Photo Exhibit Event: Vintage Bus Display and Tour

Photo Exhibit Event: Vintage Bus Display and Tour
By Jeremy Menzies

Join us Saturday, Jan. 27 at a special event for our exhibit, "120 years: SFMTA Photo Archive 1903-2023."

Based at the Harvey Milk Photo Center, the exhibit showcases the last 120 years of San Francisco's transportation history. 

This Saturday, we hope you'll join us at a two-part event as the exhibit nears its final week. Hop inside a restored vintage Mack bus to experience a beautiful piece of our transit history. Then, take a tour of the photo exhibit with the curators. Learn the details below. 

• Vintage Bus Display  

• Photo Exhibit Tour 

One of the 52 images featured in the ”120 years: SFMTA Photo Archive 1903-2023” exhibit.

Vintage Bus Display  

Where: Duboce Park, by the outbound N Judah stop on Duboce Avenue and Noe Street 

When: Saturday, Jan. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

A striking Mack bus, featuring its original green and cream paint scheme, will be parked at Duboce Park. You’ll have a chance to learn about the bus’s history and restoration. Then, climb on board and get your camera ready, because this one is dazzling! 

Mack bus 2230 in service during Muni Heritage Weekend 2023. The coach features period-correct advertisements inside and out.

Photo Exhibit Tour 

When: Saturday, Jan. 27 at 11 a.m.  

Where: Tour meets where the vintage Mack bus will be parked – by the outbound N Judah stop on Duboce Avenue and Noe Street. If you're running late, join the tour inside the Harvey Milk Photo Center on 50 Scott Street. 

Exhibit curators will host a brief walkthrough of the photo exhibit. After the tour, feel free to ask questions during an open Q&A session that runs until 1 p.m.  

The first 50 visitors to the exhibit will receive a special commemorative poster featuring images from the 120-year-old SFMTA Photo Archive collection. Posters are one per person. 

If you can’t make it on Jan. 27, you can still stop by the exhibit through Feb. 3.  

See the Harvey Milk Photo Center web page for gallery hours and contact information. 

Published January 26, 2024 at 04:12AM
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The SFMTA’s Year in Numbers

The SFMTA’s Year in Numbers
By Madhu Unnikrishnan

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the way transit systems – and cities – across the country function, but with the worst of the pandemic now behind us, the SFMTA is focused on the future. In our latest annual report, we announced that Muni ridership had recovered to 63% of pre-pandemic levels, but our ridership has continued to recover, ending 2023 at 71% of its pre-pandemic level. 

The reason for the discrepancy? Our annual report, Moving San Francisco Forward, reflects the fiscal year, which ends on June 30. So, our most recent annual report covers the period from July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023. In the six months since the data for the SFMTA annual report was collected, ridership has continued to recover. 

Where we have made transit priority investments, the numbers are even better. Ridership on the new Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit corridor is exceeding pre-pandemic levels, at 131% of 2019 ridership. Similarly, the 22 Fillmore is at 138% of its 2019 ridership on weekends, and the 14R on Mission has seen ridership reach 117% of its 2019 weekend levels. That’s in addition to the 2,700 weekday boardings reported at the four new stations on the T Third line in the Central Subway, which opened last year. Look out for more details in an upcoming blog diving deeper into 2023 Muni ridership. 

Beyond ridership numbers, we saw significant improvements in street safety. In case you aren’t familiar with it, Vision Zero is San Francisco’s policy to eliminate traffic fatalities. Seniors and people walking and using scooters make up the highest percentage of traffic deaths on our streets. It is a moral goal that no one should die on the streets of San Francisco. In 2014, San Francisco and New York were the first U.S. cities to adopt Vision Zero principles and set a goal of zero. Since then, about 50 other cities in the United States, as well as the state of California and the federal government, have also set zero deaths as their transportation safety goals.  

While there were 39 traffic fatalities in 2022, that number fell to 26 in 2023, a 33% decrease. Bicycle-related fatalities have also decreased — they have gone down by 50% in the last four years. Even one fatality on our streets is too many, so we’re focused on bringing those numbers down further, and we are seeing signs of improvement.  

One of the primary areas of focus for Vision Zero is to reduce speeding, as speed can increase the severity of crashes, particularly for vulnerable road users like pedestrians. We’re taking many steps to reduce speed, including installing what we call “traffic-calming devices” such as speed humps, raised crosswalks, median islands and traffic circles, among other measures.  By the end of last year, we had installed about 250 traffic-calming devices. We have also installed Quick-Build pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements on 32 corridors since 2019, resulting in 50 miles of traffic safety improvements for San Franciscans who choose to walk or bike. We’re currently in the planning phase for several more corridors this year. 

Another way we’re making the streets of our city safer is by reducing the speed limit to 20 miles per hour on select streets. The data shows that slowing vehicle speeds is one of the most effective tools we have to prevent traffic deaths. By the end of last year, the SFMTA had reduced the speed limit to 20 miles per hour on 43 miles of city streets, up from 25.5 street miles at the end of June 2023. 

We’re also working to educate some of our most underserved communities on the services we provide. Last year, we opened a new Transportation Resource Center in the Bayview, historically one of San Francisco’s most under-resourced neighborhoods. Staff at the center help people sign up for Clipper cards and Muni Transit Passes, access paratransit services, learn how to use the MuniMobile app and find out how to access micromobility programs, like Scootershare and Bikeshare services. To better serve the Bayview-Hunter’s Point neighborhood, the SFMTA plans to launch a new Bayview Community Shuttle later this year.   

The SFMTA has been hard at work on improving the transit system, roads and bikeways we all depend on. Here are some of the statistics from the end of calendar year 2023: 

• Provided more than 500,000 paratransit trips. 

• Made more than 3,900 repairs to transit shelter glass and seats. 

• Increased transit stop cleaning by 50% compared with previous years. 

• Offered 467 miles of bikeways, with 45 miles of protected bikeways (compared with 43 miles at the end of the fiscal year).  

You can learn more about these accomplishments and others in our annual report (SFMTA.com/AnnualReport). 

We’d like to thank our employees for the tremendous amount of work and dedication it took to achieve these milestones and to help us continue on this upward trajectory. And, we’d like to hear from you!  Some of these projects – bikeways and increased service on heavily traveled bus lines, among others – stemmed from what we heard from our city. Please comment below or email us at InsideSFMTA@SFMTA.com. 

Published January 25, 2024 at 06:04AM
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Taken with Transportation Podcast: Breaking Glass Ceilings Halfway to the Stars

Taken with Transportation Podcast: Breaking Glass Ceilings Halfway to the Stars
By

Fannie Mae Barnes smiles at the crowd while being recognized at a cable car 150th anniversary event in August 2023.

Fannie Mae Barnes made history in January 1998 when she became San Francisco’s first female cable car grip. We hear her story in the latest episode of Taken with Transportation, “Breaking Glass Ceilings Halfway to the Stars.” 

“I started working at Muni as a bus operator in 1981,” Barnes tells Taken with Transportation host Melissa Culross. “[But] I was kind of getting tired of the bus situation because it’s pretty difficult operating a bus in San Francisco because you have to deal with a lot of hazardous situations, people as well as the traffic. And so, I was about to quit my job.” 

Instead of quitting, Barnes moved to the cable car division where she worked as a conductor for about six years before training to become a grip. The grip heaves the lever that grabs hold of the cable to propel the cars. The job takes strength, mental and physical coordination, confidence and determination. Many potential grips, including men, don’t finish the training. Barnes did. 

“When I made it, everybody was excited,” she says. 

Barnes may have been the first female cable car grip, but she wasn’t the last. The second, Willa Johnson, is also featured in the episode. 

