Shipping:
*Cosco Busan pilot John Cota to retire -- Capt. John Cota, who was piloting the container ship Cosco Busan when it ran into the Bay Bridge last autumn, has decided to retire rather than face a hearing before a state commission. Cota said in a letter dated June 23 to the State Pilot Commission that he faces "an impossible situation" and that the only option open to him was to retire, effective Oct. 1. Cota still faces state misconduct charges and federal misdemeanor and felony charges. If convicted of the federal charges, Cota, 60, could go to prison. SF Chronicle 7/2/08
*Cargo moves smoothly at West Coast ports -- Cargo is moving without interruption at 29 West Coast ports despite the expiration of a contract that covered more than 25,000 dockworkers and their employers. The contract expired at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Negotiators for the International Longshore Warehouse Workers Union and the Pacific Maritime Association continue with talks that, after nearly four months, have failed to produce an accord on wages, pensions, safety and productivity issues. A notice on the union's Web site said its members will continue to work without a contract. SF Chronicle 7/2/08
Transit and infrastructure:
Customer numbers soar for Regional Transit -- Regional Transit experienced a record-breaking number of people taking public transit in May, with more than 3.2 million passengers, an RT news release states. The record month saw an 8.5 percent increase in the total number of people taking public transit compared to the same period last year. The number of people taking light rail also is increasing. More than 1.6 million people rode light rail in May, a 22.4 percent increase from May 2007, the release states. Sacramento Bee 7/2/08
*State's car shoppers to get information on emissions -- Under a first-in-the-nation law, all new cars for sale in California starting with the 2009 model year will be required to display a window sticker in the showroom that indicates how the vehicle's greenhouse gas emissions compare with other vehicles of the same model year. SJ Mercury 7/2/08
Drivers observing hands-free cell phone law -- The California Highway Patrol, responsible for patrolling the state's freeways and highways, promised to aggressively enforce the ban on drivers engaging in handheld cell phone conversations, and mounted a huge publicity campaign. While no official citation tallies will be available for several days, according to CHP spokesman Tom Marshall, efforts to publicize the law appeared to have worked. SF Chronicle 7/2/08
*Muni on-time performance up - but just barely -- San Francisco Municipal Railway's on-time performance increased by a little more than 1 percent during the first three months of 2008, compared with the prior quarter, and still fell well short of the 85 percent rate mandated by voters. The transit agency reported a 70.5 percent on-time rate in January, February and March, compared with 69.2 percent during the last three months of 2007. SF Chronicle 7/2/08
S.F. settles Muni suit for $2 million -- The city of San Francisco will pay $2 million to a woman who lost part of her leg after she was struck by an N-Judah train in January, under the terms of a settlement approved Tuesday by the Municipal Transportation Agency board. Gryn also accused the city of San Francisco of creating a "dangerous, hazardous and defective condition" at the intersection of Ninth and Irving. The suit says the intersection does not have proper signs and does not give pedestrians enough time to cross the street. SF Chronicle 7/2/08
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