San Francisco: Muni experiments with a double-stop routine to speed things up

[marmar]

(SF Chronicle) Muni Metro riders may have noticed something different in the stations beneath Market Street. Trains, at least during commute hours, are stopping in different places, and two are stopping at the same time.

The unorthodox train behavior is part of a double-stopping experiment by Muni in the Montgomery, Powell and Civic Center stations to eliminate those annoying backups that leave passengers stuck in rail cars inside or just outside the stations, especially during the peak ridership hours.

Here’s how it works: A Muni train pulls into the station, lets riders off near the start of the platform then proceeds to the far end of the platform, where passengers board. Meanwhile, a second train pulls into the station behind the first train and lets its passengers off.

“This is meant to help customers get where they’re going faster,” said Paul Rose, a Muni spokesman. ............(more)

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Muni-experiments-with-a-double-stop-routine-to-7399014.php

[NV Whino]

1. Wow, somebody using their brain

Will wonders never cease.

[KamaAina]

2. The stations are much, much longer than the trains

they were originally meant to be BART stations way back when. Metro trains are at most four cars long, two cars on two different lines.