“For me, it’s important that I’m doing it, and that I’m still doing it,” says Johnson, who became a grip in 2010. “It takes a while for, I guess, for some of the men that really felt like ‘This is not a woman’s job’ to warm up to you and say, ‘You know, I really doubted you, but you are really doing a good job.’” 

Two more women became cable car grips after Johnson, and she teases that a fifth is coming.  

Listen to “Breaking Glass Ceilings Halfway to the Stars” for more about what Barnes and Johnson experienced when they became grips. You can find it and all the episodes of Taken with Transportation on our podcast page (SFMTA.com/Podcast).

Published January 25, 2024 at 12:36AM
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New State Laws Are Coming to the Streets of San Francisco

New State Laws Are Coming to the Streets of San Francisco
By Melissa Culross

As of Jan. 1, 2024, bicyclists in California legally can cross a street on a pedestrian walk signal, instead of waiting for a traffic light.

Several new state laws that took effect on Jan. 1, 2024, will have an impact on transportation in San Francisco. Some of these impacts will be more widespread and immediately felt than others, but all are expected to make San Francisco streets safer.  

Street Safety and Vision Zero

AB 251 (Ward) - This law requires the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to study the relationship between vehicle weight and injuries to vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. Vehicles have been increasing in size and weight in recent years, while pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. reached a four-decade high in 2021. The CTC will also study the possible costs and benefits of a passenger vehicle weight fee and how the funds created by such a fee might be used to improve road safety.  

AB 361 (Ward) - This law authorizes local agencies to install forward-facing cameras on city-owned or district-owned vehicles to enforce bicycle lane violations. AB 361 gives the agency another tool to support the safety of bicyclists by expanding our capacity to enforce regulations against cars blocking bike lanes. The legislation allows our enforcement officers to take still photos of bike lane parking violations until Jan. 1, 2030. The SFMTA plans to take the opportunity this legislation affords us, but a technology review will be necessary before cameras can be installed. 

AB 413 (Lee) - This new law prohibits the stopping, standing or parking of a vehicle within 20 feet of any crosswalk, whether it’s marked or not, and within 15 feet of a crosswalk with a curb extension. This change, known as “daylighting,” will only apply to the approach side of an intersection, and cities will have the ability to allow parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk that has clear signage or a painted curb. The legislation requires warnings to be issued until the beginning of next year, unless a violation occurs in an area marked with paint or a sign. The SFMTA has been a strong proponent of daylighting to increase pedestrian safety. Keeping the area next to crosswalks clear of parked vehicles allows pedestrians, drivers, bicyclists and anyone else rolling down the street to see each other more clearly. We are reviewing AB 413 and how it will be implemented in San Francisco, including how we can work with safety advocates, other cities and the DMV to increase awareness about the law.  

AB 645 (Friedman) - This law gives San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Jose, Long Beach and Glendale the authority to implement a five-year speed safety camera pilot program. The speed cameras will be used on San Francisco’s High Injury Network, the 12% of streets where more than 68% of severe and fatal traffic crashes occur, and possibly at other locations where speeding is a known issue. Unsafe speed is the number one factor in fatal traffic crashes in San Francisco. We are working to identify potential locations for the speed cameras and developing a plan for outreach and engagement with local stakeholder organizations, including racial equity, privacy protection and economic justice groups.  

AB 1909 (Friedman) – Most of this law, an omnibus bicycle bill, went into effect last year, but an important provision took effect on Jan. 1, 2024. AB 1909 amends the vehicle code to make it legal for people riding bikes to cross the street on a pedestrian walk signal, unless otherwise directed by a bicycle control signal. Previously it was only legal for bikes to cross the street on a green traffic light with automobile traffic. 

Transit Safety 

SB 434 (Min) - This law is intended to reduce the harassment of women and other vulnerable groups on public transit by collecting better data on these incidents. It requires the state’s ten largest transit agencies by ridership, including the SFMTA, to conduct public outreach and survey riders about their experiences with safety while waiting for or riding on transit. This legislation builds upon the SFMTA’s Safety Equity Initiative that is currently underway. Last year we launched MuniSafe, a campaign to enhance security and increase the reporting, investigation and prevention of harassment and assaults on Muni.  

Published January 09, 2024 at 11:48PM
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It’s Time to Modernize the Technology that Keeps Muni Metro Moving

It’s Time to Modernize the Technology that Keeps Muni Metro Moving
By Mariana Maguire

Upgrades will replace the current train control system in the subway and extend the modern system to street-level Metro operation for faster, more reliable service. 

Muni Metro, San Francisco’s light rail system, serves hundreds of thousands of people daily throughout the city. Since 2019, we have greatly reduced the delays and subway congestion that had plagued the Metro in the past. This success is due to a combination of advances in how we manage service and conduct ongoing maintenance.  

But we need to fundamentally modernize to overcome Metro’s structural and technological limitations. With San Francisco projected to grow significantly in the next decade, there’s no better time to invest in the future of Muni Metro. 

Current Automatic Train Control System (ATCS) Limitations 

Despite being third busiest light rail system in the U.S., Muni Metro is the last to funnel five lines onto one path --- under Market Street. This structural challenge requires a combination of careful service planning and a highly effective train control system to keep trains moving efficiently and prevent delays.  

But our current Automatic Train Control System (ATCS) has many challenges. The ATCS provides much greater Metro safety and reliability than manual operation, but it runs on 1980s technology and can experience equipment failures that cause Metro delays impacting riders’ commutes to work, school, appointments and other destinations. 

As some customers experienced in October 2023, the computers that run the system crashed, automatically halting all service in the Muni Metro subway. Our staff immediately responded by rebooting the system and safely guiding train operators through the subway in manual mode. Within about an hour, the computers were back online, vehicles returned to automatic train control and subway service returned to normal. Meanwhile, bus shuttles were sent to provide service between West Portal and Embarcadero stations, Church Street and Duboce Avenue during the closure. 

Our staff are experienced at working with this decades-old technology to prevent or quickly respond to incidents like this. But their best efforts can’t solve the underlying problem of decades of deferred Muni Metro capital improvements. The impacts are frustrating for both riders and staff, and unacceptable for a modern Metro system.  

We must invest in modern train control and bring the Market Street subway tunnel into a state of good repair to make Muni Metro fast, frequent, and reliable for people throughout the Bay Area who count on this service. 

Modernizing Muni Metro: Train Control Upgrade Project (TCUP) 

The need is critical to modernize our train control system to a state-of-the-art Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) system. CBTC uses the latest technology to:

• Maintain constant communication with all trains in the rail network from the moment they go into service, both in the subway and on the street. 

• Communicate with and help prioritize signals - the CBTC system will tell signals a train is coming well in advance. 

• Automatically push software updates to keep the system current – no more floppy disks! 

• Keep trains evenly spaced to prevent bunching and gaps for more consistent wait times and travel times that match the advertised frequency and make trip planning more reliable, among many other benefits. 

CBTC is expected to reduce Metro delays by 20-25% on top of the reductions we’ve already achieved. In turn, this will allow us to run more trains through the whole Metro network, making travel faster and more efficient. Customers will no longer be “stuck” on trains between stations due to subway congestion or slow-moving trains with a communication failure. 

We are already on track to start building out the pilot phase of the new system by 2025. Learn more about this exciting Muni Metro modernization project on the Train Control Upgrade Project page.  

Fix It! Weeks help maximize the Muni Metro of Today 

As we pursue long-term innovations like the Train Control Upgrade Project, we are also taking important steps to maximize the Muni Metro improvements we can make today to help the system function better. And we’ve seen great success. 

Fix It Week is one example of our success reducing long Muni Metro delays by about 70% compared to 2019. Prior to launching Fix It Week, maintenance windows were short, and it was difficult for crews to complete work efficiently, leading to ongoing maintenance challenges. This is because Metro maintenance can only take place when service is not running.  

