Here to HelpThe San Francisco Emergency Hardship Fund, which isadministeredbytheSanFranciscoLaborCouncil(SFLC),needsyoursupport.TheyassistSanFran-cisco City workers who have been laid-off, providing emergency hardship assistance to working people who are often unfamiliar with social service pro-grams, but suddenly find themselves with an emer-gency need.

TheSFLCfocusesonhelpingindividualsmaintainaccess to basic services while making transitions.

Whenassistinglaid-offindividuals,SFLCstrivesto:avoid power or utility shutoffs, keep families and individuals from losing their housing, support emer-gency medical needs and ensure that families or individuals have sufficient food.

To make a donation or for additional information, please contact Tom Ryan, Community Services Director, [email protected].

Call for “Commutercizers” and Shape Up ParticipantsWant to be part of a team that proves a healthy new concept? Shape Up and participate in the Shape Up SF Walking Challenge that begins in March.

Dan Rosen is looking for volunteers to be part of the “commutercize” team. Commutercizers alter their commute routine to include walking part of the way to or from work. The idea is that you take Muni

towardyourdestination,nottoit.Youridepartwayand walk the rest of the way.

Interested? E-mail Dan at [email protected].

Help demonstrate that a Muni Fast Pass can be a pass to a healthier life!


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Cable Car Safety Campaign Rolls Through ChinatownAs part of a large, agency-wide safety outreach effort, the Cable Car Division and the Marketing and Community Outreach team recently launched a cable car safety campaign. The campaign was tai-lored to help Cantonese-speaking cable car customers understand safety issues on and around cable cars. The theme of this campaign was “Respect the Rail: Look,Listen&Live.”

During the presentations at Chinatown senior cen-ters, senior residential housing and apartment build-ings, two Cantonese-speaking cable car Operators and former Superintendent Brendan Scanlan offered cable car safety tips while sharing personal stories with the audience.

Andy Chen (left) and Ken Liu (right) offer cable car safety tips during a community meeting in Chinatown. Photo by Eric Lavina

ACCESSIBLE STOP OTHER STOP

BART STATION CALTRAIN DEPOT BALL PARK

All Muni Route & Schedule Information: 311 or visit www.sfmta.com

Map Not to Scale

INBOUND CONTINUES AS TO SUNNYDALEOUTBOUND CONTINUES AS TO BALBOA PARK

Melbourne Car’s New LookOn January 16 officials from the SFMTA, Market Street Railway and the government of the State of Victoria, Australia, unveiled refur-bished Melbourne W Class Tram No. 496 along the Embarcadero near the Ferry Building.

The tram, which came to the City as part of the Trolley Festivals in 1984 and was one of the first vehicles on the historic F-line, has been given a new green and gold paint scheme, Australia’s national colors. Melbourne operates the largest network of trams or streetcars in the Southern Hemisphere.

Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., SFMTA Executive Director/CEO, congratulates awardee Danielle Harris. Photo by Kim Walton

COMTO Scholarships Awarded The Northern California Chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) awarded $30,000 in scholarships to 23 undergraduate stu-dents of color at their Fifth Annual Holiday Dinner and Dance on December 12 at the Oakland Marriott Hotel. Danielle Harris, an SFMTA intern, was awarded one of four $1,800 scholarships named for Muni’s late Curtis E. Green, the nation’s first African Ameri-can general manager of a major public transportation agency, who served from 1974 to 1982.

Check out our new Light Rail Vehicle decal maps intended to complement the signs in the subway stations. The current instal-lation on 150 trains is an experiment for function and durability. Modifications to the map were made to make it easier for Muni customers to navigate the Metro system.

Walking in the Year of the OxA group of cheering SFMTA employees, joined by Chinatown’s Jean Parker Elemen-tary School students, marched in the 2009 SouthwestAirlinesChineseNewYearParadeon February 7. By taking part in the Parade, the SFMTA reaffirmed its commitment to build the Central Subway that will connect San Francisco’s eastern communities to Moscone Center, Market Street, Union Square and Chinatown. According to the event organizers, a record-breaking crowd of one million people attended the parade.

Asian Heritage Street Celebration ReturnsThe SFMTA will participate in the Fifth Annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration on Saturday, May 16. The event takes place from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. in front of the Asian Art Museum on Larkin Street near McAllister Street. Considered the largest gathering of Asian Pacific Americans in the nation, the event features arts and crafts, anime, free community health screenings, delicious food and a Thai kickboxing ring.


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Debra A. Johnson: Chief of Staff/Director of Administration Murray Bond: Deputy Director of External AffairsJanis Yuen: Manager of Internal Communications & EditorChimmy Lee: Graphic DesignerCarmen Magana: PhotographerMark De Anda & Kristen Holland: Associate Editors If you have a story idea for the SFMTA Newsletter, send an e-mail to Janis Yuen at [email protected]

Thank you to: Jeffrey Banks, Warren Cole, Lulu Feliciano, Eric Lavina, Michael Leary, Jay Lu, Maggie Lynch, Corey Marshall, Dan Rosen, Isagani Soy, Judson True, Kim Walton and Gina Zagotta for their contribution to this publication.

En Route is the official employee publication of the SFMTA. In an effort to keep our City green, this newsletter is distributed in an electronic/printable format. A limited number of hardcopies is available in reception areas and Gilley rooms.

SFMTA Employee DiscountsThe current economic downturn does not mean you have to completely eliminate entertainment or ne-cessities from your budget. SFMTA employees are automatically eligible for fantastic savings. Current entertainment discounts include the San Francisco Symphony,SesameStreetLiveandtheSanFranciscoBallet. Other offers include auto insurance and cell phones. Visit the Employee Discount Web page as new offers are added periodically. More information is available on the SFMTA internal Web site under the SFMTA Employee News and Services section.

Harlem Globetrotter guard Buckets Blakes takes a spin on the Powell Street cable car on a recent visit to San Francisco. Blakes and the Trotters were in town to promote public transit use for their January appearance at Oakland’s Oracle Arena.

The Globetrotter’s SFMTA-sponsored appearance also included a special skills demonstration and ticket giveaways to SFMTA customers by Blakes in the Powell Street Muni Metro station.

A look at the lighter side of the SFMTA

sfmta winter newsletter

Documents

bicycle plan page

bicycle plan ready

transit safety

occupational safety

people of san francisco

safe bicycle use

sfmtas bicycle program

sfmta board of directors