Taken with Transportation

Moving Forward on Muni Oct 09, 2024

Ten years ago, we began implementing an ongoing series of transit improvements as part of a new program called Muni Forward. These improvements have made Muni faster, more reliable, more frequent, easier to access and safer.
In this episode, we celebrate Muni Forward.
We learn about history of the program and some of the specific improvements we've made. We speak with SFMTA Transit Director Julie Kirschbaum, Muni Chief Planning and Implementation Officer Sean Kennedy, Transit Priority Manager Michael Rhodes and Transit Engineering Team Manager Cheryl Liu. We also hear from riders and a small business owner who discuss their experiences with Muni.

Ahoy! Sep 04, 2024

September is Transit Month in the Bay Area. And we’re celebrating on board Muni’s Boat Tram open air streetcar. In this episode we discuss the beloved 90-year-old boat’s history and how we maintain it. Plus, we talk about the joy it brings to the streets of San Fransico.

SFMTA Director of Transportation Jeff Tumlin, Board Member Dominica Henderson, Muni Historic Fleet Superintendent Kevin Sheridan and Muni Operator David Gunter appear in the episode. We also speak with Market Street Railway President Rick Laubscher, SFMTA Citizens Advisory Council Vice Chair Chris Arvin and SFCTA Community Advisory Committee Chair Kat Siegal.

Slowing Down and Getting to Know the Neighborhood Aug 16, 2024

San Francisco’s Slow Streets are low-vehicle-traffic residential corridors. They provide comfortable options for walking, biking and rolling, as well as driving. But some of them also have become community spaces that bring neighbors together. In this episode, we take a look at a few of the ways San Francisco residents are embracing their Slow Streets.

We speak with SFMTA Transportation Planner Julia Malmo and Analyst Elijah Enis. They talk about the Slow Streets Mural Pilot Program. Slow Street Stewards Tim Hickey and Molly Hayden also appear in the episode. So does Zaid Zayouna, the founder and creator of Slow Street Coffee.

Scooting Safely Jul 17, 2024

An increasingly popular way to get around San Francisco is by scooter. This includes shared scooters that riders pick up in one place, use for a fee and then drop off when they’re done. The SFMTA regulates the companies that rent those scooters. We also promote scooter safety for all riders.

In this episode, we discuss scooter safety with Kate Toran, Philip Cranna and Danny Yeung from our Taxis, Access and Mobility Services Division. We also go out with Inspector Peter Woods on safety enforcement patrol.

And we check in with the Mayor’s Office on Disability to talk about how they work with us on scooter safety.

About Town with Our CFO Jun 25, 2024

In this episode of Taken with Transportation, we speak with SFMTA Chief Financial Officer Bree Mawhorter. We talk about the agency's budget and how more efficient service can save money. Plus, we take a little transportation tour with Mawhorter and discuss the many ways she gets around town.

A Safe and Fun School Commute May 17, 2024

The road to school should always be a safe one, and it also can be a fun one. The San Francisco Safe Routes to School program works to make walking, biking, rolling, and taking transit to school safer and more accessible for all SF kids. In this episode, we speak with SFMTA Safe Routes to School Program Coordinator Crysta Highfield and Transportation Planner Ben Frazier about their work on the program, along with San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Safe Routes to School Program Manager Kenny Kruse.
We also attend a couple of Bike and Roll to School Week events where we have a chance to talk to elementary school commuters and their parents. Plus, we hear from San Francisco Supervisors Rafael Mandelman and Myrna Melgar, as well as Dolores Huerta Elementary School Principal Edward Garnica.
And finally, we learn what a bike blender is and get to see it in action.

Keeping the Vision Apr 16, 2024

In late-March 2014, San Francisco adopted Vision Zero, the road safety policy to eliminate traffic deaths and reduce severe injuries in the city. This episode of Taken with Transportation looks at the impact of that policy and what has changed over the last decade.
We discuss the origins of Vision Zero, as well as the work the SFMTA is doing today and will do into the future to make San Francisco streets safe and joyful. Appearing in the episode are SFMTA Director of Transportation Jeff Tumlin, Board of Directors Chair Amanda Eaken, City Traffic Engineer Ricardo Olea, former Streets Director Tom Maguire and former Director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health's Heath, Equity and Sustainability Program Megan Weir.

Paint, Paper, Metal and Machines Mar 21, 2024

There are things on our streets that we probably take for granted but most definitely help us move around cities safely and efficiently. We’re talking about street signs, street markings and parking meters.
In San Francisco, the SFMTA Street Operations shops handle the signs, street painting and meters we depend on, whether we are getting around by walking, driving, cycling or scooting. In this episode of Taken with Transportation, we pay a visit to those shops and speak with Traffic Paint Shop Supervisor Brian McBride, Meter Shop Manager Tony Massetti, Temporary Sign Program Manager Gretchen Rude and Traffic Sign Shop Manager Noel Laffey. We also get a chance to talk to Thermoplastic Crew Six lead Jarrett Laws and Traffic Sign Installer Patrick Rose as they are on the job.

How to Muni Feb 20, 2024

If you're new to San Francisco Muni, using it can feel overwhelming at first. Well, don't worry. Whether you've just moved to the city, are planning to visit and don't want to rent a car or have lived here for some time but haven't taken advantage of all Muni has to offer, we at Taken with Transportation have your back.
In this episode, we offer a practical how-to guide for getting around on Muni. Host Melissa Culross speaks with SFMTA Senior Manager of Revenue Collection and Sales Diana Hammons, operators Lynnette Richie and Arnold Gray, station agent Rigo Ortega and Deputy Chief Security Officer Teresa Scism to go over all the ins and outs of the system from how to pay your fare to how to be a courteous passenger. A couple of regular riders even share their experience on Muni and offer a bit of advice.

