SaveMuni.com Central Subway press conference

PRESS CONFERENCE

Date: Monday, March 28, 2011

Time: 1:00 PM

Location: St Francis of Assisi Church, 610 Vallejo Street, San Francisco

On Monday March 28, SaveMuni.com will bring out the little known facts that MTA officials have hidden from the public about the Central Subway. Speakers will direct probing questions to Mayor Ed Lee about the effects the proposed Central Subway will have on Muni operations and finances. Recent MTA financial reports show that Muni will rack up operating and maintenance deficits of $1.6 billion over the next 20 years. SaveMuni.com questions how the Mayor plans to cover these deficits and handle the inevitable cost overruns from the Central Subway. SaveMuni.com will press the Mayor to justify spending $1.58 billion on a subway that will attract only 5,000 new riders a day (an increase above current Muni ridership of just .07%) as Muni faces large and growing safety, security, operating, maintenance and capital needs. Instead of addressing these issues, the MTA has embraced a costly subway that offers few benefits to Muni riders.

A distinguished group of speakers will address Muni’s problems, clarify Muni’s critical financial situation, and lay out a strong case against the Central Subway.

Presenters invited:

Howard Wong, San Francisco architect

Tom Rubin, Financial expert, CPA

Tom Radulovich, BART Director

Judy Berkowitz, President Coalition for S.F. Neighborhoods

David Schonbrunn, President of TRANSDEF

Bob Feinbaum, public policy consultant, will moderate the press conference.

SaveMuni.com is a two year old group of transit activists, environmentalists, and neighborhood leaders working for better Muni service to Chinatown and throughout San Francisco. Our White Paper ("Improving Muni Service in Chinatown") laid out a strategy for providing better transit service to Chinatown at far less cost than the Central Subway boondoggle.

The White Paper and other information is available at: http://www.savemuni.com/.