Improved Muni Transit Information

Improved Muni Transit Information
By Kharima Mohamed

As part of the larger effort to provide improved transit information to Muni riders, we have significantly improved the SFMTA.com stop webpages with a focus on improved accessibility. 

Each of the over six thousand stops throughout the Muni Service Network has a unique webpage that displays multiple features. These improved features on the stop webpage help to improve the customer experience for riders to easily get all the information they need to get where they need to be.  

Features include: 

• A mobile-first designed web app view for succinct on-the-go real-time vehicle predictions at the top of the page. 

• Detailed route information served at each location. 

• Alerts specific to both that specific stop and all of the routes served. 

• A real-time vehicle-tracking map and a vicinity map for each stop. 

• Nearby stops to provide stop options if an alternative is needed. 

To visit the new stop page of your choice, simply use its five digit stop ID. You can find the five digit stop ID at the top of the transit shelter. For example, the stop ID at 11th St and Market is 13425, the short URL is SFMTA.com/13425. 

Included in this release are enhanced accessibility features that allow screen readers to not only read the details of the stop’s service, but also display when a vehicle approaches to ensure that nobody misses their ride or gets on the wrong vehicle. 

Part of this update is an all-purpose “Find a Stop” page that supports geolocation, lookup stops or map interface to find any stop throughout the Muni Service Network. With a location services enabled on a customer’s smartphone this webpage returns to the nearest stops. The webpage also includes a lookup for address, intersection, and places of interest as well as a map interface for riders that do not wish to use geolocation. All the features on the stop webpage presents riders with multiple options to choose from to plan their Muni ride and continue their trip journey. 

These enhancements are part of the Next Generation Customer Information System Project. Future improvements will soon include an improved multimodal trip planner, more accurate predictions and enhanced accessibility information for each stop that will enable improved accessible trip planning. 

As AT&T’s 3G decommissioning impacts NextMuni electronic displays*, the SFMTA.com stop webpages and third party transit information applications are easy-to-use options to get vehicle predictions and other much needed transit information so that you can plan your trip efficiently. *We anticipate a gradual wind down of the AT&T 3G service over the next few weeks. Our NextBus signs are currently operational, but this will likely change in phases.

Published February 26, 2022 at 03:21AM
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We Want To Hear From You

We Want To Hear From You
By Andrea Buffa

It’s budget season! 

Every two years, the SFMTA develops a consolidated budget to guide the agency’s decisions about where to focus our funding to best meet the transportation needs of all San Franciscans. We’re developing a budget that’s designed to support San Francisco’s economic recovery, increase transportation equity, protect the environment and keep the agency on sound financial footing.  

We presented the base budget (projected revenues and expenditures for the next two years if we made no changes and continued our current policies) to our Board of Directors in early February to get their feedback and are now seeking input from the public. Your feedback will help us understand what to change in our base budget: which investments are most important to San Franciscans and which new revenue sources you think we should pursue. We’re considering both fare increases and decreases as well as changes to parking fees. 

The City Charter requires us to submit the final budget to the Mayor’s Office by May 1. The Mayor then sends it to the Board of Supervisors on June 1 for a final vote. 

How to provide your input on the SFMTA FY 2023 to FY 2024 budget 

Online Survey: We invite you to give us feedback about your transportation priorities by filling out this short survey. It’s available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Filipino. We’ve included an open-ended question so you can let us know if there’s a specific transportation priority you want to let us know about. 

Online Listening Sessions: We’re hosting two listening sessions that will include a short budget presentation and time to hear your questions and suggestions. You can request simultaneous interpretation in any language for our budget listening sessions by calling 415.646.2109 at least 48 hours prior.  

• February 28, 2022, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.  
  English call-in number: (833) 362 1164 
  Spanish translation call-in number: (833) 408 1988 
  Chinese translation call-in number:  
  Online login: bit.ly/SFMTAListens 

• March 3, 2022, 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.  
  Get login information at sfmta.com/budget 

Online Town Hall: At our online Town Hall meeting, we’ll share the feedback we heard from the survey and online listening sessions. 

March 10, 2022, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.  
Get login information at sfmta.com/budget 

After gathering feedback from the public, our directors and our staff, we’ll revise the budget and present it for additional review at two SFMTA Board of Directors meetings: 

SFMTA Board of Directors Budget Meetings:  

• March 15, 2022, 1:00 p.m. 

• April 5, 2022, 1:00 p.m. 

