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The head of San Francisco's public transportation sector is resigning, the latest consequence of a 10-hour crisis in the subway that strangled the city on Friday.
Ed Reiskin, who has been running the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority for eight years, made no mention of the incident in a contrite note sent to his colleagues Monday morning. But for most observers, the connection was clear.
"The employment agreement I have with the SFMTA board ends in August and it's become clear that this is the right time to change," wrote Reiskin. He announced that he would resign this summer, shortly before the expiry of his contract.
The announcement coincided with a burning letter from the mayor of London Breed – the latest in a series of missives addressed to the city's main transport agency – calling for a national search to find a new director.
The failure of an electrical wire that paralyzed the commute from downtown Friday seemed to be breaking point for Breed, who was already overseeing the agency.
"While unplanned outages and service disruptions are associated with a system as complex as ours, our proactive work is to prevent and respond to these outages and disruptions immediately, which sets strong leadership," said Breed. .
"The Franciscans in San need robust and ready-to-implement emergency plans, robust and ready-to-deploy communication plans, as well as a visibly committed management team capable of leading the system in case of turbulence, "she continued. "However, recent incidents at SFMTA have shown that existing leadership is not up to the task."
Reiskin was hired in 2011, a newcomer in the transportation industry and with experience in managing other conflicting departments – he ran the 311 call center for complaints from the city and the public works department.
Passionate about cycling and public transit, known for wearing his second-hand suit, Reiskin has made an unpretentious figure. He loved a lot of San Francisco residents while drawing criticism from his readers – including Breed – who wanted a tougher and more ambitious personality to head the department.
On Monday, Breed explained what she was looking for journalists at City Hall.
"The goal is to find a visionary leader who is ready to actually lead this department and lead … in a way that restores confidence in our public transit system in San Francisco," he said. she declared.
Some expressed skepticism that any truly qualified person would want Reiskin to work $ 342,483 to manage the streets, parking and public transit of a changing city. It's a role at the center of a political whirlwind, fighting for street improvements that require the removal of parking spaces; Raise money from the infrastructure in the city budget; and reconcile the interests of traders, cyclists, motorists, electric scooter manufacturers, pedestrians and politicians who compete.
"Every politician says," I want a visionary, I want an independent leader, "but my experience is that it's not what they really want," said Tom Radulovich, former director of the board of directors. BART administration and executive director of the Livable City non-profit group.
"They want a leader who will not rock the boat," added Radulovich. "No bad news" seems to be the best way to manage a transport service. "
Reiskin has come under increasing pressure to face Muni's challenges. Last summer, the agency asked popular buses and line drivers to make shuttles around the Twin Peaks tunnel, which had been closed for a two-month modernization period . The strategy exacerbated a shortage of drivers who had kept Muni for years, slowing down service throughout the system. Even worse, officials did not explain the mosaic plan to the riders, who were stuck and confused at the bus stops.
These problems worsened in the ensuing months, as lawsuits and employee complaints uncovered a culture of intimidation and intimidation within the US. agency. The former director of the Muni bus and subway line took a brisk retreat in October, after being accused of sexual harassment by an employee, just as the SFMTA was trying to deploy a new fleet of wagons; which accumulates passenger complaints and their safety.
What was supposed to be a period of expansion and innovation has instead become a downward slide. Demand for bus and train services rose in San Francisco, which was booming, posing challenges for an agency that was hanging around with old equipment. SFMTA managers struggled to meet basic criteria, such as the goal set by interim transit director Julie Kirschbaum to reduce major delays in the metro to four per month. The riders saw five delays of 20 minutes or more in March.
In his letter, Breed acknowledged that San Francisco has not adequately invested in its transit system for decades, and the tension is beginning to manifest itself. Population growth and employment means that more and more people rely on Muni and that city politicians have less patience for snafus.
However, she also criticized Reiskin and other SFMTA leaders for appearing "paralyzed" due to a buildup of problems. The agency was reluctant to quell the alleged harassment until Breed hired an ombudsman to intervene. Leaders worried when questions arose about the door sensors of Siemens' new cars after a woman's hand got stuck at the beginning of the month, causing her to fall back on track.
And it's not before 9:30 pm Friday that the agency explained the collapse of one day in his subway system, which raised questions about the maintenance of its overhead cables.
Meanwhile, the lack of bus and train operators persists. Operators staged a class action last week, refusing to work on their days off while they were negotiating a three-year contract. This has resulted in delays on more than a dozen bus lines.
Calling for new leadership is a political risk for Breed, who actually took over the agency. Yet some of his peers in the town hall say the mayor has no choice.
"I do not think it's surprising," said the supervisor, Rafael Mandelman, stressing how the events of recent months had angered residents and workers. The Franciscans of San "think that the mayor is responsible for everything that goes wrong in the city," he said.
Malcolm Heinicke, who chairs the SFMTA board, congratulated Reiskin on Monday for his "dedication and perseverance" mandate.
"The way Ed goes really speaks to his character," said Heinicke. "He does not complain about the situation. He does not say he was abused – none of that. He says, "It's time for me to leave at the end of my contract." But he will continue and work hard until the end. "
Heinicke put Muni under a microscope after being named president this year, demanding monthly performance reports for light rail and buses. He said that in previous years, the board had been focused on overall projects rather than on daily service, which is what distinguishes commuters the most.
"The challenge is that we have an aging system that has not been designed to perfection," said Heinicke. "But we are all connected to the system when it is working properly and we all know how great it can be."
Rachel Swan is a writer at the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @rachelswan
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