Breaking #FoxNews Alert : Nicholas upgraded to hurricane as it approaches Texas

Breaking #FoxNews Alert : Nicholas upgraded to hurricane as it approaches Texas

— R Karthickeyan (@RKarthickeyan1) Sep 14, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/RKarthickeyan1

September 14, 2021 at 09:45AM
via RKarthickeyan1

Show HN: Orakyubu, a game about 2D puzzles in 3D space https://ift.tt/2XhYr84

Show HN: Orakyubu, a game about 2D puzzles in 3D space https://ift.tt/3tBHlOq September 14, 2021 at 09:00AM

Cable Car Shutdown Update

Cable Car Shutdown Update
By

Last Thursday at approximately 1:30 p.m., the fire suppression system in the electrical room at the Cable Car Barn at Mason and Washington streets discharged. This caused the electrical room to fill with fire retardant material resembling smoke, which prompted a response from SFFD as a safety precaution. Upon the discharge of the fire suppression system, other automated safety systems were activated resulting in a loss of electrical power to the entire facility, including the propulsion system for the cable cars.

As the cable cars only recently came back to full service on Sept. 4, we share the public’s disappointment to now be without these essentially San Francisco features on our streets. Our electrical, operations, safety and facilities teams are working hard to ensure that we do thorough inspections across related systems, rigorous testing and careful resumption of service to avoid further disruption. We are grateful for the quick response and support from SFFD. Since this incident we have also been working in close collaboration with PG&E to inspect our electrical systems and prepare to bring them back safely.

Last week’s discharge of the suppression system was due to the failure of an aged release valve which has been in service since the last cable car renovation in the 1980's. Regular inspections by outside fire safety experts of the fire suppression system have not shown any signs of defect, but the system is almost four decades old and is not considered current best practice. The wider loss of electric power at the facility was the outcome of the systems shutting down safely. Due to the age of related safety and electrical equipment, we are thoroughly inspecting this equipment for any resulting damage, stress or fatigue it may have undergone.

The fire suppression system did not sustain damage, but purchasing and retrieving necessary replacement parts for this aged system along with the inspections and testing once repairs have been made will take time. A 305-lb canister of the fire suppression system’s halon material will need to be assembled over the next week, and then delivered by truck from Ohio, followed by installation and testing. We are also researching possible alternatives to repair or replace the obsolete system in the near term. While we do not expect to have the cable cars return to service before the end of next week, we will continue to provide updates on our plans and schedule.

These are some of the many challenges that the SFMTA faces keeping the one of the oldest transportation systems operating in San Francisco.

The Cable Car system has not undergone a complete system renovation since the 1980s. More than a year ago, the SFMTA began planning for a complete system renovation, which would include modernization of the Cable Car Barn, including critical seismic upgrades, replacement of the Cable Car electrical system, propulsion and long-term system resilience. A complete system renovation today would cost approximately $625 million.

The project delivery of this program is designed around complete system renovation. The central project is the renovation of the Cable Car Barn, which requires a full upgrade of the existing 12KV electrical system, which triggered last week’s safe shutdown of the cable car electrical systems, plus structural and seismic upgrades.

The project would also seek to renovate the on-street infrastructure, including the tracks and turntables, as well as the continued rehabilitation of 27 Powell-style cable cars and 13 California-style cable cars.

A nationally recognized landmark, the Cable Car system is an iconic emblem of San Francisco beloved by locals and visitors alike. During the 1982 renovation of the Cable Car System, the federal government, noting the national significance of the system, provided 80% of the renovation costs through the Federal Department of Transportation over multiple years. In total, that federal contribution today would be $500 million, with the city, through the SFMTA, raising the funds necessary for the local match of $100 million. 

The renovation of this U.S. icon represents a project of national significance and an opportunity for innovation in transportation project delivery and historic preservation. The Cable Car System has not undergone a complete system renovation in nearly four decades. The time has come to build a program to ensure that cable cars are available into the next century.

Published September 14, 2021 at 03:55AM
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Show HN: Tingy – search videos with natural language queries https://ift.tt/3hwP2R9

Show HN: Tingy – search videos with natural language queries https://tingy.video/ September 13, 2021 at 11:52PM

Breaking #FoxNews Alert : Blinken torched for testifying virtually about chaotic Afghan withdrawal in building just 3 miles away

Breaking #FoxNews Alert : Blinken torched for testifying virtually about chaotic Afghan withdrawal in building just 3 miles away

— R Karthickeyan (@RKarthickeyan1) Sep 13, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/RKarthickeyan1

September 14, 2021 at 02:44AM
via RKarthickeyan1

How Youth Can Shape Muni Moving Forward

How Youth Can Shape Muni Moving Forward
By Kharima Mohamed

MTA’s 2022 Muni Service Network survey is currently underway and we want to be sure that young people’s voices are heard. Youth now have an opportunity to vote on what type of Muni service they want to see in 2022. 