Breaking Glass Ceilings Halfway to the Stars Jan 22, 2024

26 years ago this month, Fannie Mae Barnes made history when she became San Francisco's first female cable car grip. In this episode of Taken with Transportation, Barnes talks with host Melissa Culross about that experience. The episode also features Willa Johnson, the second female grip.
The women discuss what it takes, physically, to be a grip and what it was like to break the glass ceiling that hung over San Francisco's beloved cable cars for more than a century.

Celebrating Culture and Community on a Cable Car Nov 27, 2023

Specially decorated cable cars climb the hills of San Francisco throughout the year in honor of different communities and cultures. It's one of the ways the SFMTA celebrates the diversity of its staff and of the city.
In this episode of Taken with Transportation, host Melissa Culross rides the cars decorated in honor of Filipino American History Month and Native American Heritage Month and talks with Cable Car Division Manager Fred Butler, SFMTA Board of Directors member Lydia So and various agency staffers about the heritage cable car program.

More Than a Meter Maid Oct 26, 2023

One of the most misunderstood roles at the SFMTA is that of the parking control officer or PCO. In this episode of Taken with Transportation, host Melissa Culross spends time on the streets of San Francisco with PCOs Scott Ong, Todd Baxter and Ruben Reveles, as well as Parking Enforcement Assistant Director and Captain Kent Chiu, to learn why parking enforcement is essential and what parking control officers do. She discovers that they are much more than just so-called "meter maids."

School Days Oct 05, 2023

Every successful school day begins with students getting to class safely, and crossing guards help children and their parents in San Francisco navigate intersections near school campuses. In this episode of Taken with Transportation, we learn about the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's School Crossing Guard program. The program is part of the agency's larger effort to create safe and inviting streets.
We talk with SFMTA Crossing Guards Christian Frederick Lauser and Arturo Garcia, School Crossing Guard Program Assistant Manager and Acting Manager Karen Wong, SFMTA Parking Control Officer Angie Barosso, McKinley Elementary School Principal John Collins and San Francisco parent Hoa.

Transit Month on Muni Sep 21, 2023

September is Transit Month in the Bay Area and Taken with Transportation is celebrating with San Francisco Municipal Railway, or Muni, riders. Host Melissa Culross talks with riders in multiple neighborhoods who use Muni's buses, streetcars and light rail vehicles as their principal means of transportation. Culross also speaks with SFMTA Transit Director Julie Kirschbaum about service improvements and investments the agency is making, as well as Director of Transportation Jeff Tumlin about his favorite Muni line and the first he remembers riding.

Connecting Community to Transit Sep 05, 2023

Accessing public transit can be more difficult for people in a particular San Francisco neighborhood than it is in other parts of city. So the SFMTA is designing a supplemental transportation program for this area.
In this episode of Taken with Transportation, we talk with SFMTA Transportation Planner Christopher Kidd, San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton, Bayview-Hunters Point Community Advocates Environmental Justice Director Dalila Adofo, SFMTA Planning Director Maia Small and neighborhood residents about a community shuttle that is expected to begin running in Bayview-Hunters Point in 2024.

Stop and Go Aug 16, 2023

Traffic signals play a vital role in managing transportation, but have you ever thought about how that management works or how intersections are designed?
In this episode of Taken with Transportation, we talk with SFMTA Senior Traffic Engineer Bryant Woo, Traffic Signal Electrician Dennis Verhalen and Transit Signal Supervisors Ferdinand Lumbad and John Affolter about how San Francisco intersections, from the most complex to the simple, function and about maintaining traffic signals. They help us understand how the work they do keeps the city moving.

Happy Birthday to a San Francisco Treasure Jul 31, 2023

San Francisco's incredibly popular cable car service turns 150 years old on August 2, 2023.
In this episode of Taken with Transportation, host Melissa Culross speaks with San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Market Street Railway president Rick Laubscher, SFMTA cable car maintenance supervisor Dennis Dea, cable car operators Val Lupiz and Derrick Johnson, riders and business owners about the history and mechanics of the cars, as well as the impact they have on their city.

Bringing Everyone on Board Jul 17, 2023

In this episode host Melissa Culross speaks with longtime (and recently retired) SFMTA Director of Accessible Services Annette Williams and Nicole Bohn, Director of the San Francisco Mayor's Office on Disability, about transportation accessibility and the role activism and advocacy have played in making transportation more accessible. July is Disability Pride Month, and this episode celebrates that by highlighting a bit of the work that has been done to break down barriers disabled people have faced over the decades.

Cleanliness Is Next to...Comfort and Safety Jun 30, 2023

An important part of the SFMTA’s commitment to safety is maintaining a clean fleet of Muni vehicles. In this episode, we meet three members of our transit car cleaning staff: Manager Myra Phillips, Assistant Supervisor Anthony Jackson, Jr. and Cleaner Ronald Brown. They’ll take us through the cleaning process and explain how the team keeps our buses, streetcars, light rail vehicles and cable cars spick and span. It’s a dirty job, but our very dedicated car cleaners do it well and with pride.

Welcome Aboard! Jun 15, 2023

The hard-working 22-Fillmore is one of San Francisco Muni’s longest running bus lines. We hop on board to learn about the history of the 22, as well as its modern-day impact on the city it serves.

San Francisco Transit Riders Board member and retired SFMTA Manager of Service Planning Peter Strauss walks us through the early days of the line. We also talk with Muni operators Earl Scott and Julio Ruano, who drive on the 22-line, and we check in with some businesses along the route.

"Welcome Aboard!" Trailer Jun 07, 2023

The first episode of Taken with Transportation…”Welcome Aboard!”… is coming soon and will take you for a ride across San Francisco on the 22-Fillmore public transit line.

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