Minimuni

Paul Hammond, 2 December 2008

I live near Duboce Park in San Francisco:

streep map of Duboce Triangle in San Francisco, showing 12 muni stops

Every SF Muni streetcar line runs within walking distance of my house, but they all stop in different places. I can't wait in one place and be sure to catch the next train that goes past.

I used leave the house and hope that I wouldn't have to wait too long for a train to turn up. I'd often get to Duboce Avenue just in time to see a train disappear into the tunnel. I'd then end up waiting 10 minutes at the corner of Duboce and Church for the next J or N, wondering the whole time if I should walk to Church station and catch a K, L or M.

That got a bit much for me, so I made this:

screenshot of minimuni

It puts arrival information for all the stops near me on one page, and puts the emphasis on when I need to leave the house to catch a train. It tells me whether I need to get going right now, or whether I have 5 minutes to play with my kid before leaving.

I've had a beta version running for a few weeks, and it's completely changed my mornings. I'm getting to work earlier and a lot less stressed.

As the about page says, if you live exactly 6 minutes from Sunset Tunnel East Portal, 8 minutes from Duboce and Church, and 10 minutes from Church Station you may find it useful too.