Passenger Trains > San Francisco Transit: 22-Day Muni Challenge for politicians

One candidate for California State Senate is highlighting his win of San Francisco Transit Riders' 22-Day Muni Challenge.  This unusual test asks public officials how often they use public transit in a 22 day period.  This guy won with 106 rides in a 22 day period, about five times per day. It's become a matter of public interest, as voter complaints about the transit system become a middle class issue.

It's interesting to see any political candidate using their support of transit in such a visible way on his own website.  Are there others?

Scott Weiner

Some Supervisors and public officials are clearly unfamiliar with public transit:

Taking the challenge seriously, getting lost, and other adventures




 

Muni is going to need up to $10 billion dollars in investments?!?

OT:  Scott Weiner:  Any relation to Anthony?

 

Puff piece for a member of the Board of Stupidvisors.

Posted from Android

stash Wrote:
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> Puff piece for a member of the Board of
> Stupidvisors.
>
> Posted from Android

Getting lost on Muni doesn't reflect well on the one supervisor.

I like to see more elected Officials to start taking Public Transit.

Many of them who sit on a Board of Directors for their respect Transit Systems.
Really don't have any idea what it is like to rely on the service. They choose to
mess around with

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

GP25 Wrote:
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> I like to see more elected Officials to start
> taking Public Transit.
>
> Many of them who sit on a Board of Directors for
> their respect Transit Systems.
> Really don't have any idea what it is like to rely
> on the service. They choose to
> mess around with

Yes.  That seems to be the purpose of this challenge.

Like asking elected officials to live in public housing, or subsist on food assistance for a week.

I wonder if that transit challenge would work in Los Angeles?  In NY, deBlasio rarely takes the subway, and never takes a bus.  He does use five car motorcades and police helicopters, though.

I am aware of one county reps to Metrolink, are driven to LA, in place of using the train!!!

 

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's interesting to see any political candidate
> using their support of transit in such a visible
> way on his own website.  Are there others?
>
> Scott Weiner
>
> Some Supervisors and public officials are clearly
> unfamiliar with public transit:
>
> Taking the challenge seriously, getting lost, and
> other adventures

The article on the 22-Day MUNI Challenge is dated June 8, 2015, so the event is more than a year old. I was a bit confused at first, since none of this information was on the local papers recently, where "fresh" political information is supposed to be important. This is an FYI for other readers of the thread regarding the timing.

From the article, with a photo of her at the beginning:

Supervisor Jane Kim waited 21 minutes for a 19-Polk Muni bus to show up and take her three stops — a distance she usually walks in 15 minutes.

“Guess I’m late,” she tweeted.

Both Scott Wiener and Jane Kim (the first politician mentioned in the article) ran for the California Senate District 11 primary back in June, which is the off topic but more relevant information here (for more details about the race, research it yourselves).

Anyway, when I used to visit The City when it was less about real estate and more about charm which would be several decades ago, I almost never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a MUNI bus on a popular route (like 19 Polk). All the money-wasting political ads I've been seeing recently don't even mention public transit, so obviously, it's irrelevant this November. I think I'll echo stash and "bah humbug" the 22 Day MUNI Challenge. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/16 18:30 by cchan006.

The Transit Week this year referenced the Muni Challenge from last year.  I'm not aware they ran a new challenge, however.

In general, I think it's a good idea for politicians to ride mass transit, rub shoulders with the crowded masses, etc nce in a while.


Transit Week 2016

We had a CEO named Marilyn Shazor running, I mean ruining the bus service here in Cincinnati around eight years ago. She took some good employees to a Luncheon at the Boathouse. Some of the other employees spent the day kissing her ass. Instead I asked her if she had ever rode a bus before she became CEO at Metro. She was shocked and angered that I would ask such a thing and replied NO. We didn't get along before that either. She exemplifies what is wrong with so many public and even non public agencies. Stupid arrogant people who get into a position because of political or social image concerns not because they actually have any clue or are any good of what they are supposed to do. 

I cleaned up my normal description of her otherwise it would not be appropriate for viewing here, honestly!

Jim

The new assistant executive director of NJ Transit is a former spokesman for Governor Christie. In true NJ fashion, the job was created for him, no qualifications necessary.  It's a long standing practice for both parties to reward civil servants, legislative favorites, etc with authority jobs to bump up their pensions on the way out.

Having ground floor experience isn't a panacea, either.  One NJ Transit executive director had come up as a bus mechanic. Knew how to tear down a transmission with the best mechanics.  Earned a lot of respect for her understanding of the tools needed to run a modern shop, and oversaw several bus and rail facility rebuilds.  Wasn't a great executive manager, though.