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Grand jury urges Muni to stop routine 'switchbacks'; SFMTA says tactic needed for major delays
Summary
A civil grand jury found that SFMTA's use of 'switchbacks' — turning vehicles short of advertised terminals — undermines rider trust and urged their elimination except for emergencies. SFMTA defended the practice as a recovery tactic and offered data and operational steps to reduce rider impact.
A civil grand jury told the Government Audit and Oversight Committee on Oct. 29 that San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) managers have routinely used ‘‘switchbacks’’ — instructing passengers to disembark before the advertised route end so a vehicle can be redeployed — and that the practice breaks riders’ trust and should be limited to unavoidable emergencies.
Sharon Gadbury, chair of the grand jury’s Muni investigative committee, said jurors gathered rider accounts and cross‑jurisdiction interviews showing switchbacks were used routinely in San Francisco and left riders stranded or waiting in poor conditions. ‘‘Announcing that Muni has no obligation whatsoever to follow the routes that it has advertised to riders is a brazen statement disavowing the moral and legal obligations of the transportation system,’’ Gadbury said.
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