By closing the Muni Metro early for a few days every few months during the quarterly Fix It Week, our Maintenance of Way (MOW) teams can optimize work time for critical maintenance, preventing potential breakdowns. During Fix It Week, maintenance crews have an extended window to perform underground infrastructure improvement work that cannot be completed during the usual overnight windows.  

The goal of Fix It Week is to make Muni Metro subway operations more reliable, ensure safety and improve the customer experience. Nine MOW teams (Track, Cable Car, Motive Power, Maintenance Engineering, Mechanical Systems, Overhead Lines, Underground, Paint Shop and Signal) are involved in the maintenance work, including custodial staff cleaning metro stations. 

Buses provide substitute service for Muni Metro during Fix It! Week and connect all stops on Market Street. Muni ambassadors help riders navigate to their destination at the busy transfer stops. 

Learn more about our subway maintenance work. 

We’re proud of the strides we’ve made to improve Muni Metro service. Today, a trip on the N Judah from the Outer Sunset to Embarcadero is faster and more reliable than it was in 2019. We are committed to making Muni Metro a hallmark of our transit system. 

Published January 04, 2024 at 10:33PM
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Jan. 20 Muni Service Changes Add New Caltrain Connection, Service on School Routes

Jan. 20 Muni Service Changes Add New Caltrain Connection, Service on School Routes
By Brian Haagsman

The 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express route will add new stops in Hunters Point and SoMa. 

Beginning Saturday, Jan. 20, the SFMTA will be adjusting Muni service on some routes to address crowding, including for school travel times. We’re also making several stop changes based on rider feedback and our own observations to add new connections and make Muni more reliable. 

New Connections on the 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express 

Since it launched in early 2021, the 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express route has been a key connector between neighborhoods. Connecting Bayview-Hunters Point, Dogpatch, Mission Bay, SoMa and the Financial District, the route was initially designed based on community input. Now we’re adding stops at two locations based on feedback from riders and operators: 

• Hudson Avenue and Cashmere Street will have new stops for both inbound and outbound trips. We’ve heard from residents in Hunters Point that the 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express fills a unique need, but existing stops are spaced far apart. 

• Near the 4th and King Caltrain Station, new stops are being added at 3rd and Brannan streets (inbound) and 4th and Berry streets (outbound) to create a new connection for riders looking to transfer between Muni and Caltrain. As part of this change, the stop nearby at 4th & King streets served by the T Third bus and 91 Third Street bus will be relocated a half-block south to help with congestion at the 4th and King streets intersection. 

To reflect the travel time of the route more accurately, we are updating the weekday frequency from every 10 minutes to every 12 minutes. We will still be dedicating the same resources to this route, but this frequency reflects the actual travel time along the route and is expected to improve reliability for 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express riders. 

Balancing Service to Address Crowding 

Since the 2023-2024 school year started in August, we’ve heard from families and observed crowding on some lines that serve schools, especially during morning commute times. At times the bus is so full that it must pass up waiting riders. We’ve also noticed that some popular routes are crowded throughout the day. As a result, we are making small frequency increases.  

Increased frequency at select weekday times: 

• 24 Divisadero  

• 29 Sunset  

• 38R Geary Rapid  

• 44 O’Shaughnessy  

• 48 Quintara-24th Street  

• 49 Van Ness/Mission  

Increased frequency on weekends: 

• 28 19th Avenue  

The SFMTA continues to face financial constraints that limit our ability to expand service. That means that adding service on any route requires taking it from another route. As a result, we are monitoring ridership across routes to address changing travel patterns and only adding service where crowding is an issue. To increase frequency on the above routes, we must decrease weekday frequency on others.

Decreased weekday frequency: 

• 5 Fulton and 5 Fulton Rapid with combined local and rapid frequency will change from every 4.5 minutes to every six minutes. Additionally, the 5 Fulton will change from every nine minutes to every 10 minutes on weekends. 

• 9 San Bruno with combined local and rapid frequency will change from every 5.5 minutes to every six minutes. 

• 33 Ashbury/18th Street frequency will change from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes. 

Other Stop Changes 

• As part of the 16th Street Improvement Project, the 22 Fillmore stop at 16th and Dolores streets will move from the nearside of the intersection to the far side. This move will be made in both directions to improve reliability and travel times. Existing shelters will be relocated to the new stop locations. 

• The 58 Lake Merced stop at Sunset Boulevard and Lake Merced Boulevard will be removed in both directions to improve reliability and travel time. This low-ridership stop has poor connectivity to nearby streets and is just a two-minute walk or roll (less than 500 feet) from stops at Sunset Boulevard and Ocean Avenue, which are wheelchair accessible and include seating.

Safety is always a priority on Muni. If you experience or witness customer or operator harassment on Muni, report it directly to the SFMTA by calling 311 or using the 311 mobile app or the Muni Feedback form (SFMTA.com/MuniFeedback).

Published January 04, 2024 at 01:52AM
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Celebrate the Holidays at Union Square with Muni

Celebrate the Holidays at Union Square with Muni
By Che Harmon

Holiday Scenes in Union Square.

As 2023 comes to an end, the holiday festivities in San Francisco are just beginning. Muni is your ride to the Union Square Christmas Tree, Ice Skating Rink and the return of Winter Walk.  

The holidays at Union Square are a San Francisco tradition, and all of its festive attractions are easily accessible by Muni. Take Muni to Union Square to enjoy the iconic Christmas tree and ice-skating rink through Jan. 15 or take a stroll through Winter Walk and its wonderland design through Dec. 24. Enjoy Winter Walk's entertaining shows, food trucks, shopping booths and more, all making their festive return from a 5-year-break. Union Square is accessible through the Union Square/Market Street and Powell stations, as well as many other Muni lines that make it easy to get to.  

We are also excited to continue our tradition of free Muni rides on New Year’s Eve starting from 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31 through 5 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1. Clipper Card customers should NOT tap their cards to make sure they don’t get charged a fare, and Muni Mobile passes will not be necessary. We are happy to provide this free Muni service as part of our ongoing commitment to Vision Zero. Plan your travel to ring in 2023 at our New Year’s Eve Travel & Transit webpage (SFMTA.com/NYE). 

Riding transit is the safest way to enjoy the holiday season and its events. Taking Muni lets you and your loved ones celebrate without the hassles of traffic and parking. 

Plan your Holiday adventures at our website SFMTA.com. 

Published December 22, 2023 at 11:42PM
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How Your Feedback is Shaping the Bayview Community Shuttle

How Your Feedback is Shaping the Bayview Community Shuttle
By Hana O’Neill

A new community shuttle is coming to Bayview-Hunters Point in 2024, and we need your help designing it! The SFMTA is partnering with the California Air Resources Board and nine community-based organizations to launch a dynamic service community shuttle that truly meets your needs. The shuttle is funded through California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities. 

A “dynamic service” shuttle is one that doesn’t have a fixed route like a bus line, but instead operates in a “service area.” The shuttle will pick up and drop off riders throughout the service area, which can help you reach destinations that were previously hard to get to. The Bayview is a geographically isolated community and the community identified the need for a shuttle like this in the Bayview Community Based Transportation Plan. 

We’re currently working on defining that service area. We’ve held 28 events where we talked to almost 2,000 residents, but we know not everyone can come to community meetings or other events. So we also conducted a survey that residents filled out online or on paper at outreach events. We surveyed 629 residents, who gave us 1,060 places they wanted to take a shuttle to. Here’s a summary of the results: 

Many people wanted to take short trips that start and end within the Bayview. 76 people told us that they wanted connections to specific transit lines, such as to the T Third. Others gave destinations that are easily accessible via already-existing Muni lines, such as Chinatown. While a shuttle may not be able to take you all the way to that destination, a direct lift to the T Third would make that trip much easier. 

