March 2, 1995
Mayor Frank Jordan, city supervisors Tom Ammiano and Sue Bierman, and University Vice President of Academic Affairs Marilyn Boxer were among about 300 people who gathered yesterday at the Stonestown Galleria to celebrate the completion of the new, one-of-a-kind MUNI stations at Stonestown and SF State.
After more than three years of joint efforts by MUNI, the San Francisco Art Commission, SF State, Stonestown Galleria merchants and local residents, the artistic creation of the elevated platforms and shelters was celebrated as a symbol of the "spirit of cooperation."
Jordan said, "When I'm looking at those outdoor platforms, I think that not only you've met the challenge, but you've succeeded it, so I compliment everybody involved on what has been accomplished today,"
After the speech, Jordan presented a "certificate of recognition" to five representatives who were involved in this project.
The five award recipients were Charles Gill, a senior vice president of Stonestown Galleria; Marilyn Boxer, SF State vice president of academic affairs; Jim Herlihy, of the Community Advisory Committee for Station Design; and Sheila Ghidini and Leonard Hunter, faculty members and artists who designed the stations.
Jordan thanked Boxer for "spearheading the creation of an artistic and academic outpost at the San Francisco State station and for committing to the care and maintenance of this MUNI station."
After receiving the award, Boxer said she was "pleased to accept this certificate on behalf of President Robert A. Corrigan and SF State University."
SF State takes great pride in our human resources. We are pleased that members of our creative art faculty played such a significant role in the innovative design of these platforms," she said and thanked Ghidini and Hunter for their creative design.
The new stations are the first of their kind in MUNI history, said the Director of Public Transportation Philip Adams. He added the stations were designed to provide "safer, faster boarding and much more protected and comfortable area for riders to congregate."
The stations are fully accessible to people with disabilities, and are equipped with elevated platforms, larger seating areas, zigzag-shaped copper roofing and "talking signs" -- electronic boxes strategically located on the ceiling that provide audio instructions and information for blind people.
The SF State station comes with special features including video monitors, flowers in tiled planters, art by students and a pair of binoculars.
Under the agreement, the university will maintain the station for free. In exchange, MUNI allows the university to display students' art at the station. This means there will be no advertising at the station.
Ghidini, one of the co-designers of the stations, said the idea of the zigzag-shaped roofing came from the outline of roof tops of the houses behind and from the outline of the mountain in the background.
Supervisor Bierman likes the design of the new stations and called them "a wonderful addition to MUNI."
"I think it's wonderful that (SF) State is taking over the maintenance and displaying students' art," she said of the joint work.
The two-phase project started in the end of 1991, and its $10 million price tag was primarily paid by federal grants from the Federal Transit Administration.
John Atkinson, SF State's traffic coordinator, said "This crowd is a representative of all the different community support that made this project possible."
Atkinson added, "This good faith effort" made by both private and public sectors and by residents should be seen more in other projects.
MUNI is planning to extend the existing J-line to 19th Avenue by 1996, according to Gordon Smith, manager of marketing and community affairs at MUNI.