To close out 2016, we've asked our local neighborhood writers to choose their favorite stories from the past year, and to explain why they loved them so.
Today, we hear from Upper Haight neighborhood editor Camden Avery:
This story embodies San Francisco for me: people taking it upon themselves to address something bureaucracy and government can't fix. It sometimes feels like all the news is bad, and I love that there's a way for the city we see and use and move in every day to be directly, immediately shaped by our friends, our neighbors, ourselves.
Below is an excerpt from the original story, published on May 6th, 2016. (Stay tuned for an update on the initiative in the new year.)
This month, the San Francisco Transit Riders Union, a transit-focused grassroots advocacy and improvement organization, announced 30X30, its ambitious new efficiency benchmark for public transit in the city.
30X30's primary argument is that any part of San Francisco should be accessible via Muni in 30 minutes or less by the year 2030. According to the project's preliminary website, "Muni is the slowest major urban transit system in the nation," running at an average of 8.1 miles per hour.
"While it’s a lofty goal, for riders, it’s entirely reasonable. The city simply isn’t that large," said Reed Martin, a board member of the SFTRU. "Paris’s Line 14 subway, which runs about the same length as Geary Street, takes 12 minutes end-to-end, with a train every 60-120 seconds, all day. That’s 400 percent faster than the 38-Geary."
Click to continue reading Camden's favorite story of 2016, "SF Transit Riders Union Launches Ambitious '30X30' Muni Campaign."
