An Open Invitation To Mayor Ed Lee: Let’s Take A Ride on Muni! (UPDATED)

January 11, 2011
Mayor Ed Lee
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 200
San Francisco, CA 94102
Dear Mayor Lee:
Congratulations on becoming the new Mayor of San Francisco! You bring decades of public service and hard work on behalf of the people of San Francisco to office, and although the challenges the City faces in 2011 are difficult, I am sure that as many have said on your behalf, you’ll work to do what’s best for all of San Francisco.
Muni and the SFMTA aren’t just political footballs to be kicked around, the way some have done in the past. Instead, it is a transit system and agency that was established with the unique prospect that transit agencies should be run on behalf of those that own it – in this case the people of San Francisco. Thus, Muni’s unique in that it has literally hundreds of thousands of “owners” who ride the system daily.
Running a system for such a diverse group of owners isn’t easy – but it is also a necessity. It is also an agency with severe, systemic problems that can’t be solved overnight.
Therefore, I am extending an invitation to you, as our new Mayor, to carve some time out of your busy schedule to come ride the N-Judah with myself and other transit/urban life bloggers.
However, while we’d be honored with the privilege of speaking with you, I would prefer most of all that you ride with and listen to the people of San Francisco who rely on Muni to go to work, attend school, take care of their families, and enjoy living in the greatest city in America.
I think if we spent some quality time up and down the line, you’d get a chance to hear people’s stories about Muni’s successes, its failures, and the hope in all of Muni’s owner/riders that City Hall can put aside politics and make a functional Muni something everyone can be proud of. Who knows? Perhaps if this works out, we could have a “Mayor on Muni” in other parts of San Francisco too!
Sincerely,
Greg Dewar
The N Judah Chronicles
PS: I noticed this afternoon you’ve invited China’s President, Hu Jintao, for a visit to San Francisco sometime this year. May I humbly suggest that perhaps all of us- you, me, the President, and assorted friends of a great transit system all take a ride together, if possible? It would be a way to showcase the many diverse neighborhoods that the N-Judah line serves, and a chance to showcase our city to the world in a way that’s never been done before.
As always, email me and let me know. Thanks!

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One Response to An Open Invitation To Mayor Ed Lee: Let’s Take A Ride on Muni! (UPDATED)

  1. great letter, Greg! I hope our new mayor takes you up on this!

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