Timed Transfers

If you are taking a bus in the wee hours of the morning, a good place to find out where to go to meet one is at a bus shelter with a map of the transit system. In the corner of the map is a gray box that shows the owl lines. Owl lines are the bus routes that operate 24/7 and in the period between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. The schedule of the owl buses does not change from weekdays to weekends, and generally, you can count on their arrival every thirty minutes. Because no traffic or construction delays exist in the early morning, the schedule for these buses is very accurate. I have found in taking the N Judah at 4:30 a.m. to be so accurate that I could set my watch to its schedule when it arrived at Haight and Clayton.

Because the late night buses run so smoothly, certain crossroads or transfer points exist between these two lines and are designated timed transfers. Not too many people notice this detail on the map. And perhaps, very few ever need to know when the N Judah comes inbound in relation to the 22 Fillmore. But when you really need to know, and it’s zero dark thirty, and you see the 22 turning the corner on to 16th from Church as your N Judah pulls up two blocks behind the 22 at Market, the bummer is a hard one to get over. The 22 and N are not a timed transfer and miss each other by about three minutes. Ouch. Add another half hour to your morning commute to your 5 a.m. start time at the job.

I just looked at a new map and headway timetable in a new shelter and now see that the timed transfer symbol has been removed from the owl map! There goes another chapter idea down the drain before it even went to print! Though Muni (short for Municipal Railway) does not now recognize timed transfers between buses at night, that does not necessarily mean buses do not meet at certain corners. The 90 Owl and L Taraval still may meet at Market and Van Ness. As a bus driver aware of these timed transfers in the past, I am more likely to wait for the crossing bus, having knowledge about passengers wishing to make the connection.

Unfortunately, with the reduction in service and with new hires, this connection is lost. And the reality of losing a half hour in an early morning commute to open up a coffee shop or warehouse is lost upon newer drivers. The fact that the new map no longer shows timed transfers is a wee hour loss that few, if any, realize, but it’s of great importance to those few who need to get around in the early hours.

My first free copy of the ZenZone went to my coffee shop manager, who had to transfer in the Richmond to get inbound to Geary and Fillmore to open up at zero dark thirty. I told him he could use the hardcover addition as a means for getting the attention of the operator stalling at Park Presidio. He finally gave up trying to open the store on time and now works near his house. The travails of those traveling to work early are increased by service cuts. The precision and timing of transfers is lost when gaps occur between transfers, and ridership suffers. The cuts that occurred in 2010 “cost” riding time at night. It was the same with the cutbacks to the terminals on the 24. Every time a terminal is shortened, ridership declines. Ask anyone on the 2 Clement, with its shorter terminal at Park Presidio and 15th Avenue. Cutting terminals is the first step in eliminating a line altogether.

So, the essence is if you have to travel on a regular basis, get to know the regular operator, and get the times of a critical jumping off point. If you miss the next bus, find out from that operator when his or her leader goes by. It is possible that, over time, you can make the connection, as the other operator will wait for you. When lines are not adjusted, the chances increase that the same operator will stay with that run after a new signup. This helps with consistency and predictability. Even if Muni does not now acknowledge timed transfers, it does not mean you cannot still make them between lines.

A good rule of thumb is not to wait crosstown in the avenues, but head inbound first. Then take the 22 headed inbound away from the barn. The main thing is to try different routes to see which one works for the shortest commute.

Today, agencies work together to keep their All-Nighter runs to meet at Van Ness and Market. This would be a huge score for keeping Zen in mass transit. If you raise the fare, add more time onto the transfer.