MUNI DOUBLE DECKER may join San Francisco bus fleet
5 December 2007
Photos by Bill Wilson © 2007
BY PAT MURPHY
Sentinel Editor & Publisher
Copyright © 2007 San Francisco Sentinel
San Francisco public transit users will ride for free beginning December 12 on a view friendly double decker coach offering 83 seats compared to 52 seats available on standard articulated buses.
The vehicle, displayed at City Hall Tuesday, will continue demonstration through January 8 as passengers ride free in returning for completing a survey on their experience with riding on high.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA) Executive Director Nathaniel Ford reported the vehicle is on loan to the City from bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited to determine its suitability on San Francisco streets.
It will travel various MUNI bus routes during the demonstration project.
“Looking at innovative approaches to our transportation needs is exactly the purpose of the TEP,” said Newsom.
“The SFMTA and San Francisco both have limited resources—financially and geographically. Whenever possible, we should explore all our options and work together to find the solutions that work best for San Francisco.”
A fleet of double deckers will be added if the coach satisfies scrutiny, Ford explained.
Nate Ford with Alexander Dennis Vice President Stephen Walsh seen in background
“When it comes to selecting the Muni bus of the future, we know we have experts all around us: our customers and employees,” said Ford.
He continued, “We do not plan to buy these or any vehicles next week. We are very focused on clearing any obstacles to achieving 85% on-time performance. At the same time we strive to solve today’s problems, we want to make sure we plan for the future.”
The 14-foot high double deck vehicle will easily pass under trolley wires.
For further information and to determine if their route will be part of the trial, riders may visit sfmta.com/double.
PAT MURPHY
Sentinel Editor & Publisher
In his youth, Pat Murphy worked as a General Assignment reporter for the Richmond Independent, the Berkeley Daily Gazette, and the San Francisco Chronicle. He served as Managing Editor of the St. Albans (Vermont) Daily Messenger at age 21. Murphy also launched ValPak couponing in San Francisco, as the company’s first San Francisco franchise owner. He walked the bricks, developing ad strategy for a broad range of restaurants and merchants. Pat knows what works and what doesn’t work. His writing skill has been employed by marketing agencies, including Don Solem & Associates. He has covered San Francisco governance for the past ten years. Pat scribes an offbeat view of the human family through Believe It or What. Email Pat Murphy at SanFranciscoSentinel@yahoo.com.
BILL WILSON
Sentinel Photographer
Bill Wilson is a veteran freelance photographer whose work is published by San Francisco and Bay Area media. Bill embraced photography at the age of eight. In recent years, his photos capture historic record of the San Francisco LGBT community in the Bay Area Reporter (BAR). Bill has contributed to the Sentinel for the past three years. Email Bill Wilson at wfwilson@sbcglobal.net.
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