Transit Woes: Muni Edition.

This just in: Muni makes wack upgrade to hide the fact that it is quickly becoming outdated! 

MUNI officials announced that they will outfit the nine train stations with beautiful new moniters which will provide passengers with train arrival times.  These monitors will have a more visuals of the train map, and also provide a more accurate prediction of train location, since trains cannot be monitored by GPS when underground.

Looking at the picture above, I can't shake the feeling of embarassment. First let me state that I am a big fan of MUNI, an advocate even, but there is no reason to praise such a pathetic advance. When compared to the web of transit in Tokyo, MUNI is like the frail and fragile little sibling. At this point, other systems in the world are more advance, more intricate, and more punctual.

Above is the Japan Rail map of Tokyo. These trains are extremly punctual, so much so, that people have to rush in and out because the train is on a schedule and isn't shy about leaving you behind. This actually forces people to be puntual as well, as you will see people running through the stations trying to make their train or appointment. The effectiveness of the transit in Tokyo has actually forced an entire mega-region to be on time. MUNI has the opposite effect - no matter how early you leave your house, if there is a crack head on that bus - you're gonna be late.

Below is an example of the monitors on the Japan Rail trains. There are about eight of these on each train, one above each door (there are about 8 doors on a train, four on each side). The boxes represent the different stations, the names of which located right below. The numbers within the box are strict estimates of the minutes until the train reaches that station.

Having grown up in San Francisco, I began riding MUNI in adolescence, and have yet to see an advancement that would bring the system to the same operating level as the Japan Rail. It would have been nice to see MUNI grow and mature along with me.