Desired destination of survey respondents.

 

Initial Service Plan/Alternative A: 

The initial service plan that we presented to residents included service from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. Riders would wait up to 15 minutes for a ride to Bayview destinations, as well as a few others outside of the neighborhood, such as the 22nd Street Caltrain station, 24th Street BART station and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.  

Alternative A: Initial conception of service plan.

 

Alternative B: 

How does this plan sound to you? Would you rather have a larger service area for the shuttle so that you could be picked up or dropped off in neighboring areas (shown in gray in the Alternative B map)? This alternative would require running service for a shorter time period – for instance, operating only on weekdays – and with longer wait times. Is this tradeoff worth it? We’d love to hear from you. 

Alternative B: Larger service area and tradeoffs

 

Alternative C: 

We could also run the shuttle for a longer time period, such as from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, with short wait times – but this would require focusing on local neighborhood connections. The shuttle would serve only the Bayview, with no destinations outside of the neighborhood. 

Alternative C: More service hours and tradeoffs

 

Would you rather be able to go more places, even if that means you wait longer, and the shuttle doesn’t run for as many hours of the day? Or would you rather get a ride more quickly, at more times of day, even if it can’t take you directly to as many locations? Please let us know what you think! 

You can sign up for project updates here to learn about upcoming meetings, including our Community Congress on January 24th. You also can email us at BayviewShuttle@sfmta.com.  

As we continue to do outreach to hear about your priorities, we’re also working to select a company to run this shuttle service. When all is said and done, we’re hoping to start service by the middle of 2024. 

Published December 22, 2023 at 12:50AM
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Take Muni for Free on New Year’s Eve 2023

Take Muni for Free on New Year’s Eve 2023
By Janice Tan

Ride Muni for free during New Year's Eve. 

As the year comes to an end, we in San Francisco have a lot to celebrate. To keep that celebration safe, we are offering our 24th consecutive year of free Muni rides for all customers on New Year’s Eve. Let Muni be the designated driver for free from 8 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31 through 5 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 1.  

Clipper Card customers should NOT tap their cards to make sure they don’t get charged a fare. MuniMobile passes will not be necessary. Metro fare gates will be open on New Year’s Eve starting at 8 p.m. 

Riding transit is the safest way to celebrate New Year’s Eve in San Francisco, and we are happy to provide free Muni service as part of our ongoing commitment to the city’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic fatalities.  

Whether your New Year’s resolution includes reducing your climate footprint, trying new restaurants or using more active transportation modes for better health, taking Muni on New Year’s Eve is a great choice to start your year with. 

New Year’s Eve Muni Service 

• Free Muni service from 8 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31 through 5 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 1 

• Metro fare gates will be open starting at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve 

• Do not tag your Clipper Card or activate a MuniMobile ticket 

• Start planning your trip at SFMTA.com 

Published December 20, 2023 at 11:02PM
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SFMTA Introduces First LRV4s with New Seating Arrangement

SFMTA Introduces First LRV4s with New Seating Arrangement
By Che Harmon

New seating arrangement in LRV4 vehicles with seats facing the front or rear. 

At the SFMTA, we’re committed to improving service every way we can, and your input is critical to doing it. Our LRV4 Muni fleet is newer and easier to clean and maintain. These state-of-the-art vehicles are helping us make dramatic improvements in Muni reliability, but we’ve heard consistently that passengers want more seating options. We’re listening and putting your feedback into action. 

In early September, we introduced the addition of side-by-side seats facing the front or rear of the vehicle, also known as “transverse” seats. Car #2120 was the first of a hundred LRV4 cars to feature a revamped interior. This seating arrangement lets passengers choose whether they want to face forward or backwards, depending on the direction the train is headed. 

The original interiors in Muni’s LRV4 fleet featured a bench arrangement that ran along the outer walls of the cars, with seats that face inward towards the center aisle of the train and lacked the “butt-dimples” passengers were accustomed to seeing. This layout allowed more people to ride on each train car, which is important, but some passengers found the seating uncomfortable and wanted more places to sit. Your comfort and input are also important, and those older interiors are almost gone now. They’ve been replaced with updated seating featuring the return of the “butt-dimples” for a more comfortable ride. 

While all vehicles are being updated to include transverse seats, only our newer LRV4 vehicles have been equipped with double-transverse seating options, as this change required structural reinforcement to support the extra weight of two passengers.  

The LRV4s with the double-transverse seats will be the final phase of LRV4 vehicles joining the Muni fleet before a preventative brake rebuild. This $20 million overhaul and upgrade will improve reliability and extend the manufacturer’s warranty on our new vehicles. 

As these new LRV4 cars begin rolling out throughout the city, Muni passengers can look forward to a more comfortable ride. We’ll continue to update our fleet to improve your experience on Muni, and it’s your input that makes it possible. Thank you for riding Muni and helping us make it better.    

Published December 20, 2023 at 02:02AM
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Climb Aboard History At Powell Plaza

Climb Aboard History At Powell Plaza
By Edward Wright

Powell Street Cable Car 503 at Market and Powell Street Turntable | August 13, 1945 

They’ve been sung about by Judy Garland and saved by Dianne Feinstein, and now you can experience San Francisco’s historic cable cars in a brand-new way at Powell Plaza.  

Starting this Saturday, Dec. 16, a 150-year-old cable car will be stationed at Powell Plaza every Tuesday and Saturday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., weather permitting. Visitors and residents can climb aboard history, take photos and explore this mobile museum up close. 

A true San Francisco original, cable cars were first invented right here in the city in 1873 by Andrew S. Hallidie. Our street-running cable car system is the only one of its kind remaining in the entire world, and San Francisco’s cable cars are a designated National Historic Landmark. 

This pilot activation at Powell Plaza is a unique opportunity to learn about the history of these iconic vehicles and experience them for free and up close. SFMTA’s cable car ambassadors will be on site to share information and answer your questions.  

Cable Car ride to celebrate Filipino American History Month | October 11, 2023

Visitors have flocked to the cable car turnaround at Powell Plaza for generations, and few symbols capture the imagination and magic of San Francisco like our cable cars. Whether you’re visiting the city for the first time, or are a life-long San Franciscan, this pilot activation makes it easier than ever to experience some cable car magic, connect with local history and take a photo souvenir.  

This pilot project is a partnership between the SFMTA and Mayor London Breed, to highlight a piece of our history and support downtown activation -- just in time for the holidays. This pilot is being offered for a limited time only, so don’t wait to climb aboard.  

Can’t get enough of our cable cars? Learn about the cultural connections our cable cars celebrate and support in the latest episode of the SFMTA’s Taken with Transportation podcast on our podcast webpage (SFMTA.com/Podcast). Explore more Muni history at the “120 Years: SFMTA Photo Archive 1903-2023” exhibit at the Harvey Milk Photo Center.  

Published December 16, 2023 at 04:02AM
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We all love Valencia Street. Let’s make sure it works for everyone.

We all love Valencia Street. Let’s make sure it works for everyone.
By Jeffrey Tumlin

The center running bikeway installed in 2023 as part of the mid-Valencia pilot.

San Francisco is a high-density city. This helps neighborhoods like the Mission thrive because they are where people live, work, visit restaurants and shop at our small businesses. It’s where different communities intersect with different needs. It’s where we come together. It’s the best of urban living.

When we make decisions about improving our neighborhoods, we have to consider all of this. How can we advance goals that we all share, even when those goals conflict with each other? What’s happening right now on Valencia is a perfect example of this.

