Muni Rider Voter Guide

Jane Kim - District 6

Name: Jane Kim

Age: 33

Occupation: Civil Rights Attorney

District: 6

URL for website: www.janekim.org

Neighborhood You Live In: Civic Center

Date Questionnaire Returned: September 7, 2010

1. How often do you rely on Muni to get you around town? If not, what do you use instead? What would make it easier for you to choose Muni over other forms of transportation?

I rely on MUNI almost every day to get around town– to work, meetings, shopping and running errands.  District 6 is the district with the densest concentration of Muni lines in the city. To increase ridership on MUNI, I support most of the recommendations from the Transit Effectiveness Project, especially the proposals to expedite boarding and speed up travel.  I support the BRT proposals for Van Ness and Geary and would like to see BRT extended into the north Mission. I would also like to see greater priority of Muni on Market Street, the city’s most important transit street. I support the Central Subway, as well as the extension of Caltrain to downtown and the development of the Transbay Terminal as the SF terminus for high-speed rail.

2. What are the primary concerns of Muni’s owners (aka riders) about transportation and Muni in your District?

The primary concern of riders is reliability and speed.  Currently, MUNI averages at 8.1 MPH and I hear many complaints about the timeliness of MUNI lines and its speed to get to work, social outings and run errands.

3. As a Supervisor, you will serve on the Board of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. What is the role of the SFCTA, and what would you set as priorities for the agency in the next 4 years?

The role of the SFCTA, legally, is threefold: administer the 1/2-cent sales tax, serve as the congestion management agency that gives it certain state-determined powers, and act as the grants manager for Air District grants. Generally, these fall into the category of administrator of a substantial portion of transportation money (mostly capital), and in that role they engage in the establishment and enforcement of some transportation standards.

Some say that the SFCTA has overstepped its traditional role in getting involved in the actual planning for many transportation projects. Others counter that the SFCTA has more planning capacity than the MTA. I do support the Tenderloin Safe Streets plan and support its recommendations for calming the traffic on more streets.

In general, I believe that the SFCTA should set long-term planning that is complimentary to MTA’s operational plans, and I believe SFCTA should prioritize capital funding for MUNI improvements.

4. Difficult decisions often have to be made regarding transportation in San Francisco. Sometimes a well-researched project may have loud, angry opponents, or a popular project may not be the best for City residents and for San Francisco’s transportation infrastructure.

How would you make a decision under these kinds of circumstances? (Feel free to cite a similar situation from your past experience as an example – it doesn’t have to be transit related)

Having served on the San Francisco Board of Education, I am quite familiar with making hard decisions in face of loud, angry opposition or active, popular support.  Most recently, I chaired the Student Assignment Redesign Process, one of the most controversial issues in the school district this past decade.  I chaired a strong process which brought together many education and planning experts, collected important data, coordinated hundreds of community meetings and eventually brought consensus amongst seven Board members around one policy recommendation.  I have also made tough decisions to co-locate schools and programs or end programs despite opposition/support because based on research, data and finances, they were the right decisions to make for the District as a whole.

I will support well-researched, good projects such as the Geary BRT plan despite vocal opposition if I feel that it is best for the city and our budget as a whole.

5. What is the Fix Muni Now charter amendment? Do you support it? (Y/N) Why or why not?

I support Proposition G.  Operators have a tough job in this city and as a policy, I believe they should be paid well with benefits. However I believe that pay, benefits and work rules should be negotiated through collective bargaining and not set by the city charter.  The core of the Fix Muni Now is to require Muni drivers to participate in collective bargaining. Currently, they are the only unionized city employees who are not currently engaged in collective bargaining.  We also need to reform the MTA, not just MUNI operators’ over-time and pension –  I support Supervisors and the Mayor sharing appointments ensuring greater representation our commissions.

6. One (of many) causes for Muni’s perennial budget woes was the illegal seizure of state gas tax money by Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature. This has left a large hole in Muni’s income (as well as every transit agency in CA).

How would you make up this gap in Muni revenue? Would you support

– a local funding source or sources (fees, taxes, or other type of revenue) to avoid future problems caused by the state?

– would you achieve savings through cuts to Muni’s budget, fare increases, etc.

– or, do you have other ideas on how to get Muni out of its annual financial woes?