Budget Background 

If you’ve been tuning in to our Board of Directors meetings during the two years, you’ll know that the SFMTA’s revenue was severely reduced by the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID devastated our transit fare and parking revenues, which are two of our three biggest revenue sources. Even now, our transit revenues are about 75% lower than pre-pandemic levels and parking revenues are 20% lower.  

The recovery of our transit fare and parking revenue depends on the pace of San Francisco’s economic recovery, which is still uncertain. Data from the Controller’s Office shows that the city’s economy and downtown are recovering more slowly than comparable metropolitan areas. 

This compounded the financial problems our agency already had. Over the last 20 years, the demands on San Francisco’s transportation system have grown and revenues haven’t kept up. Our agency has what’s called a “structural deficit” -- the amount of money it takes to operate our system costs more than the revenues we take in. 

We got through the last two years because we fought for and won San Francisco’s fair share of federal pandemic relief funding and then we were prudent about using that funding to restore service.  

Recently, our short-term budget outlook has somewhat improved because some of the external revenue sources we rely on did better than expected. We’re receiving more money than we thought we would from the San Francisco General Fund and need to spend less on our pension costs. Still, according to the Controller’s Office, the SFMTA will face a structural deficit of approximately $20 - $50 million every year beginning in FY 2024-25.  

This background informs the FY 2023 to FY 2024 base budget that we’re asking for feedback on. It tries to balance the need for us to restore and expand services with the need to maintain the agency’s long-term economic stability. 

Click below to view the budget website in:  

Español - 繁體中文 -  Filipino    

Published February 25, 2022 at 05:41AM
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Free Muni and Cable Car Rides for the Lunar New Year Weekend

Free Muni and Cable Car Rides for the Lunar New Year Weekend
By Stephen Chun

In partnership with Supervisors Chan, Peskin and Preston, the SFMTA will be offering free Muni rides for the Lunar New Year weekend and festivities. Complimentary service begins Saturday, Feb. 19 at 5 a.m. to Monday, Feb. 21 at 5 a.m. This includes free rides on our historic cable cars, a beloved attraction for regional visitors providing them direct access to the Chinatown community and the weekend’s Lunar New Year festivities.  

Additionally, for the remainder of February, thanks to the leadership of Supervisors Chan and Peskin and their generous funding allocation, the SFMTA, Rec/Park and the Portsmouth Square Garage Authority will be providing validation for two hours of free parking at the Portsmouth Square Garage.  

The SFMTA is excited to be rolling out both programs to support the city’s economic recovery including for the Chinatown neighborhood and businesses’ vibrant culture and vitality.   

As we do every year to spread the spirit of Lunar New Year throughout the city, we’ve decorated two of our cable cars with a Lunar New Year theme and will be running them until Feb. 20. The SFMTA API Affinity Group and other staff members will be riding in the parade on a motorized cable car that will be outfitted with commemorative banners.  

A reminder, as we do not have the ability to turn off the Clipper ® readers or change our headway signs:  

• Please do not tag your Clipper® card. If you tag it, you will be charged.  

• Please do not activate a Muni Mobile ticket. Metro fare gates will be open.  

• For access in Muni Metro stations, the fare gates will be open.  

• For those who happen to tag a Clipper® reader during this weekend of free fares, the SFMTA does not have the ability to issue a refund.  

Safety for Muni riders is of paramount importance to us. To ensure San Francisco’s API community members, who’ve seen their loved ones subjected to hateful and racist attacks in recent years, are safe traveling during Lunar New Year, we’ve put additional support of Muni Transit Ambassadors on the buses and at bus stops in Chinatown to assist riders and support bus operators in keeping everyone safe. Many of our Muni operators come from the API community, so, for us, this is also a matter of protecting our employees.  

The SFMTA expresses our thanks to the city for giving us this opportunity to support the city and are extremely proud to be able to help keep Chinatown residents and visitors moving.  

For more information on Muni service and reroutes in effect for the Lunar New Year weekend, please visit the San Francisco Chinese New Year Celebration webpage (SFMTA.com/CNY). 

Published February 18, 2022 at 10:49PM
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SFMTA Rolls Out Battery Electric Bus Pilot Program

SFMTA Rolls Out Battery Electric Bus Pilot Program
By Stephen Chun

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced the first of three battery electric buses have entered revenue service achieving a major milestone in the agency’s greater goal of an all-electric fleet and a carbon-neutral San Francisco by 2040, as explained in the SFMTA’s Sustainability and Climate Action Program.  

