Transportation

Boxer: Nation needs more green jobs

Alison Hawkes, SF Public Press/Way Out West — Sep 1 2010 - 3:07pm

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has come out swinging on environmental causes, linking the nation’s longer term economic prospects to growth in the green energy industry. She railed against corporations for sending jobs overseas, vowing to eliminate their tax breaks and reward those who build an environmentally benign economy at home. She is running a high-profile race against GOP opponent Carly Fiorina.

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San Francisco left seeks to channel spirit of ’75

Mineko Brand, SF Public Press — Aug 17 2010 - 4:34pm

It could have been the plot of a science fiction novel, or perhaps “Rip Van Winkle.” Thirty-five years after its first meeting, the Community Congress awakens in 2010 to find its city and the world transformed — and perhaps a new reason for being. Many things in San Francisco have changed since the first such gathering in 1975. The first Community Congress was held that June and is credited for several major political changes to the city, including rent control and district elections.

Environmental groups concerned about Treasure Island traffic

Victoria Schlesinger, SF Public Press/Way Out West — Aug 16 2010 - 5:54pm

After a string of environmental groups and Treasure Island redevelopment critics requested more time to analyze the San Francisco project’s complex and lengthy draft environmental impact review last week, the Planning Commission granted them an additional two weeks. The public now has until Sept. 10 to submit written comments about the 2,000-plus-page report, first released in mid-July, which discusses environmental concerns ranging from transportation and greenhouse gas emissions to accommodating sea level rise and girding for earthquakes.

Muni to restore 61 percent of service by Sept. 4

Jerold Chinn, SF Public Press — Aug 5 2010 - 3:58pm

Sixty-one percent of summertime Muni service cuts would be restored under a financial plan proposed by Mayor Gavin Newsom and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. The changes could come as soon as Sept. 4, and are higher than the 50 percent restoration promised earlier in the summer. The $15 million one-year funding package includes money shaved from the San Francisco Transportation Authority and Metropolitan Transportation Commission. The agency also looked at cutting back on hundreds hours drivers are paid while waiting for shift changes.

Chiu and Newsom settle on Muni reforms

Jerold Chinn, SF Public Press — Jul 30 2010 - 5:08pm

The mayor and the president of the board of supervisors this week agreed on several Muni reforms to help the transit agency restore services cut in May and to improve oversight of the agency. The proposed reforms include a plan to fully restore May’s Muni service cuts by December.

Temporary Transbay Terminal opens Aug. 7

Kevin Hume, SF Public Press — Jul 22 2010 - 4:57pm

Demolition of the existing Transbay Terminal will begin next month with the opening of a temporary facility, shifting the daily commute of thousands of Bay Area residents a block to the southeast. A new $1.2 billion terminal is slated to open in 2017 at the current location at First and Mission streets.

Muni drivers try to shift the bulls-eye

Anna Rendall, SF Public Press — Jul 19 2010 - 3:20pm

Hands clasped and brows furrowed, Gabriel Desalla sat quietly for the first half of the Bay Area Transportation Advisory Committee meeting. He is one of 2,172 union workers in the transit agency who are under increasing pressure to make concessions that would restore recently cut Muni services. In a small conference room in Bayview-Hunters Point San Francisco, Desalla waits for committee president, Emanuel Andreas, to open the floor for discussion. The topic, as usual, is the ongoing battle over salaries, health benefits and work rules. The SFMTA says that reforms are needed to improve financial efficiency but many Muni drivers are resistant to the changes proposed. The concessions the city has sought include changes to healthcare benefits for dependents and allowing part-time drivers.

Is Bayview the new Gulf of Mexico? Activists see parallels

Katy Gathright, SF Public Press — Jul 15 2010 - 4:20pm

This week’s debates over environmental approval for the $8 billion redevelopment planned for Bayview brought to the forefront comparisons with neighborhoods in the Gulf of Mexico — both in terms of environmental and racial justice concerns. The neighborhood redevelopment plan passed its latest milestone — the contentious environmental impact report — when the Board of Supervisors gave it a thumbs-up after more than nine hours of debate Wednesday morning, by an 8-3 vote.

Silver lining amid cutbacks: Muni’s on-time performance at all-time high

Jerold Chinn, SF Public Press — Jul 14 2010 - 7:36pm

A report released Tuesday by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said Muni’s on-time service performance increased to a new high of 75 percent. Although this is a record, the agency is still short of a voter-approved proposition requiring it to meet an 85 percent on-time performance goal.

Bay Bridge crossing more expensive than ever

Theresa Seiger, SF Public Press — Jun 30 2010 - 5:40pm

Commuters on the Bay Bridge will have to shell out more cash starting Thursday, a result of toll hikes on all seven state-owned bridges in the region. Prices will go up based on rush hour during the week while weekend fees will rise regardless of the time of crossing. Carpooling across the bridge will also cost commuters money, a big change from previous years, and require a FasTrak.

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