Valencia is one of our city’s amazing merchant corridors with incredible restaurants and retailers that draw people from all over San Francisco and beyond. It’s also a key artery for bicycle commuters – with thousands of bicyclists using Valencia every day to avoid the hills to the west and the bus and car traffic to the east. And it’s not particularly safe. Valencia is on our high injury network, which is the 12 percent of streets that account for 68 percent of severe and fatal traffic crashes.

To improve safety, we created a pilot program to use a center-running lane for bicyclists with a goal of advancing safety, but also preserving key support for our small businesses in the neighborhood. This pilot was developed in conversation with the merchants and residents after exploring other alternatives. 

Before the pandemic, our plan had been to create a protected bike lane running along the curb. But Valencia changed during the pandemic. The street now has a plethora of Shared Spaces parklets, which have been a huge benefit for our neighborhoods by creating economic opportunities and more vibrant streets. The merchants asked us to find another option because a curb running bike lane would require many of those parklets – and much of the parking -- to be removed.

As we talked with the community, we realized that the most underutilized part of the street was the median. A bike lane placed in the median would preserve most of the parking and loading spaces and ensure that the business parklets could remain in place.

Loading zones have been expanded on Valencia to support businesses in the corridor.

When we opened the new bike lane, we also added significantly more space for the loading that’s so important to the businesses – for taxis and ride-hail services and for delivery trucks. We added more than 30 metered spaces on side streets to support customer turnover. In response to merchant concerns that there still wasn’t enough general parking, we recently started to allow customer parking at over one-third of the loading zones at certain times in the afternoons and at most of them in the evenings.

While the pilot looks promising, we’re still analyzing the data we’ve collected to date. Meanwhile, Valencia Street businesses are telling us that the new design isn’t working for them or their customers. We’ve heard mixed reviews from bike lane users – some say they feel much safer than before and enjoy the new protected space, others say that it’s still not safe enough. 

The key point right now is that this is a pilot. We are trying something and seeing how it works. Pilots are meant to be evaluated and either adopted, adjusted, or redone with new information. So let’s look at what the potential options are for Valencia Street.

First, we could go back to the way things were. The problem with that is that it creates an unsafe street for bicyclists and will lead to collisions. Biking and driving on Valencia felt chaotic and unpredictable. Therefore, this option is not what we want to do.

Second, we could stick with the current pilot and keep making changes in response to community concerns. We’ll need to stay in close touch with the Valencia Street merchants and the bicyclists who aren’t excited about the center-running bike lane to make sure we’re being as responsive as they need us to be.

Third, we could go back to our original parking protected bike lane plan – meaning a bike lane running between the sidewalk and parked cars on the street. This design is more familiar to San Franciscans. The trade-off here is that this type of protected bike lane will require the removal of parklets and the loss of more than half of the curbside parking and loading. So that’s a conversation we’re starting to have.

There are no easy decisions when it comes to Valencia Street. So, we need to come together and be open minded as we discuss what’s best for the economic vitality of the neighborhood, for safety, and for the people who live and work on Valencia Street, as well as those who visit. That’s the work we are doing now, and we appreciate everyone who is involved and engaged in these conversations.

By continuing to listen and adjust, we can make sure Valencia succeeds as a place for people to be, to enjoy and to move. 

Published December 15, 2023 at 05:20AM
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SFMTA Awarded Federal Grant for Safe Streets

SFMTA Awarded Federal Grant for Safe Streets
By Erica Kato

Street safety improvements are coming to San Francisco's Tenderloin with the help of a federal grant. 

We are thrilled to announce we are the recipient of an $8 million grant from the US Department of Transportation (US DOT) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program. The funds will be used for street improvements that are part of the Tenderloin Traffic Safety improvements Project. We are thankful to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Dean Preston for their strong advocacy and letters of support in our application.  

The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program was established by President Biden’s historic infrastructure law, and provides $5 billion over five years for regional, local and Tribal initiatives — from redesigned roads to better sidewalks and crosswalks — to prevent deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways.    

Larkin Street traffic signal modifications and left-turn phasing - $7M  

• Traffic signal upgrades and left-turn phasing, including larger 12-inch signal heads and mast arms to enhance signal visibility and pedestrian signal improvements, like Pedestrian Countdown Signals, Accessible Pedestrian Signals, upgraded curb ramps and streetlighting.  

• Up to 11 intersections with traffic signal modifications and left-turn phasing:  

1. Larkin/Pine  

2. Larkin/Bush  

3. Larkin/Geary  

4. Larkin/O’Farrell  

5. Larkin/Ellis  

6. Larkin/Eddy  

7. Larkin/Turk  

8. Larkin/Golden Gate  

9. Larkin/McAllister  

10. Polk/Golden Gate  

11. Polk/McAllister    

Golden Gate Greenway - $1.05M  

• This is a community-initiated project that was started by St Anthony Foundation and the 100 Golden Gate Greenway Coalition to reduce the 100 block of Golden Gate Avenue from two to one-lane of vehicle traffic, reconfigure the overhead trolley wires and to activate Shared Spaces on both sides of the roadway for community activities.   

• During the COVID pandemic, St. Anthony’s closed the block daily to provide essential community services (i.e., food pantry, COVID testing), and this inspired them to think bigger about how this block can better serve the community permanently, thus the Golden Gate Greenway project.  

   Bikeway Protected Corners - $950K  

• The project proposes bikeway protected corners at 6 intersections in the Tenderloin that are on the High Injury Network. Turk Street, Golden Gate Avenue and Polk Street are the main bikeways through the Tenderloin neighborhood.  

  • These bikeways will see newly constructed protected corners using concrete curbs and/or speed humps to slow turning traffic and create a safer, separated crossing for people on bikes. The protected corner physically separates people walking/biking and driving, and angles drivers so that it is easier for them to see and yield to people walking and biking.  

CBO-led communication and outreach - $1M  

• Work with community partners to advance some of the Tenderloin Community Alternatives to Police for Traffic Enforcement (TLCAP) recommendations to traditional traffic enforcement work, including multi-lingual education campaigns and outreach around speeding and sidewalk safety campaign to high-risk populations.  

• Work with community partners to deepen outreach to vulnerable road users such as seniors, people with disabilities and monolingual populations to raise awareness of proposed street design/engineering work.  

• Fund education and communications’ consultant to design and develop all education materials, and purchase and coordinate any campaign media buys, translations and printing to reach large members of the public to increase awareness, build support and promote a culture that prioritizes traffic safety.  

For more information, please visit the Tenderloin Traffic Safety Improvements Project webpage (SFMTA.com/TenderloinSafety). 

Published December 15, 2023 at 03:35AM
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‘Muni Is My Ride’: A Celebration of Muni Riders and Operators

‘Muni Is My Ride’: A Celebration of Muni Riders and Operators
By Sophia Scherr

Muni is more than just a system of buses, trains, streetcars and cable cars. It's a living entity that pulses through the streets of San Francisco, connecting riders to the neighborhoods and people that they love. In the vibrant pages of "Muni Is My Ride," artist Keith Ferris and writer Lia Smith invite readers to celebrate the soul of Muni.  

The project began as a collection of sketches depicting interesting passengers that caught Ferris’ eye. After a few years, he realized those sketches were something special: a mosaic of people who make up the heart of Muni. Ferris and Smith, who are both passionate about the transit system, found inspiration in each other as the project unfolded. What started as a passenger showcase grew to include portraits of Muni operators.  

Ferris and Smith then embarked on a journey (during COVID no less!) to capture the essence of riding and operating Muni. The pair conducted in-depth interviews and lightning-fast portrait drawing sessions with Muni operators whenever and wherever they could. The interviewing process wasn’t easy at first, as some operators were not eager to open up. However, through word of mouth, a handful of operators agreed to share their stories. The diversity of the operators’ backgrounds and perspectives adds more layers to the narrative of what Muni means to people.  