As part of the program, Muni had initially ordered nine battery-electric buses, three each from three manufacturers, New Flyer, BYD USA and Proterra, for an 18-month tryout. As the program evolved, a fourth manufacturer, Nova Bus, was added to the program who would bring in three additional e-buses for the extensive testing. Currently five e-buses have arrived. The rest of seven will be delivered by the end of 2022.   

Prior to the launch, the e-buses were tested on some of our most challenging routes. The new coaches will be serving the 9 San Bruno, 22 Fillmore, 29 Sunset and 44 O'Shaughnessy lines. The three battery-electric buses, one each from New Flyer, BYD USA, and Proterra, will be running on the same line each day to gather data on how they respond to the challenges of revenue service across our unique geographic terrain.  

Leading up to this launch, the SFMTA has been working with PG&E to complete and update the charging infrastructure, called ChargePoint Express Plus, needed to power our new battery electric fleet. Each bus takes about four hours to charge and the electrical support equipment is enclosed within the Electrical Equipment Center directly adjacent to the charging stations.  To date, we have nine of 12 charging stations completed, which are powered by Hetch Hetchy Power. The three remaining chargers are currently in fabrication and anticipated to be delivered in Spring 2022. Construction will continue once the three chargers arrive. The overall completion of the installation project is expected for summer 2022.       

As of 2019, 47 percent of San Francisco’s greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the transportation sector which is heavily reliant on carbon intensive fossil fuels. The SFMTA says its reliance on harmful fossil fuels is changing the earth’s climate and contributes to extreme weather events, increased forest fire risk and sea level rise.   

However, the SFMTA continues to be a leader in providing safe and sustainable transportation options. The SFMTA’s energy-efficient Muni fleet contributes less than two percent of the sector’s emissions and moves approximately 700,000 every day! Today, the SFMTA operates the greenest transit system of any major city in North America   

Program Background  

We are committed to ensuring that BEBs can deliver the same standard of reliability and service as our current hybrid-electric bus fleet. In recent years, the transit industry has witnessed significant progress in battery-electric technology. However, the question remains of whether BEBs can handle San Francisco’s heavy transit ridership and hilly routes. To answer this question, the SFMTA continues to evaluate the battery-electric bus program.  

The BEB program serves as an important step towards achieving the greater goals of an all-electric fleet outlined in the SFMTA’s Zero Emission Bus Rollout Plan and a carbon-neutral San Francisco by 20450. Additionally, this project contributes to the City’s Climate Action Strategy goals and supports the City’s voter-approved Transit-First Policy established in 1973.  

Environmental Commitment   

San Francisco is committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 20450. The SFMTA, which has operated a network of zero-emission vehicles for almost 85 years, is playing a key role in achieving this goal. Throughout our agency’s history, we have consistently and proactively pursued and implemented the latest in green transportation technologies. Today, the SFMTA accounts for less than two percent of the City’s transportation related GHG emissions and operates the greenest transit system of any major city in North America. For more information on our Battery Electric Bus program please visit our website.  

Published February 16, 2022 at 02:03AM
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2022 Muni Service Gradually Phasing Back

2022 Muni Service Gradually Phasing Back
By Mariana Maguire

The 8AX Bayshore Express A is one of the Muni bus routes temporarily suspended since March 2020 that will be brought back into service in April 2022. 

Starting Saturday February 19, we will begin implementing the 2022 Muni Service Network plan. Changes include long-awaited Muni service restorations set to return in phases over the course of the year based on available resources.  

While we look forward to continuing implementation of the approved 2022 Muni Service Network as quickly as possible, Muni service since the beginning of the year has been significantly impacted by the Omicron surge. Currently, we are missing between 20 and 25% of scheduled Muni service, which means that riders are waiting longer than usual for their bus or train, and they are experiencing more crowding while onboard. 

The staffing shortages the SFMTA is experiencing will not impact the February 19 service changes because they are relatively resource neutral. However, we do need to delay the more extensive bus changes that were planned for March. 

What to Expect February 19 

Starting Saturday, February 19, Muni Metro service hours in the subway will be extended on Sundays until midnight (instead of 10 p.m.). The new Muni Metro hours will be approximately 6 a.m.–12 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m.–12 a.m. on weekends. 

Last Muni Metro trips on the KT Ingleside-Third, M Oceanview and N Judah will depart from their various neighborhood stops between approximately 11:30 p.m. and 11:50 p.m. in order to service the subway by midnight.  

