As the saying goes, Muni helps those who help themselves, so if you're hoping for some kind of fare relief any time soon, don't count on getting a hand from our fearless local transit agency. As you surely know, fares go up to $1.50 starting Thursday, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Luckily for the Bob-Cratchety among us, Muni's introducing a "Lifeline" bus pass this month, at a rate that's reduced by TEN WHOLE DOLLARS! Wow! All you have to do to get one is ... um ... er ... well, nobody's really sure. Have you seen any info, anywhere, about how to pick up a lifeline pass? We did some highly journalistic digging around and unearthed a Top Sekrit Ph0ne Numb3r -- it's 415-557-5900 -- to hear a prerecorded message about the new pass. You can only buy it on the last business day of the prior month or first three business days of the current month; you can only buy one between 8am and 4:30pm; you can only buy them at 170 Otis St and 3120 Mission St; and you can only get one if you're on public assistance like Medical or CalWorks, or if you've gotten the Working Families Tax Credit.
So let's get this straight: the Lifeline pass, which Muni says will ease the burden brought on by its own incompetance, is only available for the working poor to purchase ... while they're at work? Hmmm, and we wonder if there'll be extremely long lines and wait times, too. We can't wait to start hearing stories about people getting fired from their minimum-wage jobs because they had to take a long lunch in order to buy the bus pass that would get them to work. "Vicious cycle of poverty," what's that?
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Love it. LOVE. IT. At least I'm not alone in the pain of paying $128/month for a sketchy-ass commuter bus pass to the Peninsula. I'm waiting for the route and service cuts ... in five ... four ... three ... two ...
I think there is a fundamental problem with Muni that service cuts and fare hikes will not change (unless the fare goes to something like 6 dollars) unless the way Muni is funded is changed.
The reason service cuts save money is because even with that $1.50 per rider, Muni looses money for every rider (except on a handful of profitable lines included the 38 and the N-Judah, which is having its service levels cut) so they have no economic incentive to provide good service. Service levels could be mandated by law, but it doesn't change the fact Muni saves money when we give up waiting for a bus and walk instead.
I think the solution is pretty obvious: Muni funding should be restructured with the City providing matching funds based on ridership. Only if Muni has an economic reason to provide good service and attract riders will they do so.
And if Muni looses rider? Muni would loose matching city money (which could then be used to fund other transit programs like bike network improvements)
i'm a lifeline pass user, but i missed the deadline to buy one for this month which sucks. now it's the last 2 business days of the previous month or the first two business days of the current month when you can buy it. i guess i'll go dig up some quarters.
the places you can buy them are freakin' far from where i work and from where i go to school and from where i live, since i rely on muni to get me around the city.
the line wasn't long when i bought mine at like 4:20 or something, and i think it's cause not a lot of people know about it or have time to get one.