July 18 2009 SAN FRANCISCO City supervisors have called for a hearing into the cause of Saturday’s Muni light-rail accident, which injured 47 people.
At a meeting Tuesday, supervisors Bevan Dufty, Sean Elsbernd and Ross Mirkarimi said they were concerned about allegations by union officials that Muni management has compromised safety in the name of on-time performance.
Federal investigators have determined that L-Taraval operator Henry Gray prematurely switched from automatic to manual mode, effectively bypassing anti-crash measures 24 seconds before slamming into the back of a K-Ingleside train stopped at the West Portal station. Gray has reportedly said he blacked out before the crash.
Irwin Lum, president of Transport Workers Union Local 250-A, which represents Muni operators, said switching to manual mode 100 to 200 feet before the station is standard practice that’s condoned by managers who are under pressure to have trains arrive on time.
On Tuesday, Dufty said he wanted answers to questions about safety practices and communication between Muni dispatchers and operators.
Supervisors should have a chance to look at the transit system’s computer logs from the time of the crash, he said.
Mirkarimi said he’d like to explore the Municipal Transportation Agency’s response to the crash, along with how the Mayor’s Office has handled the aftermath.
No date has been set for a hearing.