Late night Muni Metro buses on the KT Ingleside-Third, M Oceanview and N Judah lines will continue to operate, in addition to train service, from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Sundays until bus service is adjusted in mid-April. 

Owl service will continue to run from midnight to 5 a.m., except for the L Taraval Owl, which will continue to run from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. 

Additionally, the J Church will resume service between Balboa Park and Embarcadero. This change was approved by the SFMTA Board of Directors in December 2021 based on feedback from J Church customers. As the SFMTA Board of Directors requested we will continue to monitor subway performance and report if conditions degrade. To minimize subway congestion, J Church frequency will go from 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays, and 12 to 15 minutes on weekends. 

During hours when the subway is closed, the J Church will turn around at Church Street and Duboce Avenue.

Looking Ahead 

 We plan to implement our next schedule in mid-April and will include the 8AX/BX Bayview Hunters Point Express routes and a minor extension on the 56 Rutland to Burton Highschool. We will also reduce the scheduled frequency on the 1 California, 14R Mission Rapid and 30 Stockton to match our current delivery. This will improve reliability and vehicle spacing on these routes. 

Despite our desire to expand service further in March, we don’t believe it would be responsible to make these changes until we are confident that we have the staffing needed to deliver on them. We are committing to a schedule we know we can deliver so our customers are not left waiting longer than usual for their bus or train. Customers are already experiencing longer wait times and crowded vehicles because of our high level of absences related to the Omicron surge compounded by our existing transit staffing shortage. Additionally, because of the fallout from Omicron and an increasingly competitive job market, we had fewer trainees in our operator training classes in January and February than we had planned for. These were the trainees who were going to be supporting our added service.  

In summer we expect to bring back additional routes that have been temporarily suspended since 2020 like the 2 Sutter (previously the 2 Clement), 10 Townsend and the 21 Hayes, some with modified routing, see SFMTA.com/2022Network for information.We will provide a more detailed description of the schedule as soon as it’s available. 

We deeply appreciate your incredible patience and understanding as we keep pushing forward. Please know that we are working behind the scenes to address gaps in service with a focus on access to essential services like hospitals, groceries, diverse workplaces and schools and service in the neighborhoods identified in the Muni Service Equity Strategy. We are also working to minimize large gaps in service and prioritizing service to Chinatown to support additional travel during Lunar New Year. A huge thank you to the hard working men and women at SFMTA that are keeping the city moving under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. 

If you need an alternative to Muni for essential trips, read about our Essential Trip Card and other transportation support programs. 

Published February 15, 2022 at 07:35AM
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AT&T 3G Decommissioning Impacts on NextMuni Electronic Displays at Transit Shelters

AT&T 3G Decommissioning Impacts on NextMuni Electronic Displays at Transit Shelters
By Kharima Mohamed

Due to the nationwide AT&T 3G shutdown on February 22, 2022, over 650 NextMuni displays that are currently utilizing AT&T 3G modems will no longer be able to display real-time Muni vehicle arrival predictions or other information. The push-to-talk buttons at shelters using 3G modems will also be inoperable. This outage will NOT impact online real-time information provided on mobile and web formats.  

To address this situation, the SFMTA is:  

• Expediting delivery and installation of new replacement displays procured under the Next Generation Customer Information System (CIS) project.   

• Upgrading modems in existing displays from 3G to 4G to maintain predictions while awaiting the new replacement displays.   

• Providing physical static signage at affected stops and platforms indicating how riders can obtain real-time information in other formats, including by web, text and phone.    

As part of the Next Generation Customer Information System project, the SFMTA is ordering over 700 new Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) displays to display real-time information at Muni transit shelters. Approximately one-third of these displays will be double-sided to provide additional visibility at the highest-ridership stops and major transfer points. 

The LCD displays will replace existing NextBus Light Emitting Diode (LED) displays, many of which have been in service for two decades and have reached the end of their lives. These LED displays are no longer manufactured. 

An extensive public outreach effort helped provide the new display’s overall design and other Customer Information System elements.   

Key features of the new displays include: 

• 24-inch LCD screens with vandal-resistant tempered glass 

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant text-to-speech capability 

• Larger and clearer text 

• Letters and characters in multiple languages 

Unfortunately, the pandemic and global supply chain issues have impacted the manufacturing and delivery of the new replacement displays and brackets to mount these displays. Our display supplier has shipped over 150 of these displays. Once brackets arrive, the SFMTA will coordinate with Clear Channel and start to install them. This effort is currently anticipated for late February and will continue into the spring.  

