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SFMTA director details Muni Metro control failure, announces fix-it weekend and bus grant
Summary
SFMTA Director Julie Kirschbaum told the board a Nov. 23 automatic train-control communication failure forced manual operations and slower service; staff say the central computer component was replaced and the primary issue was resolved Nov. 24. The board was briefed on a Dec. 6'8 "fix it" weekend on the N/Judah line and a nearly $40 million federal grant to replace aging buses.
SFMTA Director Julie Kirschbaum briefed the agency's board on a service disruption to the Muni Metro that began at about 3 p.m. on Nov. 23 and was driven, she said, by an automatic train-control communication failure between central and local systems. "This failure began at about 3PM on November 23," she said, adding that staff replaced the malfunctioning central computer component and restored the system to service the next day.
Kirschbaum said trains ran under manual operation during the outage, which limited spacing and required slower speeds. "When we're running under automatic conditions, we run 40 plus miles per hour," she said; under manual operation the safe maximum is 25 mph.
To reduce future disruptions, staff will conduct an intensive maintenance "fix it" weekend on the N/Judah line from early Saturday morning Dec. 6 through early Monday morning Dec. 8, when buses will provide curbside service between Church Street and Ocean Beach while PG&E and SFMTA perform coordinated capital work. "During fix it weekend ... PG and E will be performing critical infrastructure work while we perform maintenance work to keep the N. J. U. D. in a state of good repair," Kirschbaum said.
Kirschbaum also highlighted other agency initiatives: construction on more than 100 resident-request traffic-calming projects to address a pandemic-era backlog of requests; ongoing coordination with Caltrans on the 19th Avenue rehabilitation (Highway 1) beginning Dec. 1; and a multiagency public-relations item celebrating volunteers who decorate cable cars for the holidays.
The board's public-comment period drew questions about the new federal grant the agency announced Nov. 20. Kirschbaum said the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a nearly $40,000,000 FTA low- and no-emission bus grant that will allow SFMTA to replace 24 aging hybrid-diesel buses and acquire parts, manuals, training and telematics licenses. "You approved this purchase at the fall 2024 board meeting," she noted, calling the federal funding "a strengthening of our ability to provide excellent service today while accelerating our efforts to avoid costly breakdowns from our aging fleet."
The director's report closed with a short video and remarks about the holiday volunteer tradition for cable-car decorations. The board did not vote on operational policy today; staff said they will continue troubleshooting residual issues and report back as needed.