(You can choose more than one option, but just explain it clearly)

The rising cost of MUNI can no longer be offset by squeezing more revenue from the ridership. As Supervisor, I would pursue a variety of other strategies to improve and increase MUNI service from current levels, looking for advancements in management, public information, transparency, operations, and safety.  If we are able to speed up MUNI from its current 8.1 MPH average with pre-boarding payment, the Van Ness and Geary BRT, and prioritized lanes for MUNI, and stop consolidation, we can increase service without increasing costs. There is also a substantial amount of savings to be had from reducing travel times.

For management, we need to be careful about the metrics that we use to hold MUNI accountable. For example, if on-time performance is the only metric, that can unintentionally skew toward results that are not entirely in the public interest (e.g. stops being skipped).

For operations, I would advocate for the prioritization of an approved upgraded control center, to address the current antiquated system.

7. Finally, tell us a story about a funny or unique experience you’ve had on Muni.

Last year, I broke up a fight on the 30 Stockton shortly after the infamous MUNI fight YouTube video.  Similar story — crowded bus with students getting out of school, seniors, shoppers, etc — but definitely room for more people. I attempted to calm down two young students who were starting a fight with a third person — forced them to disembark on Market Street, tried to find out what schools they attended (as a School Board member).  I left as the bus departed, thinking that I broke it up and they’d have to get on the next bus.  As I turned around, I saw the bus leaving Market Street sluggishly, and then in typical MUNI fashion, a new rider opened the back door and the students ran back on.  I don’t know if the fight continued– but it was a lesson that we need to get MUNI running faster!

Name: Abraham Simmons

Age: 46

Occupation: Assistant U.S. Attorney

District: 2

URL for website: abrahamsimmons.org

Neighborhood You Live In: Richmond

Date Questionnaire Returned: September 7, 2010

1. How often do you rely on Muni to get you around town? Pretty much every day.  If not, what do you use instead? N/A What would make it easier for you to choose Muni over other forms of transportation?

Muni needs to be more reliable.  That means: safer, more timely and not overcrowded at obviously peak hours.

2. What are the primary concerns of Muni’s owners (aka riders) about transportation and Muni in your District?

Safety (especially at night) and reliability.  District 2 residents fear that they will be attacked by other riders.  There is not enough of a police presence on the busses and other vehicles.  Also, at peak hours the vehicles are so overcrowded that several vehicles will pass by while would-be riders wait for one with enough room to squeeze in.

3. As a Supervisor, you will serve on the Board of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. What is the role of the SFCTA, and what would you set as priorities for the agency in the next 4 years?

The role of the SFCTA is clearly set out in the first page of their website.  I cannot say it better but can paraphrase: generally, the Authority oversees expenditure of Prop K money, is the Congestion Management Agency for San Francisco, and serves as program manager for certain projects.  As a practical matter, there is so  much money “administered” by that organization that it is hard to keep track of it all.  Attachment B to the current budget identifies the projects that will be funded with the more than $129 million budget this year.  Focusing on the Central Subway and Transbay Center (and how it accommodates High Speed Rail) is our best bet for preventing fiscal disaster in the next 4 years.  Focusing on integrating bicycles and fixing 19th Ave is the best way to improve transportation for District 2 residents through this particular entity.

4. Difficult decisions often have to be made regarding transportation in San Francisco. Sometimes a well-researched project may have loud, angry opponents, or a popular project may not be the best for City residents and for San Francisco’s transportation infrastructure.

How would you make a decision under these kinds of circumstances?

(Feel free to cite a similar situation from your past experience as an example – it doesn’t have to be transit related)

The question seems to be asking both: (1) can you tell what the right answer is? and (2) are you willing to do the right thing even if it might cost you your job as supervisor?  My responses are: (1) Moving the greatest number of people safely, reliably and comfortably has to be the overall goal, right?  In general, the strength of analysis almost always will tell the good arguments from the bad and reveal the right answer. As for (2) I am far more interested in doing the right thing than being a supervisor.  Indeed, when this is over, I hope I will be able to return to my job as Assistant U.S. Attorney.

5. What is the Fix Muni Now charter amendment? Do you support it? (Y/N) Why or why not?

I support Sean Elsbernd’s attempt to remove from the City Charter the work rule and pay provisions that apply to Muni operators.  The pay we give should be based on our economy, not the best two economies in the nation.  Also, some of the work rules are just silly.  They should not be in the charter but instead the subject of collective bargaining.