Ferris and Smith found unexpected joy and serendipity as they were creating the book, making new friendships and improving their marriage, highlighting the magic of Muni in facilitating connections.  

As readers make their way through the pages of "Muni Is My Ride," Ferris and Smith hope they’ll develop a deep appreciation for our system and its dedicated operators and staff.  

“Muni is more than just a mode of transportation,” says Smith. "In a world that can feel increasingly individualistic, Muni offers a chance for people to interact with one another, fostering a sense of community and shared humanity”.  

The authors also encourage readers to recognize the humanity of the operators who provide our city with such an essential service. Ultimately, the book is intended to serve as a reminder of the shared responsibility that binds San Franciscans to their public transit system and to inspire readers and riders to take pride in Muni.  

 “Muni Is My Ride” is the perfect gift for the Muni or public transportation lover in your life this holiday season, as it offers readers a glimpse into the people that make our system so unique. You can find it at the following locations: 

•  Local independent bookstores Bird & Beckett, Christopher's, Dog Eared Books, Fabulosa, Green Apple on the Park, the Market Street Railway Museum, Medicine for Nightmares and the Russian Hill Bookstore 

• Online book sales through The Green Arcade

• The San Francisco Public Library 

Published December 14, 2023 at 11:53PM
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“120 years: SFMTA Photo Archive 1903-2023” Exhibit Opens Dec. 16

“120 years: SFMTA Photo Archive 1903-2023” Exhibit Opens Dec. 16
By Jeremy Menzies

On Saturday, Dec. 16, a new exhibit featuring photographs from the SFMTA Photo Archive is opening at the Harvey Milk Photo Center with a reception from 2 – 5 p.m. The show,“120 years: SFMTA Photo Archive 1903-2023" taps into twelve decades of image making by photographers working for our city’s transit agencies.  

View east towards Ferry Building on Market Street from 4th Street, October 1, 1948.

Since 1903, the development of San Francisco has been documented through the lens of our transportation system by more than two dozen people. Today, these photographs make up the vast collections in the SFMTA Photo Archive. With well over 100,000 images, the archive is one of the largest repositories of photos focused on our transit network. 

West Portal Station with new Light Rail Vehicles at platform, February 18, 1982. 

From glass plate negatives to digital image sensors, the tools of the trade may have changed, but the work of capturing our city’s ever-evolving transportation system still is much the same. Everyday scenes of San Franciscans traversing the streets, historic moments in our local history and inexplicably beautiful views of normally mundane subjects come alive through the black and white and color prints on display in the exhibit. 

Shop crew with new streetcar and team of horses at Southern Pacific Railroad yard, January 1904.

120 years: SFMTA Photo Archive 1903-2023 runs from Dec. 16, 2023, through Feb. 3, 2024. The gallery is located at 50 Scott Street on the west end of Duboce Park and is open Tuesday-Thursday 3:00pm-8:30pm and Sat 11:00am-4:30pm. Take Muni Metro, (N Judah, J Church, K Ingleside or M Oceanview), 22 Fillmore, 6 Parnassus, 7 Haight/Noriega or 37 Corbett to get to the gallery. 

Published December 13, 2023 at 11:24PM
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SFMTA Pilots a New Artistic Way to Store Bikes

SFMTA Pilots a New Artistic Way to Store Bikes
By Jason Hyde

The SFMTA’s new bike hangar storage. 

Are you looking for a more secure, and affordable new way to store your bike around town? The SFMTA recently installed two new eye-catching bike hangars decorated by local artists with room for up to 12 bikes per hangar for just 5 cents per hour.  

These hangers are a two-year Mayor-directed pilot intended to provide secure, medium-term bike storage. Hangars have limited, monitored access to make them more secure than our short-term bike racks.  

We have partnered with the Yerba Buena Community Benefit District (YBCBD) and eLock/BikeLink on this pilot. Customers will need to download the BikeLink app to use the hangars and are encouraged to use their own bike lock inside them for added security. The hangar doors are designed with a hydraulic assist to facilitate opening and closing.

We will assess whether the bike hangars are a good fit for San Francisco based on usage (number of rentals per day, average rental length), security, turnover and more. We’ll also be asking for feedback to evaluate user experience and identify improvement opportunities. 

The hangars are located at 4th & Minna streets near the Metreon and Howard & 2nd streets. They should be available to the public by early next year after some additional testing.  

More information will be available prior to the public launch at our Bike Parking page (SFMTA.com/BikeParking).  

Published December 12, 2023 at 01:42AM
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New MuniMobile® App Available Today!

New MuniMobile® App Available Today!
By Kharima Mohamed

The SFMTA has released a new version of the MuniMobile® app, providing enhanced trip planning, service alerts and real-time transit predictions. The mobile app will continue to offer mobile ticketing people can access on their smartphones.  

Meanwhile, the original version of the MuniMobile® app will be phased out and shut down on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.  

What does that mean for MuniMobile customers? 

MuniMobile® customers now can now download the new app to their smartphone. Customers will need to create a new user account with the new MuniMobile® app as accounts are not transferrable. Anyone with active tickets on the previous MuniMobile® app can use those tickets until they expire or until Jan. 15, whichever comes first.  

However, as of today (Dec. 4, 2023), customers using the previous MuniMobile® app will not be able to buy new tickets. In order to ensure an easy transition before your next Muni trip, please take a moment to download the new MuniMobile® app and set up your new user account.  The new app also includes a short tutorial, so be sure to check it out.  

Have questions? See the MuniMobile® FAQ page to help refresh your memory on MuniMobile policies and information. 

You can also visit our fares page (SFMTA.com/Fares) for more information on discount programs available only with Clipper and our partner agencies.  

 

Published December 04, 2023 at 10:43PM
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It’s Electric! Battery Buses Then and Now

It’s Electric! Battery Buses Then and Now
By Jeremy Menzies

Battery-electric buses and cars have been hitting the streets around the nation in recent years, and here in San Francisco, the SFMTA is currently running a pilot program to test battery powered buses across the system. The pilot analyzes not only the buses themselves, but also how the technology works in the real world of stop-and-go traffic and hill-climbing.   

Surprising as it may seem, this pilot program is not the first time battery electric buses appeared on the streets of SF. Here’s a look back at one test that took place over 50 years ago. 

While battery electric vehicles date back nearly 200 years to the 1830s, it took over a century for them to see widespread commercial success due to the limitations of the battery technology. 

One of the first times Muni tested a battery-powered bus was in November 1972.  Dubbed the “Electrobus”, this small vehicle was tested on the 39 Coit route up Telegraph Hill. This route has historically been served by shorter than normal buses due to the tight turns and steep grades up the hill. 

Loaded with sandbags to simulate the weight of passengers, the Electrobus climbed up the hill to the Coit Tower parking lot just like its gas-powered counterparts. While this bus never went into service, it was one of a handful of “alternative” buses Muni explored in the early ‘70s, including a steam bus and a flywheel-powered bus. 

Today, the SFMTA is testing battery electric buses from four different manufacturers to see what the vehicles can do and to work out possible kinks in adopting the technology on a large scale. 

These buses have been running on some of the city's hardest routes for months, from long stretches along the 9 San Bruno line to the steep hills of the 22 Fillmore, to determine their viability as an alternative to our hybrid-diesel buses.

Muni already operates the greenest fleet of any city in North America. Pollution from Muni makes up less than 0.001% of citywide emissions, while 30% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions come from private vehicles. Riding transit is a sustainable way to travel, and we’re committed to our efforts to achieve a 100% zero-emissions transit fleet. Alongside trolley buses and other emerging technologies, battery-electric buses will play a critical role in a cleaner, greener future for Muni and all of San Francisco. 