Manufacturing and installation will continue for all display types – including double-sided shelter displays for higher ridership stops, surface rail station signs, and underground rail station displays – for another year. Our contractor, Cubic, is working with its suppliers to reduce this timeline contingent upon easing of global supply chain issues. The SFMTA is prioritizing display installations in shelters based on serving equity neighborhoods/or routes, as well as less frequent services where customers experience the longest waits. The rationale for those priorities is to minimize inconvenience for as many customers as possible with an emphasis on equity populations.

  

 Preliminary design of the shelter display indicating estimated vehicle arrival time and route destination. 

Physical signage at affected stops and platforms providing alternative methods to obtain real-time information:

• The SFMTA will install physical weatherproof multilingual signs at potentially impacted shelters and platforms to inform riders how they can alternatively access predictions, which will remain available through mobile, web and phone.  
• To provide customers with context-sensitive information and maximize convenience, the posted signs will provide available channels where customers can access location-specific predictions for routes serving their stop.  

  

Printed sign at stops where real-time information on NextMuni displays will not be available due to AT&T’s nationwide 3G decommissioning; information will still be available through mobile, web online means and phone.  

Options to access information include:    

• SFMTA.com Stop Pages – The posted signs will include a URL and QR (Quick Response) code that will enable customers to access specific stop pages on the SFMTA website that include predictions for routes serving that location. Each page has a convenient short URL of its stop ID. For example, Market and 11th can be found at SFMTA.com/13245.  

• SFMTA.com/NextMuni – The SFMTA will enable geolocation on a new page of our website, SFMTA.com/NextMuni. Based on a user’s location, this page returns the nearest stop pages to find applicable predictions. The page will also include a lookup for address, intersection and places of interest as well as a map interface for users that do not wish to use geolocation. 

• 511 Voice Response – Customers will be able to dial 511 and enter or say the stop ID to receive applicable predictions.  

• SF 3-1-1 Operator Assistance – Customer Service Representatives are available to provide predictions and multilingual support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via telephone, and TTY (via 711).    

• SMS (Short Message Service) Text – Customers may also text the stop ID to 41411 to receive predictions.    

Additionally, the SFMTA’s Twitter account, @sfmta_muni provides real-time alerts about Muni service disruptions and provides predictions. During staffed hours, the SFMTA will inform customers when their next departure is if they tweet their location, route and direction.   

The SFMTA will continue to monitor the situation with AT&T’s 3G decommissioning and adjust plans if necessary. We will work with Cubic to expedite delivery and installation of new CIS displays.    

In the meantime, we are soliciting feedback from key stakeholders on the design of the new CIS display as we fine-tune how information will be displayed and focused on improving prediction quality for riders. These improvements, anticipated to go live in Fall 2022, include minimizing ghost buses, improving terminal departure predictions, indicating vehicle location and supporting headway-based operations on routes.    

 

Published February 12, 2022 at 06:52AM
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POTUS Appoints SFMTA Planner to U.S. Access Board

POTUS Appoints SFMTA Planner to U.S. Access Board
By Stephen Chun

A big shout out to Maddy Ruvolo, Streets Accessibility Planner in the Taxi, Access and Mobility (TAMS) Division! 

On Monday, the President of the United States announced his intent to appoint our very own Maddy Ruvolo to serve on the U.S. Access Board as an Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board Member. The U.S. Access Board is an independent federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards. This role is a very important, critical and prestigious position and it is no secret that Maddy Ruvolo is the perfect individual to serve on the U.S. Access Board and represent San Francisco.  

Ruvolo has been widely recognized for her commitment in the accessibility of transportation for persons with disabilities. At the SFMTA, she has been instrumental in the agency’s efforts to ensure the accessibility of emerging and active mobility modes in scooter and bicycle programs, and Transporation Network Companies (TNC).   

Ruvolo also played a key role in the implementation of accessibility guidelines for Shared Spaces, where business owners are required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for their parklets and/or outdoor (dining) spaces. Her work also involves conducting engaging and effective public outreach, including soliciting meaningful input from people with disabilities and older adults on pivotal decisions about mobility in Golden Gate Park. 

