Muni restrictions cause crowded buses, fearful employees

A passenger wears a protective mask while waiting for a San Francisco Muni bus during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on April 6, 2020 in San Francisco. A passenger wears a protective mask while waiting for a San Francisco Muni bus during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on April 6, 2020 in San Francisco. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close Muni restrictions cause crowded buses, fearful employees 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

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Muni cut service to just 17 lines Wednesday, reducing the number of ways San Franciscans can get around the city.

While this was intended to allow for more social distancing, locals are reporting increased ridership on those lines and thus, overcrowding that makes social distancing almost impossible.

“With our core network for essential trips that started yesterday, we are focusing our limited resources on the lines people need most for essential trips,” SFMTA spokesperson Erica Kato said. “The point is to allow for more space and shorter headways (time between each bus) with this new network.”

KTVU collected reader photos showing people sitting side by side on crowded buses, some wearing masks, some without any protective gear at all.

Here's what a Muni bus in #SF looked like yesterday. Crowded. No physical distancing. @KTVU investigation profiles bus operators fearful of #coronavirus even weeks before route reductions & five employees tested positive for #COVID19 FULL REPORT: https://t.co/GbzrFDH9Tc pic.twitter.com/6E5khRFTOS — Brooks Jarosz (@BrooksKTVU) April 9, 2020

Some operators told KTVU that despite being provided gloves, surgical masks, wipes and sanitizer by SFMTA, they still don’t feel safe doing their jobs. Many have even taken precautions into their own hands with homemade signs and barriers. Five Muni employees have tested positive for COVID-19.

“They should have shut down all transit,” one operator told KTVU anonymously. “You’re really playing Russian roulette with your life.”

Other operators said there’s been an increase in homeless and mentally ill riders on their routes, making them fear for the safety of their passengers.

Mission resident Linda Rothfield’s closest Muni line, the J Church, isn’t included in the 17 lines still running, and she’s worried about how she’ll get groceries. She has asthma and going up the hills with bags of groceries is difficult for her. “I can get up the hills if I absolutely need to, but I know plenty of people, especially elderly, who can’t,” Rothfield said.

She added that after seeing the photos of crowded buses on Wednesday, she’s not too keen on riding them anyway.

While ridership has fallen significantly, Muni said it still serves approximately 100,000 passengers a day.

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Tessa McLean is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her at tessa.mclean@sfgate.com or follow her on Twitter @mcleantessa.