San Francisco City Officials Invited To Ride Along In 22-Day Muni Challenge
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— San Francisco city officials will be riding the bus for the next 22 days and tweeting about their experiences with the hashtag #OnBoardSF.
The San Francisco Transit Riders Union has invited the mayor, supervisors and other city officials to board buses from June 1st through June 22nd to experience what Muni riders throughout the city go through on a day-to-day basis.
Supervisor Jane Kim, who rode the bus to work instead of walking, used the hashtag #OnBoardSF while tweeting Monday about her frustration shared by many Muni riders who complain or have given up on the transit system altogether.
Waiting for 19 Polk to go 3 stops to City Hall. Instead of 15 min walk, did 21 min wait. Guess I'm late. #OnBoardSF pic.twitter.com/4kHDcdqKBa
— Jane Kim (@SupeJaneKim) June 1, 2015
Generally, the riders this reporter spoke to were happy with the reach of the service and the value.
During an easy mid-morning ride on the 1 California bus, Liz - a rider who didn't give her last name - was just finishing up work and said she finds good camaraderie when she catches one of the first buses at 5:30 a.m.
"There's a regular crowd and everyone sort of greets one another." But overall, she said it's not always the most pleasant experience.
"Occasionally it's surprising that you get on the first bus and it has such a smell to it," she said.
Other complaints involve the MobileMuni app that isn't exactly reliable. Liz says her sister uses it during rush hour.
"It can be really inaccurate and she can have three or four buses pass by her without getting picked up because they're so full," she said.
Another rider said he finds that to be true during the morning and evening commutes on the 38 Geary, 1 California and 19 Polk. He'd like to see more buses added for these lines during peak hours.