Ruvolo will be staunchly representing San Francisco and advocating for persons with disabilities in the transportation sector.  She has a master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA, a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Scripps College, where she graduated summa cum laude, and she has worked for the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, and the Oakland Department of Transportation. Ruvolo has received many accolades for her past accomplishments such as the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship and Myra L. Frank Memorial Graduate Scholarship. And of course, we recognize her experience here at the SFMTA as a San Francisco Fellow in Livable Streets, an analyst on the Performance Team, and now as a transportation accessibility planning expert.   

Please join us in congratulating Maddy Ruvolo! Many across the country will now benefit from her commitment to equal access and direct engagement. For more information, please visit U.S. Access Board or President Biden Announces Key Appointees. 

Published February 10, 2022 at 03:29AM
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Creating Sustainable Change in Downtown San Francisco

Creating Sustainable Change in Downtown San Francisco
By

Rendering of 6th Street between Market and Howard Streets.

When planning for new projects in Downtown San Francisco, the SFMTA must look at potential sites through multiple lenses:   

• How did previous planning decisions that funnel traffic through the Tenderloin to freeway onramps in SoMa influence existing street conditions?   

• How can we leverage quick-builds and capital streetscape projects now to make the streets safer not only today, but far into the future as well?  

This dual-pronged approach allowed the SFMTA to address immediate safety issues along 6th and Taylor streets while collaborating with San Francisco Public Works to bring capital improvements to these corridors. We’re excited to share that capital construction is beginning on 6th Street in February, and work will begin on Taylor this spring! 

6th and Taylor streets are among the 13%  of city streets that account for 75% of severe traffic injuries and fatalities known as the Vision Zero High-Injury Network. The communities that live along these corridors largely consist of seniors, children, people with disabilities, limited English proficient people, and lower-income families—all of whom face higher risks of traffic collisions resulting in injury and/or death.   

Both the 6th Street Pedestrian Safety and Safer Taylor Street projects were legislated in the fall of 2018. Within a year, the SFMTA constructed its first quick-build improvements along 6th and Taylor streets to address critical pedestrian safety needs. These included:  

• Travel lane reconfigurations to calm traffic and limit last minute lane changes  

• Signal changes and left-turn restrictions to manage traffic flow and reduce collisions  

• Curb management and buffered parking lanes to prioritize passenger and commercial loading zones  

• Painted safety zones and daylighting to slow fast turning vehicles and improve visibility of people walking   

These changes reduced opportunities for conflict between motorists and sidewalk users while accommodating the community’s various street usages. After implementation, evaluation showed a 21% decrease in vehicle speeds on average along 6th Street, and a 100% reduction in double parking along Taylor Street. Larger capital projects take time to design and bid, but the SFMTA did not have to compromise time for street safety. The quick-build improvements were installed while the projects’ construction-heavy streetscape elements were still being refined.  

Rendering of Taylor Street between Turk and Ellis Streets.

While quick-builds address many of the immediate traffic safety needs, the capital streetscape improvements that are beginning construction now—including signal improvements and landscaping features—create more durable safety features and quality of life improvements. Many downtown residents live in small quarters like single-resident occupancy (SRO) properties, often with little to no outdoor space. The sidewalks along these corridors often function as an extension of people’s homes. Widening the sidewalks will enhance the space and allow a clear path of travel, especially for those using mobility devices, like wheelchairs.   

Throughout the process from quick-build to capital construction on these corridors, we’ve partnered with local organizations to get the word out to community members about the planned improvements. This winter, our partners at Code Tenderloin hosted three information pop-ups in the project area, where they served barbecue and chatted with residents about the upcoming streetscape changes. Over the course of long-term construction projects like those beginning at 6th and Taylor streets, building community trust and creating channels for consistent communication, especially with hard-to-reach populations, is essential.Code Tenderloin is planning more events to keep people informed. Subscribe to the SFMTA project email lists to learn more!  

Informational BBQ pop-up hosted by Code Tenderloin in December.

Capital improvements also allow for more possibilities to incorporate community elements and identity. 6th Street is part of the Filipino Cultural District, and both 6th and Taylor streets are part of the Transgender District, the first legally recognized transgender district in the world. Throughout the detailed design phase, we have been working closely with local groups such as SOMA Pilipinas and The Transgender District to implement community-identifying decorative crosswalks. These improvements will build off the previous quick-build work to further enhance safety and livability for people walking along these corridors.   

