San Francisco Transit Effectiveness Project (SFTEP)

MEETING SUMMARY

SFTEP Policy Advisory Group Meeting

November 15, 2007

10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

City Hall, Room 201

Participants:

PAG Members �      Win Din, SFMTA Board �      Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr., SFMTA �      Ed Harrington, Controller�s Office �      Steve Heminger, MTC �      Kevin Hughes, Local 6 �      Glenda Lavigne, TWU Local 200 �      Irwin Lum, TWU Local 250A �      Peter Mezey, SFMTA Board �      Susan Mizner, Mayor�s Office on Disability �      Jose Luis M�scovich, SFCTA �      Daniel Murphy, SFMTA CAC �      Tom Radulovich, TEP CAC �      Leah Shahum, SFMTA Board �      Stuart Sunshine, Mayor�s Office

SFMTA Staff Julie Kirschbaum Peter Straus Judy Tam Britt Tanner Controller�s Office Staff Sally Allen Peg Stevenson

TEP Consultant Team Russ Chisholm, TMD Public Bob Planthold

I. TEP PROJECT UPDATE

Julie Kirschbaum reviewed the status of public outreach activities, the service evaluation data, and the double deck bus pilot program.

The second round of public workshops was completed in October and was attended by over 200 participants at four events. The input collected from the workshops will provide additional guidance for the service development framework currently in its initial stage of development. The TEP draft proposals will be shared at a third series of public workshops in the spring. In January and February, the TEP team will seek to implement �quick–fixes� in response to operator suggestions gathered as part of the SFMTA in-reach campaign.

All bus ridership data is now on the SFTEP website; the rail data is under review and will be posted shortly. TEP team and consultants are about to begin the proposal brainstorming stage, which will start later today with the TEP Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) four-hour drop-in session for members to present their ideas and feedback on findings to date.

The SFMTA will have the opportunity to run a pilot for three weeks to assess how a double deck bus works and if it is suitable for the Muni system. We will share more information about this effort as it gets underway.

II. DRAFT SERVICE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK PRESENTATION

Russ Chisholm presented the draft TEP Service Development Framework for discussion. The framework recommends improvements in reliability and service management, and focuses transit service on markets to help build ridership and do more with existing SFMTA resources. The framework divides the service network into tiers: the core Muni network, which includes Rapid service and Local service, Community Connectors, and Special Markets.

III. KEY POLICY QUESTIONS

Julie Kirschbaum led PAG members in a discussion regarding key policy issues that have emerged as this framework has been developed[MSOffice1] . The following are comments PAG members provided for each question posed for discussion:

1. PAG members and SFMTA will have ongoing commitment to achieve needed service reliability and Prop E quality targets.

2. In response to full service coverage and market-based service, PAG members provided the following suggestions:

• For areas of inefficiency, low ridership, and segments that are not working, it is acceptable to have gaps in service if they can be justified and addressed.

• Riders should be informed of the benefits and the importance of designing successful routes.

• There should be other ideas for low ridership routes other than a 30-minute headway. An alternative would be running shuttle services.

• SFMTA needs to be transparent about the service changes. For example, a rider can get to a destination faster if he/she is willing to walk.

• It is important to make sure SFMTA adheres to their service schedule once it is implemented.

3. Modes should be prioritized based on corridor and street in the following order: cycling and walking, transit, and cars. There needs to be data to support the differences and disadvantages such as transit time and trade-offs.

4. Stop spacing will be discussed at the next PAG meeting.

5 and 6. Members and the SFMTA will commit to providing increases in service as ridership grows, as well as providing the necessary funding to operate faster, increased service beyond current levels. Based on voters� positive feedback on Proposition A, the public will likely support this effort as well.

• There is a need to consider the discussions taking place at the Mayor�s Revenue Panel. Revenue must be made available.

• The SFMTA needs to coordinate with the Planning Department on costs.

• Consider giving the SFMTA the revenue earned from riders who switch to transit.

IV. PUBLIC COMMENT

• There should be expansion in transit zones. There will be an increase in driving and use of paratransit for the areas with hills and persons with disabilities. It suggests that the SFMTA will serve those that do not cost agency more money.

• Persons with disabilities are unable to be on the second floor of the double deck bus. They will not benefit from these vehicles. They must provide kneeling buses or ramps.

• For community service routes, switching a 20/30-minute headway to a 30/40-minute headway makes the bus line unusable.

• Consider a downtown transit benefit fee.

V. NEXT STEPS

The next PAG meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 13, 2007, 3:00pm-5:00pm at 1 South Van Ness (3^rd Floor). This is a different date, time and place than our regularly scheduled meetings.