Cars drive in Muni's Sunset Tunnel 4 times in the past month

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency says four cars have tried to drive through the city's Sunset Tunnel this past month.

Problem is, the tunnel isn't meant for cars, it was built for Muni trains.

Cars get wedged between the tracks and Muni has to send in crews to haul out the vehicles.

Just this past Tuesday, a frustrated rider shot cell phone video of Muni passengers deboarding their train and walking through Sunset Tunnel, which stretches from Cole Valley to the Duboce Triangle neighborhood.

Turns out a car had driven inside and got stuck on the tracks, bringing service on the N-Judah line to a grinding halt for hours.

"It's pretty mind boggling!" said Carla McKay, who lives in the city's Inner Sunset.

"How could four people make that same mistake? I said they must have all been drunk!"

"These drivers for the most part have been intoxicated," said Paul Rose, a spokeperson for the SFMTA, who said that 24 people have driven into the tunnel over the past five years.

"When they do drive into the tunnel," said Rose, "it affects thousands of riders when they do that because we have to put shuttles on the street."

Last year, the SFMTA installed speed bumps and bright "Do Not Enter" signs in front of the tunnel to try to prevent future accidents, but that hasn't deterred errant drivers.

"The street maintains kind of a straight line up the street and into the tunnel," said David Reardon of San Francisco. "So if you're not paying attention, there's no clear diversion." Reardon thinks the tunnel markings can be a bit confusing.

"Why not put a neon sign on this pole and one on that pole?" he asked, poinintg. "It's be a lot cheaper to have two neon signs rather than keep dragging cars out of the tunnel."

Rose says crews have recently restriped the area and now the plan is to add more signage, lights and speed bumps.

But some locals like McKay believe drivers need to stay sober and exercise common sense.

"I understand why they could go through a stop sign or or go down a one-way street," said McKay. "But to actually go through the tunnel that takes real skill!"