As part of our 2022 Muni Service Network virtual open house and office hours series, we will be holding youth-centered virtual office hours on Thursday, September 23 at 6 p.m. Youth are encouraged to join to find out how the three proposed scenarios for winter 2022 Muni service would change how they get to school and to activities around San Francisco. Youth will be able to ask questions and get answers from SFMTA staff about what matters to them most about Muni service in 2022.

Three alternatives have been developed to help us determine what Muni service should look like in 2022: the Familiar alternative, the Frequent alternative and the Hybrid alternative.

The Familiar alternative brings back the all-day Muni routes that have yet to be restored at their pre-pandemic frequencies: the 2 Clement, 3 Jackson, 6 Haight/Parnassus, 21 Hayes, and 47 Van Ness (in addition to the 10 Townsend and 28R 19th Avenue Rapid, which will be restored under all of the scenarios).  

The Frequent alternative increases service on high ridership Muni lines, improving reliability and connections to grocery stores, hospitals, schools and diverse workplaces, while decreasing wait times and crowding, made possible by restoring just two of the seven pre-pandemic Muni routes that we suspended in 2020.

The Hybrid alternative aims to balance the Familiar and the Frequent scenarios and restores five of the seven pre-pandemic routes.

A StoryMap has been developed to explain these scenarios in more detail. Any questions about the StoryMap or the different scenarios can be asked during the open houses or office hours. Youth can also take the survey online or by phone at 415.646.2005 to provide their feedback.

Youth have always been a big focus for the SFMTA. This year we expanded the Free Muni for All Youth program to include all youth 18 and under, regardless of household income level. Last month, we added Muni service in time for the start of the school year. We look forward to talking with youth across San Francisco in the coming weeks to hear what Muni service will serve San Francisco best in 2022.

Published September 14, 2021 at 02:09AM
https://ift.tt/3EdxzXJ

How Youth Can Shape Muni Moving Forward

How Youth Can Shape Muni Moving Forward
By Shalon Rogers

MTA’s 2022 Muni Service Network survey is currently underway and we want to be sure that young people’s voices are heard. Youth now have an opportunity to vote on what type of Muni service they want to see in 2022. 

As part of our 2022 Muni Service Network virtual open house and office hours series, we will be holding youth-centered virtual office hours on Thursday, September 23 at 6 p.m. Youth are encouraged to join to find out how the three proposed scenarios for winter 2022 Muni service would change how they get to school and to activities around San Francisco. Youth will be able to ask questions and get answers from SFMTA staff about what matters to them most about Muni service in 2022.

Three alternatives have been developed to help us determine what Muni service should look like in 2022: the Familiar alternative, the Frequent alternative and the Hybrid alternative.

The Familiar alternative brings back the all-day Muni routes that have yet to be restored at their pre-pandemic frequencies: the 2 Clement, 3 Jackson, 6 Haight/Parnassus, 21 Hayes, and 47 Van Ness (in addition to the 10 Townsend and 28R 19th Avenue Rapid, which will be restored under all of the scenarios).  

The Frequent alternative increases service on high ridership Muni lines, improving reliability and connections to grocery stores, hospitals, schools and diverse workplaces, while decreasing wait times and crowding, made possible by restoring just two of the seven pre-pandemic Muni routes that we suspended in 2020.

The Hybrid alternative aims to balance the Familiar and the Frequent scenarios and restores five of the seven pre-pandemic routes.

A StoryMap has been developed to explain these scenarios in more detail. Any questions about the StoryMap or the different scenarios can be asked during the open houses or office hours. Youth can also take the survey online or by phone at 415.646.2005 to provide their feedback.

Youth have always been a big focus for the SFMTA. This year we expanded the Free Muni for All Youth program to include all youth 18 and under, regardless of household income level. Last month, we added Muni service in time for the start of the school year. We look forward to talking with youth across San Francisco in the coming weeks to hear what Muni service will serve San Francisco best in 2022.

Published September 14, 2021 at 02:09AM
https://ift.tt/3EdxzXJ