L Taraval Project: "Vision: Zero Loss of Parking"

Based on community screams, the SFMTA managed to save all the parking and create "bus shelters" out of paint, parked cars, and the broken promise of enforcement along the L Taraval corridor.
image found here.

The SFMTA presented on the L Taraval project, a plan to address the needs of 29,000 daily riders with bus bulb-outs, transit lanes, and all other kinds of things that were booed and hissed by a parking obsessed audience.  One SFMTA representative told the fiery group that Taraval Street is one of San Francisco’s most dangerous corridors, which the audience promptly replied with eye-rolls, indignant looks, and a single muffled cough.

SFMTA representative, wet from rain, tears, or fright.
image found here.

Even though the SFMTA told them the project adds 13 to 40 parking spaces, a ravenous audience member screamed “You’re still ruining it for those merchants!” noting that parking has to be right in front of the business because no one should be forced the indignity of walking. When the SFMTA representative tried to explain that 22 people were hit while walking to the trains, the audience screamed “doesn’t seem like that many!"

Supervisor Katy Tang introduces herself to the group before she sits down and listens to her constituents devalue human life and demand space to store their personal property. 
image found here

Despite all the screams from a few merchants and residents who abhor safe bipedal movement, the project will move forward as a pilot.  The SFMTA said they would look into the ideas presented by people who value the immobility of their car above human life.   None of the precious parking will be moved at four of the five business-located stops.  Instead, the SFMTA will paint white cross-hatches and pray to whatever deity they believe in in the hopes that no train riders will perish.


Every "Vision Zero" project should result in a net gain to parking!
image found here.

60 Percent of SFMTA's Budget Spent Dealing With Incorrigible Assholes

At first glance you would think the SFMTA's budget is rather generous, but if you drill down deeper you'll find that much of the budget is spent on simply dealing with assholes.   SFMTA's plans to improve Muni and help decrease congestion often crash land into a sea of assholes.  They spend much of their funds meeting with assholes, trying to meet their incredulous demands to the point of ruining the very transit the assholes never intend on using.  Dealing with these assholes who are stuck in the 50s is very costly.

The SFMTA has come up with many innovative and creative approaches to enhancing transit in the area which is immediately halted by assholes.  A few examples:

1. Let's build underground tunnels.

Asshole Response:  Noo!!! That will cost money you can't do that!  You spend too much money!!!

2. Ok... well how about we build a less expensive BRT transit system.  

Asshole Response:  Noo!!!  We'll lose parking, or a traffic lane, and that will hurt merchants!!! Even if most people come by other modes of transit NOOOO!!! 

"Does this look like the face of compromise?"  Don't @#$# touch my parking or car lanes!
image found here.  

3. Ok Ok, how about we follow our TEP plans that took years to develop, included tons of input from the community, and approval from the Board of Supervisors.

Asshole Response: Noo!!!! Why wasn't I informed about the TEP project?!?  Why wasn't my input included?  Start from scratch lets do this all over.  Don't make transit only lanes and don't you dare remove a parking space to make traffic actually move!

4. Ok how about we just keep doing what we're doing.

Asshole Response: You guys don't do anything!  Make Muni better like you're supposed to!!!  Make it so we don't have car congestion! You're wasting our money!!!

You can bet that if it's putting a safe bike lane on Polk street, improving pedestrian conditions on Potrero street, or stopping deaths on Masonic Avenue, there's going to be a hefty price to pay dealing with assholes.  

"Say NO to wider sidewalks?  Well this is going to cost half of this year's budget."
Found here.

Much of the money is divided up between pacifying assholes from ENUF and "Meter Madness" who consistently bitch and complain about any change that could ever possibly happen to Muni.  In their last article they griped about the potential of a "smart app" that should have been around 5 years ago. Their response to such endeavors was a resounding "How many ways can you say “Privileged?"  And their comments on the problem of cars blocking thousands of pedestrians every day in crosswalks? Well "If SFMTA really cared about clearing intersections they would do a better job of timing traffic signals." Dealing with this kind of bullshit as an expensive undertaking.  

"The SFMTA needs to get us where... we need to go not tell us how to... there?"  What does that even mean? Oh Christ this is going to cost us" - SFMTA
Image found on this asshole's site