San Francisco Injury Lawyer Blog

Poor MUNI. It seems MUNI just can’t get a break these days. Our wonderful city’s transit system is being buried alive under a huge deficit, and its riders are going down with it. Anyone concerned about the current proposed MUNI service cuts and fare increases should attend the SFMTA meeting on Friday February 26 in Room 400 at City Hall at 9am. These are hard times for MUNI, as their budget is out of control, there has already been a ton of service cuts, people are just starting to get used to paying more for their fast passes, and violence on buses and bus crashes continue. So it is imperative that MUNI riders speak up regarding issues that pertain to their safety and financial well-being during this Friday’s morning meeting. There you can offer your ideas on how MUNI can balance its budget.

There is no doubt that the most significant factor in the agency's recent budget crises is the state's cut of transit funds—the MTA has lost $179.1 million in State Transit Assistance funding over the past three fiscal years. Now, the MTA is proposing more service cuts to Muni in order to close a $16.9 million projected budget gap through the end of the fiscal year. The cuts are as bad as the ones introduced in December, and, if approved, are scheduled to go into effect in May. Some of the changes include reducing frequencies on every Muni line; increasing fares on services including the F-line, express routes, and cable cars; and charging MTA employees for parking. The major factors affecting the deficit are:
• the projected increases in the cost of benefits including health, retirement, and other benefits, which add up to about $37 million over two years;
• an increase in incremental operating costs from capital projects, including TransLink, onboard video cameras, and NextMuni, adding up to $29 million over two years;
• economy-related decreases in income from fees and fines; and
• $42.2 the agency had in its funds this year that won't be available in coming years.

This meeting could be MUNI riders’ last chance to voice their opinion. And the meetings are sure to arouse anger among riders who are already feeling the burden of service cuts and fare hikes. Since there is no organization focused on making Muni better, it is up current MUNI riders to come together during scheduled meetings such as the one this Friday. Here at the Brod Law Firm, we believe riders can make a difference by voicing their opinions now, before the changes are approved and implemented.

Last week San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon promised to put in place significant crime reducing policies, including implementing crosswalk stings—like the ones recently conducted by the Ingleside Police Department. SFPD spokeperson Lt. Lynn Tomioka said that crosswalk stings are good way to educate drivers about being aware of the danger they pose to pedestrians. She also said that they want to see all stations become involved, not just the pilot station. Sting operations are the best way to reduce vehicle-pedestrian collisions. Some common reasons for pedestrian-auto crashes are:
• drivers do no yield to pedestrians,
• drivers run red lights or turning on red without stopping for pedestrians,
• and pedestrians crossing on red signals or jaywalking.

Back in November the San Francisco Examiner reported that the number of pedestrian fatalities in 2009 had reached 23. According to the report, nearly half of the traffic fatalities in San Francisco are pdedstrians—which is four times the national average. And a study by Transportation for America found that San Francisco ranks second for the highest percentage of traffic deaths among 10 metro areas. Motorists seem to have forgotten the law, a law that is so simple: if a pedestrian steps into the street in the path of a motorist, the motorist must stop and remain stopped until the pedestrian crosses. Easy. But motorists usually and inevidably have all kinds of excuses for breaking the law. Some may claim they did not see the pedestrian or the sun was in their eyes. Some claim they did not know the law requiring them to yield to pedestrians. But most of the time drivers are simply distracted by cell phones or are just caught up in different aspects of life. Here at the Brod Law Firm we suspect some motorists just don’t care. Just the other day, I saw a motorist quickly approach an intersection with no traffic signals and make eye contact with a pedestrian who entered the crosswalk. Then the motorist barrelled through the intersection and flipped off the pedestrian at the same time. Lovely. Drivers need to remember to always slow down for pedestrians, no matter what mood they are in. Most importantly, drivers should realize that automobiles are lethal weapons and not an extension of their egos or libidos—contrary to what the automobile industry would prefer us to believe.