It’s that time of month again — when the city’s transit agency releases its quarterly performance report card. And it looks like not much has changed from previous reports, which is not good news for Muni officials.
For the last three months of the 2010-2011 fiscal year (April through June 2011), on-time performance measured at 72.9 percent, far below the 1999 voter-mandated goal of 85 percent. During the previous quarter for the first three months of 2011, on-time performance was at 74.7 percent.
Muni officials use on-time performance as a key indicator to judge the transit system’s performance every three months. A bus is considered on time if it is not more than one minute early or four minutes late.
The worst-performing Muni light-rail line surveyed was the K-Ingleside, with a 57.9 percent on-time performance. The worst-performing Muni bus was the 28L-19th Avenue, at 42.3 percent.
Some of the best-performing buses surveyed include the 14-Mission Express (88.9 percent) and the 88-BART Shuttle (100 percent).
Muni service and reliability will no doubt be a hot topic among San Francisco mayoral candidates. Current mayor and candidate Ed Lee said during a question-and-answer time with the Board of Supervisors that the next Muni chief needs to meet the 85 percent on-time performance goal.
Since announcing his candidacy for mayor in August, Lee has yet to provide a plan to meet the voter-mandated goal. Other mayoral candidates have posted their plans and goals for the transit agency on their campaign websites, but some plans are vague on how to improve service and reliability.
The latest performance report will be discussed at the next San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors’ meeting next Tuesday at 1 p.m. at City Hall room 400.
