Mayor Lee Rides Crowded Muni Train Downtown With The Masses

Mayor Ed Lee, who is trying to raise $1 million in campaign cash to push his $500 million transportation bond over the finish line in the Nov. 4 election, got a firsthand taste of Muni's problems on Tuesday morning. Lee, who lives in Glen Park, took the M-Ocean View train downtown before a meeting with The Chronicle's editorial board, and no, he didn't get a seat. Lee said projects to be funded by his $500 million transportation bond would shave eight minutes from Muni commute times on major corridors - the current average is 20 to 25 minutes - synchronizing signals and re-engineering intersections to make them safer and faster. Lee, though, said he wouldn't actively campaign against the measure, put on the ballot by a majority of the Board of Supervisors, because it could confuse voters and hurt the transportation bond, which needs a two-thirds vote to pass. Mirian Saez, who previously oversaw leasing operations at the Treasure Island Development Authority, will "provide leadership to the organization and stabilize the day-to-day operations, including care, control and administration," said Bill Barnes, a spokesman for City Administrator Naomi Kelly. During this interim period, Mirian will begin the development of a five-year strategic plan for the department and accelerate discussions of a new facility for a proposed bond measure as soon as November 2015.