Rider Satisfaction Shrinks On San Francisco Muni
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS/AP) - Just over half of riders polled said recently they were happy with San Francisco's public transit service. That number is down slightly since the last Muni survey, three years ago.
The rider satisfaction statistics were revealed when Municipal Transportation Agency executive director Nathaniel Ford outlined plans for Muni's future, during an appearance before the MTA board.
The latest survey, taken within the last month, showed that just 52% of respondents were satisfied with Muni service. That number was 55% when a similar survey was taken three years ago.
Ford also warned that funding issues could continue to plague the transit agency, though he made no mention of a fare increase.
"We have unpredictable funding sources," he explained. "Some of the key funding issues will continue to challenge us. The state is in a perpetual financial crisis, and federal funds are shrinking. The federal gas tax fund is again in a deficit. Our local sales taxes are in decline and we're very reliant on a buoyant economy."
Ford was rumored to be a candidate to lead Washington D.C.'s public transit agency, though a spokesman for Ford issued a denial. The spokesperson asserted that no such interview had taken place, adding that Ford remained focused on Muni.
In addition to funding problems, the transit agency was recently forced to address a software glitch that allowed lawbreakers to slip through new subway system gates with a wave of the hand.
Installation of the gates began last month and a television report on the glitch was posted on YouTube last week. It has gone viral and commuters are increasingly slipping through without paying.
The gates are designed to open automatically with a motion sensor when a person exits. But the same sensor can be activated by someone entering the system, bypassing the need to open it with a prepaid fare card.
Ford said Muni and the gate contractor were working on a solution.
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