Maybe there are les cars running because the cars and drivers are resting
in the pockets the beyond Embarcadero or lost near the end of the N. Ken
or Andy had a comment about efficiency. Maybe Muni can't provide most
service and efficiency at the same time. There is time lost when a car
tavels beyond Embarcadero pulls into a pocket; a driver leisurely walk
the lenght of two cars with no clammering passengers waiting for service;
some computer stuff has to happen; then some switches have to happens;
then the car can run back to Embarcadero station; sometime the car has to
wait for a moving N or maybe more switches. This could easily take the
ten minutes that Ken observed. This is a high percentage of total run
time but we have to remember that there is also some layover time at the
Ocean end of the line.
Of course now that here are pockets they have to be used even in the late
evening when there is plenty of time to turn cars around without pockets.
So when a finally start to try to go home a Mongomery, in a ten or
twelve minute wait for the first single outbound car, which luckily again
for me was one I could use, there were about six inbound cars going to
Embarcadero and a short rest in the pockets.
A twelve per cent increase in running time requires a similar increase in
new Bredas and more drivers or another reduction in service. If we can
hire enough drivers it looks like we will have Boeings forever.
Howard Strassner
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