Waymo Gridlock, Massive Crowds Blamed For Muni’s Fourth of July Transit Meltdown In San Francisco

Unexpected demand and roads choked by gridlock contributed to transit delays on the Fourth of July, said a spokesperson for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency at a board meeting on Tuesday. As riders traveled back from the Presidio and Marina neighborhoods after watching fireworks launched off the Golden Gate Bridge, 30-minute shuttle rides took closer to an hour and a half, said the agency’s External Affairs Director, Judson True. Lines of people also stretched for more than half a mile as buses could not accommodate all riders. Part of the reason was high demand, True said. Muni transported 41,000 more people than on last year’s Fourth of July. Add in self-driving cars stalling on the road, illegal driving on transit lanes and a car crash, and the problem was made worse, he said. “We are working with other city agencies to analyze what could have been done differently and how service can be improved in future large-scale events,” said True. The agency announced earlier this month that it is in the midst of conducting a full review of the night.

One fix might be to make sure self-driving cars can handle congested streets, True said. Hundreds of Waymos stopped in the middle of the streets and some had to be towed after their batteries died on the Fourth of July. Just last week, Mayor Daniel Lurie sent a letter to state regulators asking for stricter rules on autonomous vehicles on the road, explicitly linking services such as Waymo to the traffic standstill on July 4. “When it comes to autonomous vehicles, we have to work as collaboratively as possible to make sure that they operate, not just in normal conditions, but in unusual circumstances,” True said. Muni’s struggle to provide service on the Fourth of July comes as the Bay Area’s transit agencies face steep fiscal deficits. Muni is currently more than $350 million in the red and will cut up to 20 lines next year if it does not increase funding. Transit advocate Jaime Viloria said at Tuesday’s meeting that the agency’s meltdown on the Fourth showed a need to support transportation agencies.

“We cannot fix our city’s transportation issues through Muni operations alone,” he said. “We need to continue to find sustainable funding for transit services that San Francisco deserves.” Meanwhile, fellow advocate Griffin Lee was less sympathetic. He criticized the agency for what he said was a lack of planning. “Own up to mistakes, take accountability, and really think about how the agency can do better for large-scale events,” he told board members. Following the Fourth of July’s delays, Muni issued an official apology.