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There's a lot to be said about the public transportation system
in San Francisco. According to the Municipal Railway
website, "Muni is one of America's oldest
public transit agencies and today carries over 200 million
riders per year. Muni provides transit service within the city
and county of San Francisco 24
hours a day, 7 days a week. Operating Historic streetcars,
modern light rail vehicles, diesel buses, alternative fuel vehicles, electric
trolley coaches and the world famous cable cars,
Muni's fleet is among the most diverse in the world" (http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mhome/home50.htm).
From my experience, Muni is one of the most convenient things
our city has to offer. Most buses come very often, with wait times ranging from
two to three minutes to twenty at the maximum. There are many lines of buses,
cable cars, and trolleys that go both north/southbound and east/westbound, so
it's possible to arrive anywhere in the city within an hour (a statistic I have
personally proven many a time). And whereas in most other large metropolitan
areas public transportation costs about two or three dollars, a ride on Muni
will only put you back a measly 50 cents for students (the full fare is $1.50).
If that doesn't mean saving on gas money, I don't know what will.
Speaking of gas, not only is the Muni system efficient and easy
to use, it's also environmentally friendly. If 100 people ride the bus to work
every morning, that's like taking a hundred cars right off the road! Not only is
this an improvement on busy urban traffic, but it also cuts out the frustrating
experience of having to find parking in the crowded city street or shelling out
even more cash for space in a parking lot. Muni also has new hybrid-electric
buses, which are energy efficient, and programs like "Spare the Air."
A "Spare the Air" day is an especially hot day when levels of ozone
pollution in the air are predicted to be unhealthy. On these days, people are
encouraged to drive less, and all Muni lines can be ridden free of charge.
In addition to the aforementioned benefits of riding public
transit in the city, Muni offers a few special perks which make using the system
incredibly easy. If you dial 3-1-1 at any time of day or night, an operator can
give you to-the-minute information about schedules and arrival times of any bus
or trolley line. All the vehicles are mostly clean and well-maintained, the
drivers are well-trained and experienced, you can meet interesting
strangers.
Of course, the public transit system has its downsides as well.
You can occasionally be stuck waiting for the bus for what seems like FOREVER,
especially if you're in a rush, and it's unarguably a longer journey by bus than
by car. The bus you're on could be crowded, forcing you to stand for an hour
squished up against a large man with a scratchy coat. The driver could be
irritable and "accidentally" miss your stop or refuse to move the bus
until the guy in the back gets off for his obvious infraction of the "no
eating on buses" rule. You may just want some peace and quiet on your way
home from school, but loud kids jumping from seat to seat, smelly hobos,
too-enthusiastic conversations across the aisle, music blasting from various
headphones, and jabbering businesspeople on their cell phones can definitely
interfere with this simple desire. Still, as outlined above, the benefits
of Muni far outweigh the disadvantages, and the system is something everyone
in San Francisco should definitely try out if they
haven't already.
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