2002 Muni Riders’ Survey Results

1. 2002 Muni Riders’ Survey Results RESCUE MUNI Press Conference 5/29/2002

2. 2002 Muni Riders’ Survey • 6th annual survey assessed on-time performance from the rider’s perspective • “Did you, the rider, wait too long?” • 67 volunteers recorded 2464 rides: • route, date, stop location, direction, destination • time they arrived, Muni arrived, reached destination • crowding and cleanliness • time various lines passed a fixed point, in some cases • We compared their wait times with Muni published times (on the Muni map)

3. Muni System Performance • Muni riders delayed 14% of the time • Down from 17% in 2001 • Cut 1998 delays (28%) in half • This earned Muni a B grade • Most improved: 38-Geary (graded A) • Crowding was down substantially in 2002 • Best service is again on the dieselbus • Motorcoach lines late only 11% of the time • Light rail was late 16%; historic streetcar 13%

4. Riders delayed (1997-2002) • Service has improved for four years in a row

5. Lines compared (1) • Best five lines: line riders late grade change 47-Van Ness 4% A -13% 49-VN-Mission 5% A -15% 38-Geary 6% A -27% 2-Clement 7% A- +7% 33-Ashbury 7% A- -6%

6. Lines compared (2) • Worst five lines: line riders late grade change KLM subway 35% D +7% (Embarcadero to West Portal) L-Taraval 30% D+ +2% M-Ocean View 28% C- -1% 22-Fillmore 23% C+ -4% 10-Townsend 22% C+ N/A (New after 2001 survey)

7. Bus/rail compared (1999-2002) • Most service is better this year than last - notably light rail • Streetcar, limited slightly worse this year

8. Muni Metro (light rail) reliability • KLM Subway (between West Portal and Embarcadero) and L worse; J and N better

9. Waiting time (1997-2002) • Riders wait slightly more, relative to schedule (but service is more consistent) Average wait worse for second year

10. Variation among lines Service is much more consistent: most lines were graded B (note: this graph excludes lines with insufficient data) No F! D C B A

11. Crowding • Crowding is much better this year - declining ridership due to poor economy? Crush-loading cut in half in 2002!

12. Cleanliness • Still a problem - 20% of vehicles are dirty • Didn’t change much from 2001 overall - but mode ranking changed Streetcars not as clean this year

13. Total responses • Response rate is up this year - THANK YOU volunteers!

14. Policy implications • Budget increases have clearly helped • Four years of service improvement • Better management due to 1999 Prop. E • Detailed service standards now govern Muni performance and merit pay system • Fleet replacement means lower rate of breakdowns and equipment failures • Reduced automobile traffic has helped as well • The soft economy at work?

15. Budget increases help service • Will service suffer in this year of tighter budgets? ?

16. Recommendations • Muni must manage budget very carefully to prevent flat budget from reducing service quality • Very important to avoid unplanned service cuts! • New MTA must take advantage of reduced traffic to establish more dedicated right-of-way for Muni • e.g. new bus lanes on 4th, Folsom - many more are needed • Bus Rapid Transit on Geary, Van Ness, 19th Ave, etc. • With continued progress, Muni can earn an A next year!

17. Thank You! Questions? Call us: COLLIN MASLOV: 415 371 0726 DANIEL MURPHY: 415 665 4074 ANDREW SULLIVAN: 415 673 0626 Rescue Muni Hotline: 415 273 1558 or see www.rescuemuni.org