A 29 Sunset bus pulls up to a stop on 19th Avenue across the street from the SF State campus and the M Ocean View train platform.
Some San Francisco college students are helping their peers and instructors get around, including on Muni.
Every weekday at 4:45 p.m., a traffic report tailored to the San Francisco State University community airs on KSFS. That's SF State's internet-based campus radio station.
"I came up with idea for 'KSFS Transit-Traffic Report' because we're a commuter school, and there's a need for it," said Professor Elaine Leung. Leung teaches radio and podcasting classes in the university's Broadcast & Electronic Communication Arts department, known as BECA. She also is a longtime professional traffic reporter.
Muni and San Francisco State
Muni is a significant part of the KSFS Transit-Traffic Report because almost half a dozen bus routes and a Metro line serve SF State in the afternoon and early evening. They are:
- M Ocean View
- 28 19th Avenue
- 28R 19th Avenue Rapid
- 29 Sunset
- 57 Parkmerced
- 58 Lake Merced
Muni recently became an even more important transportation option. SF State used to have a dedicated shuttle that ran between campus and Daly City BART. However, that shuttle was discontinued last year. So, students, faculty and staff who take BART now count on the 28, 28R, 57 and 58 buses to get to the Daly City station.
And through the Gator Pass transit program, SF State students can use their student ID to ride public transit, including Muni. They pay for the Gator Pass through their student fees and get unlimited rides during the semester.
An M Ocean View train approaches its stop at SF State.
A mix of education and public service
Each KSFS Transit-Traffic Report is 20-30 seconds long. And each covers Muni and traffic on 19th Avenue. A report also might mention Highway 101 and Interstate 280, especially if there is a crash on one or both highways.
"It's structured just like [a traffic report] would be in commercial radio," explained SF State broadcasting student and KSFS Production Manager Casey Crews. "I'm a commuter student and know how valuable traffic reports are."
From an educational perspective, the students are learning how to prepare a traffic report that includes the most up-to-date information. First, they look up real-time traffic conditions and Muni arrival times. Then they write the report. This all happens in the minutes leading up to the 4:45 airtime.
Sometimes the Transit-Traffic Report leads to more KSFS show content. On a particularly warm day recently, there were no Muni delays. So, the students on the air "started talking about what bus routes to take to get to Baker Beach," Leung said.
KSFS began airing the Transit-Traffic Report in late February. "I love it," Crews declared, "because it fits into the much bigger picture of broadcasting supporting the community."
You can listen to the Transit-Traffic Report weekday afternoons at 4:45 on the KSFS website or the KSFS Radio app.
Comments are for the English version of this page.