Since fall 2018, the SFMTA and Public Works teams have been diligently designing construction plans that include sidewalk widening with corner bulb-outs to shorten crossing distances and reduce speeds of turning vehicles, new and upgraded utilities and traffic signals and streetscape amenities such as new trees, benches, and decorative crosswalks.  

These project elements will continue to enhance the walking, biking, shopping, and living experiences of the 6th and Taylor Street communities. Due to unique issues below street level involving utilities and sub-sidewalk basements along the project corridors, these projects will require extensive construction.   

While the SFMTA led the planning and legislation processes of these projects, we will be handing the baton to San Francisco Public Works to manage implementation and construction communication. If you haven’t already, head to the SF Public Works 6th Street Pedestrian Safety Project page to sign up for updates. As construction begins, both agencies will continue to reach out to the community to minimize disruption to merchants, residents, and visitors along 6th and Taylor streets. For more information, please visit SFMTA.com/6thSt and SFMTA.com/Taylor. 

 

Published February 05, 2022 at 12:05AM
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Benefits of Temporary Transit Lanes Made Permanent

Benefits of Temporary Transit Lanes Made Permanent
By Erin McMillan

Map of nearly 10 miles of permanently approved and 13 miles of installed transit lanes as part of the Temporary Emergency Transit Lanes program.  

The SFMTA Board of Directors voted to make most of the remaining Temporary Emergency Transit Lane (TETL) projects permanent at its January 18 meeting. This move is part of the SFMTA’s efforts to continue the successful temporary improvements in response to the pandemic to preserve those benefits longer term. 

During the early months of the pandemic, with traffic at an all-time low, Muni routes saw a 15% reduction in travel time on average. This allowed us to provide more frequent and less crowded service at a time when resources were very limited. We launched the Temporary Emergency Transit Lane program to preserve this time savings even as traffic returned, so people making essential trips on Muni wouldn’t get stuck on slow and crowded buses.  

The Temporary Emergency Transit Lane program used a quick-build approach to install nearly 13 miles of emergency-response transit lanes in about 18 months. This was the fastest expansion of transit lanes in the city’s history, benefiting routes that carry two-thirds of current Muni customers. Moreover, all these projects benefit lines that serve neighborhoods identified by the Muni Service Equity Strategy. The program has shown great results, and several corridors were made permanent in 2021. 

The most recent round of temporary transit lanes that were permanently approved on January 18 benefit Muni’s 1 California, 19 Polk, 27 Bryant, 43 Masonic and 44 O’Shaughnessy, bringing the total to 10 miles that have been made permanent.  

The 1 California’s transit lane was installed in summer 2021, benefitting one of Muni’s highest-ridership lines. The project evaluation showed up to 15% faster travel time for 1 California customers compared to pre-pandemic. Following evaluation and community input, we made some adjustments to the project, adding transit lanes to two additional blocks and removing afternoon towaway restrictions on one block of transit lanes in Chinatown. Although it was not part of the original project, three blocks of general traffic peak-hour towaway lanes will also be removed on Sacramento Street to help address merchant concerns about parking availability.   

Between summer 2020 and fall 2021, transit lanes were installed on 7th and 8th streets in SoMa, critical corridors for the 19 Polk, a key north-south connector in San Francisco. The 27 Bryant’s route was modified last year so that it would also be able to use the lanes to travel through SoMa with less delay. The project evaluation found that the lanes helped preserve transit travel time savings as traffic returned.  Transit travel time along 7th and 8th Streets decreased by up to 13% when the lanes were installed and remain up to 25% shorter than pre-COVID conditions, even as traffic volumes increase.  

In April 2021, we installed temporary emergency transit improvements at six key locations where traffic bottlenecks occur on the 43 Masonic and 44 O’Shaughnessy. These spot improvements, which included transit lanes and left turn restrictions, helped buses navigate through these bottlenecks more quickly, providing a faster ride and better reliability for Muni customers. In addition to the transit improvements already made on Masonic, transit signal priority is being explored as an additional tool to further improve travel times.  

The remaining project under the Temporary Emergency Transit Lane program is the Park Presidio Lombard Temporary HOV Lanes project which will finish implementation on the Park Presidio segment soon. Once implementation is complete, we’ll conduct a thorough evaluation in partnership with Caltrans, since this is on a state highway, before making a recommendation about whether to make these lanes permanent as well. 

Published February 03, 2022 at 06:09AM
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Honoring the Achievements of African Americans

Honoring the Achievements of African Americans 
By Pamela Johnson

Carter G. Woodson (pictured circa 1948) is recognized as the “Father of Black History Month.” 