Published November 30, 2023 at 11:17PM
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Taken with Transportation Podcast: Celebrating Culture and Community on a Cable Car

Taken with Transportation Podcast: Celebrating Culture and Community on a Cable Car
By

SFMTA staffers celebrate the launch ride of the 2023 Filipino American History Cable Car.

Specially decorated cable cars climb the hills of San Francisco throughout the year in honor of different communities, cultures and history months. These cars help us celebrate the diversity of our staff and of the city as a whole, and the latest episode of Taken with Transportation, “Celebrating Culture and Community on a Cable Car,” takes you on board. 

The program is the brainchild of SFMTA Cable Car Division Manager Fred Butler, who came up with the idea in early 2022. “We’d normally decorate a car for the Lunar New Year, and I sat back and was like, ‘We should do something for every type of person that’s here at the agency’,” Butler says. “And seeing that February was, you know, Black History Month, I said, ‘Let’s do a Black History car’.” 

Butler worked with the agency’s Office of Racial Equity and Belonging on the idea, and the two 2022 Black History Month cable cars were so popular, we now run more than half a dozen heritage, culture and history cable cars for a month each. 

Inside one of the inaugural Black History Month cable cars in 2022.

In the episode, host Melissa Culross hops on board the Filipino American History Cable Car and the Native American Heritage Cable Car, alongside agency staffers and SFMTA Board of Directors member Lydia So. 

“This event is amazing,” Director So says.” It kind of brings everyone together, and being part of the AAPI community, I love that we elevate everybody’s voices.” 

Maisha Tawasha, who works in the agency’s peer assistance program, rides all the heritage and culture cable cars when they launch. “I feel it’s just important to represent all the different racial groups that make up the SFMTA,” she says. “The more we can celebrate each other, then it’s just best for everybody.” 

The first run of each heritage and culture cable car is for staff and special guests only, and then the public rides for the month that the car is decorated. You can find “Celebrating Culture and Community on a Cable Car” and all the episodes of Taken with Transportation on our podcast page (SFMTA.com/Podcast). 

Published November 29, 2023 at 11:23PM
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Temporary Parking Changes Will Support Valencia Street Businesses

Temporary Parking Changes Will Support Valencia Street Businesses
By Melissa Culross

 

Cars, bicycles and delivery vehicles all share space along Valencia Street. Photo credit: Shayda Haghgoo, SFMTA. 

Valencia Street is home to one of the city's most eclectic and culturally diverse sets of restaurants, shops, nightlife and essential services. The heavily traveled corridor attracts residents and visitors of all ages and interests who get there by walking, biking, rolling and driving.  

As part of our work to make Valencia Street safe and inviting for everyone, we’re making some temporary changes to our loading zones beginning this week to create more general parking on the corridor during the holiday season. These changes will help customers who drive patronize Valencia businesses while keeping the street safe for people on foot, bicycles and scooters. Small businesses are an important part of all that makes San Francisco the incredibly special city that it is, and we all benefit when they succeed. 

In the years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Shared Spaces Program’s parklets and weekend block closures along Valencia have offered a lifeline for businesses and created space for neighbors to come together in joy and community. At the same time, the parklets removed commercial and passenger loading space and parking spaces, and there has been an increase in pick-up and delivery business. The result has been increased competition for limited curb space.  

In response to the concerns of struggling local businesses, we are temporarily adjusting the type and duration of many of the loading zones on Valencia Street between 15th and 23rd streets and on several side streets (18th, 19th, 20th, 22nd) to create more general parking availability in the neighborhood. These temporary changes will be in effect while the project team evaluates permanent curb changes that would be made in early 2024. 

Short-Term Adjustments to Support Small Businesses 

• We are temporarily turning just over a third (34%) of the loading zones that we recently installed into general parking after 12 noon. 

• We are also temporarily turning the vast majority (82%) of the new loading zones into general parking after 6 p.m. Previously they ended at 10 p.m. 

• We are temporarily converting about a third (34%) of the 6-wheel loading spaces into regular commercial loading spaces.  

In addition to on-street parking, the SFMTA operates two garages in the neighborhood: the Mission-Bartlet garage at 3255 21st Street and 16th and Hoff garage at 42 Hoff Street. Parking rates at the Mission Bartlett garage range from $2.00 an hour to $5.00 an hour, depending on the time of day, and the rate at the 16th and Hoff garage is $4.00 an hour (see lists below). Drivers who park in either garage are likely to spend less time looking for a space than those who choose to park on the street, and up-to-date space availability information for the Mission Bartlett garage can be found at our Demand-Responsive Parking Pricing page (SFMTA.com/ParkingRates).  

Mission Bartlett Garage: Open Sunday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. Parking rates by time are in the list below: 

• 12 a.m. to 9 a.m.: $2 per hour. 

• 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.: $3 per hour. 

• 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.: $5 per hour. 

• 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.: $3 per hour. 

• 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $5 per hour. 

16th & Hoff Garage: Open daily from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Parking is $4 per hour all day. 

Meanwhile, we offer neighborhood businesses the opportunity to purchase parking validation stickers at half price. This allows businesses to offer their customers and employees discounted parking at Mission-Bartlet and Hoff Street garages at a very low cost. Interested merchants can reach out to David Dunham at David.Dunham@sfmta.com or 415.701.4604. 

The Mid-Valencia Bikeway Pilot Project 

We began efforts to improve bikeways along Valencia in 2018 to make the street work better for everyone, and the Mid-Valencia Bikeway pilot project began on August 1, 2023. The pilot includes the following changes: 

• Center-running bikeway to provide a dedicated and clear path for people on bikes. 

• Turning restrictions to eliminate or reduce the likelihood of collisions involving turning vehicles. 

• The restriction of parking near intersections, known as “daylighting,” to help drivers to see people about to cross the street. 

• Curb management changes to provide more space for loading vehicles and prevent drivers from double parking. 

We are closely evaluating the pilot’s design and will consider adjustments to improve safety and effectiveness. Public input and experiences are instrumental in this process.  

Valencia serves as a major bike route, but most of the corridor is on the city's Vision Zero High Injury Network, the 12% of streets that account for 68% of the city's fatal and severe traffic collisions. While there is no perfect solution, we are committed to improving safety for bicyclists and pedestrians while preserving the economic vitality of Valencia Street.  

As we move forward, SFMTA staff plan to return to the agency’s Board of Directors in early 2024 with an update on how the pilot project is performing. Safety remains our top priority, and our evaluation will encompass a comprehensive range of factors. These include measuring bikeway blockages, vehicle turn restriction compliance, close calls, vehicle speeds and bicycle and vehicle behavior at new intersections with bike signals. Beyond these metrics, we will assess the effectiveness of the new curb management plan, traffic and user volumes, emergency vehicle access, and the interaction of cyclists with the center-running protected bikeway. This evaluation will help us understand how the pilot design is working and whether we need to revise it for enhanced safety and efficiency. 

Two studies are also underway to help inform a future design for Valencia. The first is focused on traffic and circulation to assess the impacts of various design concepts. The second is a public realm/public space study to consider how we can ensure that the corridor is a great place to visit and spend time outside.  

Questions or comments? You can send feedback about the Mid-Valencia Bikeway pilot and the corridor, in general, to Valencia@SFMTA.com, and updates are available at our Valencia Bikeway Improvements project page (SFMTA.com/Valencia). 

Published November 21, 2023 at 11:40PM
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Celebrating SFMTA Staff for a Successful APEC Conference in San Francisco

Celebrating SFMTA Staff for a Successful APEC Conference in San Francisco
By Michael Roccaforte

San Francisco has officially wrapped up the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting after an exciting week that put the city on the world stage. We’d like to take a moment to recognize the staff from across our agency who spent countless hours and brought their expertise to make APEC a success. It was truly all-hands-on-deck for this effort, and everyone who works at the SFMTA deserves credit for showing why we are a world-class transportation network. 

