California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE Media Contact: Terrie Prosper, 415.703.1366, news@cpuc.ca.gov Docket #: I.11-02-017
CPUC STAFF AND MUNI REACH TENTATIVE SAFETY AGREEMENT

SAN FRANCISCO, March 16, 2012 - The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today said that its Consumer Protection and Safety Division (CPSD) and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA or Muni), which manages transportation in San Francisco, have reached an agreement in principle to settle disputes arising from the CPUC's February 2011 penalty consideration case that raised concerns about the SFMTA's system safety.

"We have worked closely with the SFMTA throughout this settlement effort, resulting in increased transparency and communication. The CPUC and the SFMTA share the goals of keeping the public safe and improving the system's rail quality. Together we have identified core system improvements that will significantly enhance system safety and allow the SFMTA to spend its dollars on improving its aging infrastructure rather than on litigation," said Michelle Cooke, Interim Director of CPSD.

The agreement in principle would establish:

· More consistent and improved communications between the CPUC and the SFMTA;

· Completion of rail replacement project at Church and Duboce Streets;

· Replacement of aging track in several other locations around the system, including the Eureka curve, Muni Metro turnaround, and Duboce Portal;

· Upgrading 27 signals that automatically govern train movements by implementing a standardized train signal package;

· Replacement of the communications cable that is essential to the automatic train control system in the Market Street/Twin Peaks Tunnel; and,

· Implementing recommendations of an independent safety analyst in the Sunset Tunnel.

The agreement in principle will be voted on by the SFMTA Board on March 20, 2012. The settlement also requires approval from the CPUC's Commissioners.

For more information on the case, including the agreement in principle, please see www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Enforcement/muni_2011.htm.

For more information on the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.

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