Black History Month, also known as African American History Month, is an annual observance during February in the United States that acknowledges and honors Blacks' contributions to U.S. history. These Blacks are the descendants of enslaved Africans shipped to the Americas via the Atlantic slave trade between the 16th and 19th centuries. During this time, Black people often reflect on their history, obstacles overcome and the challenges and progress still to be made. 

From the arts to medicine, education, music, cultural inventions, entrepreneurship, civil rights leaders, noble laureates, etcetera, Blacks have played an influential role in shaping America and are paid tribute to throughout the month. 

There are several SFMTA Black History Month events, including the virtual event, Recognizing and Honoring the late Bernard J. Tyson, former CEO of Kaiser Permanente CEO.  This event is planned by the Black and African American Affinity Group and will take place on February 16 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. 

The theme for Black History Month commemoration hosted by the BLACK and African American Affinity Group (BAAAG) focuses on the importance of Black health and wellness. We’ll discuss topics around health, diet and medical care. We’ll honor the legacy and accomplishments of Blacks in medicine like Bernard J. Tyson, former CEO of Kaiser Permanente. He started as an intern at Kaiser after earning his undergraduate degree. Before climbing the ranks at Kaiser, the largest managed care organization in the United States, Tyson held numerous leadership positions at the company, chief executive officer of the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Santa Rosa, senior vice present and chief operation officer for regions outside of California, and senior vice president of health plan operations. In 2010 he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Kaiser Permanente, serving until his untimely passing in 2019.     

Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the world’s first successful heart surgery. Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first African American woman to earn a medical degree and become a medical doctor in the United States. Before attending New England Female Medical College to study and become a doctor, she was a nurse. She experienced racism and sexism. The male doctors disrespected her. They would not approve her prescriptions and ignored her medical opinions.  

For example, did you know that in 1891, Williams founded Provident Hospital in Chicago It was the first non-segregated hospital? The hospital provided a residency training program for doctors and nurses. Established to increase blacks' access to health care primarily, Provident also served white patients. 

Also, did you know that Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was one of the first female physician authors in the nineteenth century? In 1883, she published A Book of Medical Discourses covering prevention and cure of infantile bowel complaints, and the life and growth of human beings. Crumpler went on to work for the Freedman’s Bureau, where she provided medical care to freed slaves 

Black History Month Facts 

• Carter G. Woodson is recognized as the “Father of Black History Month.” 

• In 1926, Carter G. Woodson started celebrating "Negro History Week" (the precursor of Black History Month) to commemorate the hard work of African Americans in American society. 

• In 1976, the Negro History Week celebration was expanded to the entire month by President Gerald Ford and celebrated throughout the country. Ford said that this country needed to, "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history." Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. 

• The second week in February was chosen because it included the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and Frederick Douglass on February 14. 

• Frederick Douglass escaped slavery. On August 10, 1863, Abraham Lincoln met with Frederick Douglass in the White House. His visit was unannounced. Lincoln came to value Douglass’s perspective and candor. 

• It is celebrated in Canada in February. It is celebrated in Ireland and the United Kingdom (During October) 

Local Black History Month Events 

• Feb.1-28: African American Art & Culture Complex — Multiple events 762 Fulton Street (nearby Muni routes: 5, 9 and 49) 

• Feb 2: MoAD: Black Cinema & Social Change Lecture Series with Dr. Artel Great — 6-8 p.m.,Virtual 

• Feb. 2: Panel: Black Health: San Francisco  — 10 - 11:30 a.m. Koret Auditorium San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin Street (nearby Muni routes: KT, M, N 7, 9 and 9R) 

• Feb. 3: Film: High on the Hog — Noon-2, p.m. Koret Auditorium San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin Street (nearby Muni routes: KT, M, N, 7, 9 and 9R) 

• Feb. 4: SF Public Library Tutorial: The Vegan Hood Chefs Noon to 1 p.m., Virtual 

• Feb. 9: SF Public Library Panel: Black Inventors and Innovators Making Their Mark Virtual  

• Feb. 24: MoAD: Community Voices: Poets Speak Closing Reception — 6- 8 p.m. MoAD Salon 685 Mission Street (nearby Muni routes KT, M, N and 14, 14R and 7) 

Join the SFMTA in honoring the achievements of African Americans and celebrating Black History Month 2022. 

Published February 02, 2022 at 02:48AM
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