New Plan To Improve Pedestrian Safety Near Muni Light Rail To Be Announced This Afternoon

I'm sincerely glad to hear that you weren't hurt, Eve. I've had this happen to me at least once over the years; it wouldn't surprise anyone who rides Muni often to learn that whatever interlocks exist to keep the train from moving unless all doors are closed are disabled by operators as an "unofficial policy." Muni's streetcars are designed with plug-type doors, which seem to develop issues when they're regularly forced open by riders.

It doesn't help that at some stops (20th/Church outbound comes to mind, for those of you who ride the J), the train is poised at an angle that causes the rearmost plug door to slam into its frame, and at that point what I presume is a "safety" mechanism takes over, and opens the door. The ear-splitting screech ought to alert the operator to the problem, but it merely works on the passengers' last nerves. This problem goes back to the days of the Boeings; it didn't take long for the Bredas to develop similar faults.

The field solution that I've seen most is for the operator to close the door while the train begins moving. On rare occasions, the operator will leave the cab and disable the door altogether, but I suspect that once they get back to the yard at Green Division and the problem is reported, the mechanics can't replicate the problem and the streetcar is placed back into service.

Since Muni won't be replacing the Bredas anytime in the next 10-20 years, the design fault can't be addressed in any meaningful way. The only option would seem to be a comprehensive maintenance plan, and if anyone thinks that Muni can manage that, they have more faith than I.