6. One (of many) causes for Muni’s perennial budget woes was the illegal seizure of state gas tax money by Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature. This has left a large hole in Muni’s income (as well as every transit agency in CA).

How would you make up this gap in Muni revenue? Would you support:

– a local funding source or sources (fees, taxes, or other type of revenue) to avoid future problems caused by the state?

– would you achieve savings through cuts to Muni’s budget, fare increases, etc.

– or, do you have other ideas on how to get Muni out of its annual financial woes?

(You can choose more than one option, but just explain it clearly)

It is true.  Without funny business from the State, Muni would be operating with a surplus this year.  But that is not the world in which we live.  Muni must become more efficient.  It is that simple.  We waste millions fixing old busses that should be taken off line.  We spend millions on overtime mandated by non-sense work rules.  We waste millions paying for workers to wait between shifts.  We do not need more taxes and fees– we need a different set of expectations.

7. Finally, tell us a story about a funny or unique experience you’ve had on Muni.

While on the Muni a few moths ago, I got on during rush hour and noticed everyone was sitting in the first half of the flexible bus.  Turns out two kids (about 15 years old) were riding in the back, swinging on the poles, screaming and intimidating the passengers.  As I was approaching, one of the kids took out a marker and began to tag the bus in front of all of us.  I yelled in my loudest, deepest voice, “put that down!”  The boys were shocked.  After asking whether I was a “good samaritan,” they realized I was not kidding so they jumped out of the emergency window (just as the bus was stopping) and they ran away.

Rafael Mandelman - District 8

Name: Rafael Mandelman

Age: 36

Occupation: Attorney

District: District 8

URL for website :  www.rafael2010.com

Neighborhood You Live In: Dolores Park

Date Questionnaire Returned: 8/7/2010

1. How often do you rely on Muni to get you around town? If not, what do you use instead?  What would make it easier for you to choose Muni over other forms of transportation?

I do not own a car, and the J stop is about a block from my home, so I rely on Muni pretty heavily. I also bike, use car share and occasionally take taxis.  My biggest frustration with Muni are the service breakdowns, the delays, the unreliability. Just last week, there was a 25-minute wait for the J-line during the morning commute. If I need to get somewhere in a hurry, and the hills are not too bad, I find that riding my bike can be a better option.

2. What are the primary concerns of Muni’s owners (aka riders) about transportation and Muni in your District?

District 8 residents have a love-hate relationship with Muni. On the one hand, with the J, K, L, M, N and T lines all running through the District, residents have unique access to the Muni Metro system.  On the other hand, with that access come all the frustrations of crowded and unreliable trains and tunnel clogging.  Like Muni riders across the City, District 8 residents have suffered through the service cuts of the last couple of years, with riders of lines like the 35-Eureka being particularly hard hit. Of course even prior to the cuts, many residents living in areas of Twin Peaks, Glen Park and Diamond Heights not in easy walking distance to a Muni Metro line have not treated public transit as a viable option.  Finally, seniors and disabled folks have had to endure increases in the cost of fast passes at a time when many can least afford it.

3. As a Supervisor, you will serve on the Board of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. What is the role of the SFCTA, and what would you set as priorities for the agency in the next 4 years?

The role of the SFCTA is legally threefold: to administer the 1/2-cent transportation sales tax, to serve as state-mandated congestion management agency, and to allocate certain federal, state, and regional funds.

The SFCTA is in a unique position to ensure that transportation funds are spent wisely and accountably, and that the various transportation agencies coordinate their efforts to realize an integrated transportation picture.

As a Transportation authority commissioner, I will work to ensure that we: realize new funding sources to stabilize and augment Muni’s operating budget; address Muni’s capital shortfall for essential maintenance, repair, and replacement; coordinate funding streams to fulfill our complete streets ordinance, which calls for street designs which accommodate walking, cycling, and transit graciously, and foster neighborhood livability and commercial vitality; and we spend discretionary capital funding wisely to achieve measurable improvements in transit speed, safety, reliability, capacity, and accessibility.

4. Difficult decisions often have to be made regarding transportation in San Francisco. Sometimes a well-researched project may have loud, angry opponents, or a popular project may not be the best for City residents and for San Francisco’s transportation infrastructure. How would you make a decision under these kinds of circumstances?

