[Rescue Muni] Almost There

Max Pong (pong2@llnl.gov)
Mon, 9 Nov 1998 10:46:14 -0800 (PST)

According to the Examiner, Muni was running more Metro cars than ever last
week, about 84-89 cars. This is getting close to the 99 cars needed for
full service. That probably explains why I saw more two-car trains last
week. The ATCS was running decently with about 35 trains/hr.

According to Emilio Cruz and Mayor Brown, Muni Metro is fixed when 99 cars
are running and all the Boeings have been replaced. So the good news is
Muni Metro is almost fixed. The bad news is that it's not going to get
much better than last week.

Breakdowns should decrease as the Boeings are retired and the Bredas
arrive, assuming a good maintenance program is followed. Of course, the
bunching of car destinations is still a problem. Perhaps the Metro Study
Group commissioned by Mayor Brown will present a solution.

Notes: At the 35-40 train/hr rate, it seems like the trains travel slower.
The trains/hr rate and travel speed are beginning to get constrained by
passenger boarding time. It also takes 2 minutes or more for a train to
exit West Portal, because the driver has to talk to the supervisor and let
pedestrians and autos cross. This frequently causes a backup of trains
waiting to exit the tunnel.