Wiener’s chorus line of endorsements + new Muni train cars

Take, for example, Supervisor Scott Wiener’s long-planned bid for the state Senate seat Mark Leno will surrender next year when he terms out.

Sure, Wiener on Wednesday said all the things expected of any Democratic candidate in San Francisco, vowing to make tough decisions and fight for more affordable housing, better transportation, additional open space, etc., etc. etc.

With only a few chances to move up the political ladder in San Francisco, an open seat in the Legislature is a shining beacon for ambitious local Democrats.

[...] there are all five supervisors from San Mateo County, which makes up a 10th of the state Senate district, the local police and fire unions, a bunch of other labor groups and a list of other backers that includes former 49ers President Carmen Policy, former Ambassador James Hormel, Pius Lee of the Chinatown Neighborhood Association and civic leaders Anne Halsted and Mark Buell.

[...] none of the names on the list have much if any connection to San Francisco’s progressive community, where Kim, Campos and Ammiano would draw their support, but they do show that the area’s more moderate power structure is united behind Wiener.

Given the progressives’ recent track record in high-profile city races, that leaves a question for the supervisor’s would-be opponents:

Muni will boost its light rail fleet of 161 train cars by 64, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has announced.

“The additional trains helps us to meet the expanding demand in the short term and the long term,” MTA spokesman Paul Rose said.

The trains cars will be in service beginning in 2017 and are part of a bigger overhaul MTA is making to its light rail trains.

The new train cars will have a new seat configuration, and new interior color schemes and exterior design.

“These additional vehicles will bring a once-in-a-generation improvement for people riding Muni,” agency director Ed Reiskin said in a statement.

Ten spots are reserved for people drawn in general from the city and region; another five are assigned to one representative each from advisory groups that already have been established.

The remaining 13 appointees are expected to embody various “waterfront perspectives,” from public access and maritime commerce to urban design, tourism and all manners of transportation.