Michael Rhodes
Michael Rhodes is a former reporter for Streetsblog San Francisco. He lives in the Mission Dolores neighborhood and is a graduate of UC Berkeley's Department of City and Regional Planning.
Recent Posts
Muni Gets $7 Million from TA for Budget Balancing Act — With Conditions
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Flickr photo: ricky.motalvo With the help of the Board of Supervisors acting as the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (TA) Board, Muni got a step closer today to finishing out fiscal year 2010 in the black, but there are major strings attached. In return for sending $7 million to the city’s transit agency, the supervisors […]
Report Shows Muni Was Less Reliable and More Packed in Late 2009
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In the final three months of 2009, buses broke down more often than in previous quarters. Flickr photo: WarzauWynn With grim news on most Muni-related fronts, including massive service cuts coming in two weeks, Muni managers also have to contend with a new quarterly performance report [PDF] that shows on-time performance suffering and more missed […]
This Week in Livable Streets Events
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This week, celebrate Market Street’s new separated bike lane, and join the effort to extend it all the way to the Embarcadero. Here are the highlights from the Streetsblog calendar: Monday: Bike Movie Night at the Independent. A free screening of Nebraska Supersonic, a comedy that tells the story of three friends who start a […]
In Struggle for Accessible Muni Metro Stops, Parking Comes First
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The accessible outbound platform at Church and 30th Streets. Photo: Michael Rhodes "Stops are too close together on Judah Street" goes the common refrain among many of Muni’s N-Judah riders — at least the able-bodied ones. Barely 300 feet of relatively flat terrain separates two stops in an especially egregious case. But for Tatiana Kostanian, […]
Oakland City Council Endorses BRT Routing for Further Study
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Image: AC Transit Bus Rapid Transit in the East Bay cleared an important hurdle yesterday as the Oakland City Council cast a unanimous vote in support of adopting a "locally preferred alternative" route. The route through Oakland would travel primarily on International Boulevard and Telegraph Avenue as part of a future AC Transit BRT corridor […]
SFMTA Board Approves Two-Year Budget by 4-3 Vote; Muni Cuts Extended
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Muni riders warned the SFMTA Board that buses are already packed — even before 10 percent service cuts arrive in May. Flickr photo: John ‘K’ The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board approved a budget for the next two fiscal years today that continues Muni service cuts into 2012, setting up a possible confrontation with […]
California Assembly Hits, Kills Traffic Justice Bill
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The intersection of Market and Octavia — one of the most dangerous in San Francisco for cyclists. Flickr photo: sfbike Safe streets advocates often ruefully say, "if you want to kill someone and get away with it, do it in a car." In fact, unless alcohol is involved, very few motorists who kill vulnerable road […]
Reminder: SFMTA Board Vote on Two-Year Budget Tomorrow
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Flickr photo: eviloars It may not be at the most convenient hour to make a trip to City Hall, but tomorrow’s SFMTA Board meeting at 2 p.m. could be the last chance to speak up before Muni service cuts are extended for the next two years. The board, which is appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom, […]
Sunday Streets Goes Back to the Bayview for Third Year of Car-Free Fun
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Flickr photo: sfbike Sunday Streets returned to the Bayview and the Central Waterfront for a third straight year yesterday, welcomed by a resplendent, sunny day and thousands of participants on bike, foot and skate. While the route is becoming a familiar jaunt for Sunday Streets veterans, many of the people out yesterday appeared to be […]
This Week in Livable Streets Events
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Speak up for transit at Tuesday’s SFMTA Board meeting, which is set to include a vote on the agency’s budget for the next two fiscal years. Plus, more highlights from the Streetsblog calendar: Tuesday: SFMTA Board Meeting: Two-Year Budget Vote. The board is set to vote on a two-year budget at this meeting that could […]
SFMTA Board May Continue Service Cuts through 2012 with Vote Tuesday
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Coming soon: more packed Muni vehicles. Flickr photo: adamjackson1984 The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s Board is set to vote Tuesday on a two-year budget plan [PDF] that would continue an imminent 10 percent reduction in Muni service through the next year, but restore half that service in the second budget year. With budget deficits […]
San Francisco Schools Take Part in Second Annual Bike to School Day
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Students at Sunset Elementary School student ride their bikes to school today. Photos: Michael Rhodes Across the city this morning, kids and their parents hopped on bikes to get to school, many of them breaking out of a car commute routine that’s no fun for either party. At Sunset Elementary School, one of dozens of […]