SFMTA security and Parking Control Officers played a key role in creating safe conditions for the APEC conference.

The restricted areas around the conference zones were carefully coordinated with our street engineers and planners to make sure everyone who attended could remain safe. Our sign shop brought those plans to life with the signage to tell people which areas were closed to traffic. Parking Control Officers (PCOs) then positioned themselves to create a perimeter around the security zones, directing traffic and supporting motorcades. The work by SFMTA security to keep our staff and riders safe during all of this was essential to make APEC possible in San Francisco.   

Our Muni transit staff worked hard to create plans around APEC, and harder when those plans faced sudden changes.

Our Transit staff worked for months to plan Muni reroutes around restricted areas and create new schedules, temporary signs to alert riders and contingencies for any last-minute changes. Our Muni operators skillfully navigated the reroutes with help from our Transportation Management Center staff who monitor road and metro conditions. We were able to get riders safely around crowded or restricted areas thanks to these efforts. Our Muni Transit Ambassadors and Transit Fare Inspectors were on our vehicles to prevent any incidents onboard, and our maintenance teams kept Muni running smoothly. 

Paratransit and Taxi services teams worked diligently to make sure that people with mobility needs who live in the security zones were able to access their homes. The Muni Transit Assistance Program (MTAP) made sure our kids got to school without incident. 

An event of this scale and its travel impacts called for immediate public outreach and customer communications efforts, and our Communications, Outreach & Marketing division sprang to action. The team made sure everyone traveling in SF understood the magnitude of APEC, helped people plan ahead and provided real-time travel alerts during unfolding impacts.  

SFMTA staff get dressed in orange to volunteer themselves as ambassadors to help people find their way around San Francisco during large events. 

Members from divisions across the SFMTA volunteered their time to work as ambassadors to help people find their way around the city. They equipped themselves with maps of the temporary Muni reroutes and brought their knowledge of how to make sense out of navigating San Francisco during this busy event.  

We couldn’t be more thankful for all the work by our staff to make APEC successful while keeping life moving for visitors and people who live and work here. Moments like this make us proud to work for this great city. Thank you, San Francisco! 

Published November 21, 2023 at 05:41AM
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Take Muni to Enjoy San Francisco During APEC

Take Muni to Enjoy San Francisco During APEC
By Mariana Maguire

Muni can get you to all corners of San Francisco while the APEC conference keeps the city bustling.

San Francisco is set to welcome global leaders for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting on Saturday, November 11. The city will be thriving with activities, so residents and visitors who wish to avoid downtown congestion can take Muni, SF Paratransit or use the SFMTA’s bicycle network to enjoy the city’s many unique neighborhoods. Given that much of San Francisco’s cultural heritage was born of immigrant communities from APEC countries and beyond, you can get into the spirit of APEC by exploring some of the sights and flavors of the world right here at home. 

San Francisco’s culturally distinct and uniquely beautiful neighborhoods are what make the city a world class destination! SF.gov’s Perfect San Francisco Days series is designed to help you explore some of the best the city has to offer. 

Chinatown - The largest in the world! 

No visit to San Francisco is complete without a visit to our world-famous Chinatown. San Francisco is home to the largest community of Chinese people outside of China, and Chinatown is a thriving historic, cultural and economic hub of our city. Service during APEC on the temporary Muni Metro Shuttle to Chinatown-Rose Pak Station has been increased to every five minutes from Union Square-Market Street Station. For Muni Metro service, take the J Church, temporary KT Ingleside-Third, M Ocean View or N Judah to Powell Street Station to transfer to Union Square/Market Street Station. The 8 Bayshore will continue to serve this neighborhood during APEC. Muni riders can also take the shortened 30 Stockton or 45 Union-Stockton north of Market Street to Chinatown during APEC. 

Other SF Neighborhoods 

Visit the Richmond district to experience some of San Francisco’s Burmese cuisine, as well as an array of dumplings, dim sum and other Asian favorites. You may even still find some Russian delis or pastry shops in this once predominantly Russian enclave. The 1 California, 2 Sutter, 31 Balboa, 38 Geary and 38R Geary Rapid Muni lines serve this neighborhood. 

Visit Japantown for fresh sushi, hearty ramen and a bustling bazaar market. The 2 Sutter, 38 Geary and 38R Geary Rapid serve this neighborhood. 

Find some of San Francisco’s best Thai and Vietnamese food nestled in the Sunset district or take a walk to the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. The 6 Haight-Parnassus, 7 Noriega, 29 Sunset and N Judah Muni Metro serve this area. Take the 5 Fulton or 5R Fulton Rapid to Golden Gate Park and enjoy the Botanical Garden or the Conservatory of Flowers. Admission to these gardens of Golden Gate Park is free for San Francisco residents.

Experience a bounty of Latin American cuisine, including Mexican tacos and Venezuelan arepas, in the Mission district. The 9 San Bruno, 9R San Bruno Rapid, 12 Folsom-Pacific, 14 Mission, 14R Mission Rapid, 22 Fillmore, 27 Bryant, 33 Ashbury-18th Street, 48 Quintara-24th Street and 49 Van Ness-Mission serve the Mission. 

To capture epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, head to the recently opened Presidio Tunnel Tops Park or explore Fort Mason, both now served by the 30 Stockon. You can also take the 9 San Bruno or 9 San Bruno Rapid for a stroll through McLaren Park. 

Visit the APEC website (APEC2023SF.org) to find events, performances and other experiences during APEC. Stay updated on travel impacts in San Francisco and plan your trip in advance at our traffic and transit webpage (SFMTA.com/APEC). 

Published November 09, 2023 at 10:52PM
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How to Get to Chase Center During APEC

How to Get to Chase Center During APEC
By Janice Tan

Heading to Chase Center during APEC? Muni is your ride. Here’s what you need to know. 

San Francisco is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference between November 11 and 17. This will require temporary changes beginning November 13 to Muni routes to Chase Center, potentially causing delays. 

If you’re heading to a Warriors game or to the Lauryn Hill & The Fugees concert during this time, plan ahead with this information and allow extra time for travel. Remember, your Chase Center event ticket is your fare—no additional Muni fare needed! Muni, walking and bicycling are the best ways to avoid parking and traffic headaches.  

• T Third and K Ingleside Muni Metro stops from Balboa Park to Embarcadero to Sunnydale will be served by a temporary KT Ingleside-Third Muni Metro from November 13-19. This includes Embarcadero at Folsom and Brannan, and King at 2nd and 4th streets.  

• Riders should look for train head signs that indicate the K Ingleside westbound, T Third eastbound or KT Ingleside-Third in both directions. 

• There will be no Muni Metro service provided to the 4th & Brannan or Yerba Buena-Moscone stations. 

• A Muni Metro train shuttle will operate every five minutes between Chinatown-Rose Pak Station and Union Square-Market Street Station. This shuttle maintains access to Chinatown and areas north of downtown. Transfer at the Powell Street Station to Union Square-Market Street Station to access the temporary train shuttle. 

• Paratransit drop-offs and pick-ups are available along the curb of 16th Street and Terry Francois Boulevard with accessible entry and exit from the East Entrance.

Map of the temporary Muni Metro routing changes during APEC. 

The 78X 16th Street Arena Express will continue to run express service between Chase Center and the 16th Street BART station two and a half hours before events and one hour after events. 

Visit our APEC webpage (SFMTA.com/APEC) for more information about how to get around San Francisco during APEC. 

Published November 09, 2023 at 01:12AM
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