(Feel free to cite a similar situation from your past experience as an example – it doesn’t have to be transit related)

I try to weigh each tough question on its own merits, making a hypothetical like this one challenging.  During my time on the Board of Appeals, I like to believe I defended staff-level determination when staff were upholding an important city policy against a powerful or well-connected special interest but also challenged staff when they had failed to adequately consider the perspective of a neighborhood group or other affected constituency.  I respect expertise, and when experts tell me that a particular project or policy should be pursued, I take that recommendation seriously.  But I also believe it is important to listen to the people who will actually be most affected by that project or policy, particularly when they may be uniquely or unfairly burdened.  And then, balancing interests and equities, and trying to correct for institutional or other biases, one tries to make the best decision for the greatest number.

5. What is the Fix Muni Now charter amendment? Do you support it? (Y/N) Why or why not?

Currently the City Charter provides that driver salaries shall be no less than the average for the two highest paying transit systems nationwide.  Proposition G would remove that provision, I support that change, and it will surely pass.  I do have some concerns about the measure. First, proponents argue that by making salaries subject to collective bargaining, we will enable the MTA to secure work rule concessions from the TWU that could save as much as $30 million.  Maybe, but that was the rationale for the charter changes in Proposition A three years ago, and at least in that respect, Proposition A was a failure.  Second, I would have preferred to see a broader package of reform on the ballot.  Finally, I am concerned that Proposition G creates an unfair burden for drivers, spelling out burdens of proof for arbitration proceedings that are more burdensome than for other city workers.

6. One (of many) causes for Muni’s perennial budget woes was the illegal seizure of state gas tax money by Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature. This has left a large hole in Muni’s income (as well as every transit agency in CA).

How would you make up this gap in Muni revenue? Would you support

– a local funding source or sources (fees, taxes, or other type of revenue) to avoid future problems caused by the state?

Yes. The Board of supervisors must become more effective advocates for new transportation funding. An additional general fund contribution, congestion pricing on bridges or around downtown, closing parking tax loopholes and/or increasing the parking tax rate, and county or regional gasoline taxes and vehicle registration fees, better management of on-street parking and city-owned lots and garages are all promising revenue sources.

– would you achieve savings through cuts to Muni’s budget, fare increases, etc.

No: I would oppose additional fare increases and service cuts

– or, do you have other ideas on how to get Muni out of its annual financial woes?

(You can choose more than one option, but just explain it clearly)

There may be substantial savings to be had from reducing travel times through aggressive use of rapid transit features: faster boarding, transit priority measures, and stop consolidation. The TEP is aiming for a 10% increase in systemwide average speeds; transit thinkers who I respect believe this could be 20% faster.

7. Finally, tell us a story about a funny or unique experience you’ve had on Muni.

I have been taking Muni since I was eleven years old.  As a kid growing up in the Sunset, the N-Judah was one of my regular lines.  When I was younger, the area between Twin Peaks and downtown was mysterious territory indeed; I spent most of my life in fog-land.  I remember 45-minute and longer waits for the 28-line on 19^th Avenue to get myself home from middle school and high school.  As an adult, I have spent far too many hours sitting in the tunnel, steaming, waiting for the cars to move.  As far as I am concerned, for at least as long as I can remember, Muni has never managed to provide San Franciscans with the efficient and reliable transit service we should be able to expect.  Unfortunately, I don’t suppose there’s anything particularly unique about either my childhood or adult experiences of Muni.

Kat Anderson - District 2

Name: Kat Anderson

Age: 40 Something

Occupation: Labor & Employment Lawyer (self-employed)

District: 2

URL for website: www.katanderson.net

Neighborhood You Live In: Marina

Date Questionnaire Returned: Sept. 7, 2010

1. How often do you rely on Muni to get you around town? If not, what do you use instead? What would make it easier for you to choose Muni over other forms of transportation?

I ride Muni about 4 times per week usually to go downtown, Union Square, Fisherman’s Wharf or Pier 39. My children ride Muni home from school. I would prefer to use Muni for most trips, but find it more convenient to use my automobile in order to reduce total door-to-door trip times. My children are involved in sports. In SF, sports fields are spread all over the place, making the use of Muni impractical. Thus, I use Muni similar to other San Franciscan families. (We all try to carpool.) Muni would be a more convenient form of routine transportation if total trip times could be reduced and if schedules were changed to accommodate the hours that folks actually work downtown. Muni needs to address and correct the phenomenon of empty buses stacking up at times like 3 pm and then being “MIA” at 6 pm!

2. What are the primary concerns of Muni’s owners (aka riders) about transportation and Muni in your District?

Reliability and efficiency, frequency, safety of service, prohibiting articulated buses from narrow corridors and refraining from “staging” idling buses in front of people’s homes causing disruptions in quality of life (pollution, noise, obstructing views, etc).

3. As a Supervisor, you will serve on the Board of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. What is the role of the SFCTA, and what would you set as priorities for the agency in the next 4 years?

The role of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority is to oversee the development and operation of a reliable, safe, efficient and cost-effective mass transit system that serves the needs of San Franciscans. The priority for the agency in the next 4 years is to gain control over its costs such that reliable services can continue to be delivered to riders at an acceptable cost while eliminating the need for service cuts. This will be part of my mission once elected.

4. Difficult decisions often have to be made regarding transportation in San Francisco. Sometimes a well-researched project may have loud, angry opponents, or a popular project may not be the best for City residents and for San Francisco’s transportation infrastructure. How would you make a decision under these kinds of circumstances?

Holding political office will result in opposition on many issues. I accept this fact. My primary goal is to insure the long-term sustainability of San Francisco’s mass transit systems at a cost both the city and residents can bear. Consequently, I will not seek to avoid conflict, nor will I pursue popular measures which may contradict these goals, merely for the sake of political expediency.

As a parent, I sometimes need to focus on long-term goals despite loud, angry opposition (from the teens). Concurrently, I must also overcome short-term, popular measures which do not serve the long-term interests of all constituencies, including those asking for such measures. I see good governance as akin to good parenting. One must be a decisive leader who makes judgment calls based on all available information – obtained from a variety of sources. You can count on me to be that kind of leader.

5. What is the Fix Muni Now charter amendment? Do you support it? (Y/N) Why or why not?

The Fix Muni Now charter amendment seeks to remove certain pay and work rules from the city charter to permit these issues to be addressed in the collective bargaining process. As a result, the amendment would permit labor issues to be addressed in the same manner as is used by other city workers and their union representatives. Meanwhile, the amendment would permit increased flexibility for the city in addressing its operating costs. These steps will improve the ability of the city and its residents to have a sustainable mass transit system over the long-term while reducing the threat of near-term service cuts. As a result, I support this measure.

6. One (of many) causes for Muni’s perennial budget woes was the illegal seizure of state gas tax money by Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature. This has left a large hole in Muni’s income (as well as every transit agency in CA). How would you make up this gap in Muni revenue? Would you support

– a local funding source or sources (fees, taxes, or other type of revenue) to avoid future problems caused by the state?

– would you achieve savings through cuts to Muni’s budget, fare increases, etc.

– or, do you have other ideas on how to get Muni out of its annual financial woes? (You can choose more than one option, but just explain it clearly)

While seeking to overturn the measures undertaken by the Governor and Legislature, my focus will be on gaining control over Muni’s operating costs, which have resulted in ongoing fare increases and service cuts. Poor management and a lack of flexibility introduced by current city charter restrictions have resulted in a lack of control over operating costs. Consequently, I support and will take steps to introduce sound management practices despite current opposition to such measures. As a labor and employment lawyer, I know how to address such issues in a constructive and effective manner using the collective bargaining process. Service cuts and fare increases are merely a band-aid that does not cure the underlying problem. We cannot continue to rely on these measures merely to preserve the interests of certain constituencies over those of Muni riders.

7. Finally, tell us a story about a funny or unique experience you’ve had on Muni.

When I was working downtown, I would take the 30 bus to and from work. One day after work, I boarded the 30 and it was very crowded. I was very pregnant. There were no available seats in the front of the bus, so I hung on as tight as I could, my big belly swaying. Impassively, I eyed a 30-something guy that was sitting up front, but he would not make any eye contact. Then, I noticed a young lady sitting next to him. She had obviously seen me first as she started to get up when it was clear the guy wasn’t going to budge. But right before she got up, she elbowed him. I thanked the young lady and sat down, then we both had a chuckle.