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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Taken with Transportation Podcast: More than a Meter Maid

Taken with Transportation Podcast: More than a Meter Maid
By Michael Roccaforte

SFMTA Parking Control Officers Scott Ong and Todd Baxter inspect a car to make sure its Disabled Person Parking Placard is compliant. 

One of the most misunderstood roles at the SFMTA is that of the Parking Control Officer, or PCO. In this episode of our Taken with Transportation podcast, host Melissa Culross spends time on the streets of San Francisco with PCOs Scott Ong, Todd Baxter and Ruben Reveles, as well as Parking Enforcement Assistant Director and Captain Kent Chiu. She learns why parking enforcement is essential, what parking control officers do and discovers that they are much more than just so-called "meter maids."  

People often overlook the fact that PCOs help the public access parking. One violation that comes up in the episode is the misuse of Disabled Person Parking Placards. That happens when a driver uses a placard that was not issued to them. 

“These spaces are…they’re needed. The people that park there need them. And making sure that the people that are parking there should be there…it’s needed. So, we always want to make sure that the people that are needing the spot can always have the spot if it’s available,” says Parking Control Officer Todd Baxter. 

It’s a tough job, given that some people believe all PCOs do is write tickets, but Parking Control Officer Scott Ong knows he and Baxter are doing a good thing when they enforce disabled parking regulations. “The general public, I feel, they look at us like we are, I guess you can say monsters,” says Ong. “But on this detail, when we go and take a bad placard off of the street, people that really do need the spot, they see it, and they see what you’re doing, and they thank us for it.” 

The work our PCOs do is critical to keep San Francisco moving. Illegal parking can cause traffic disruptions and even create unsafe conditions on our streets. Parking Enforcement Assistant Director and Captain Kent Chiu describes how PCO duties go beyond parking and traffic control, whether they’re lending the public a helping hand or providing assistance during emergency situations. 

"If there’s any immediate hazard, like a fire, it’s something we get called to. If we can hold a perimeter for something like that, it’s even better for the public at that point,” says Chiu. “It’s an extra layer...and we can keep life flowing, whatever the situation is.” 

You can find “More than a Meter Maid” and all the episodes of Taken with Transportation at our podcast page (SFMTA.com/Podcast).   

Published November 02, 2023 at 02:06AM
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Speed Safety Cameras are Coming to San Francisco with New State Law

Speed Safety Cameras are Coming to San Francisco with New State Law
By Shannon Hake

On October 13, 2023, Governor Newsom signed California State Assembly Bill 645 into law, allowing six cities, including San Francisco, to pilot a speed safety camera program. This pilot is an opportunity for San Francisco to employ a powerful traffic safety tool that has been used successfully across the world. More than 200 cities in the United States have implemented speed safety cameras, including New York City which reported 70% fewer traffic deaths and injuries where speed cameras are installed. Portland, Oregon experienced a 46% decrease in traffic deaths and 85% decrease in excessive speeds after implementing an automated speed safety program.  

Unsafe speed is the number one factor in fatal traffic crashes in San Francisco, accounting for 20% to 40% of traffic deaths in recent years. For over a decade, San Francisco has been advocating for additional tools, like speed safety cameras, to help reduce speeding cars on our streets and bring down the number of traffic deaths and severe injuries in San Francisco. 

What does the law do? 

Introduced by State Assemblymember Laura Friedman, AB 645 authorizes San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Los Angeles, Glendale and Long Beach to implement a five-year speed safety camera pilot. It goes into effect on January 1, 2024, and allows the SFMTA to install 33 speed safety cameras throughout the city. 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. The geographic and socioeconomic diversity of the locations will also be considered. Any revenue from fines that are issued to drivers who are speeding will be used to cover the costs of the program and to calm traffic.  

When will the cameras start? 

We’re committed to installing these cameras as soon as possible, so we’ve already started the prep work. However, our best estimate is that it will take about 12 months to complete the steps required by the legislation to ensure the speed camera technology is implemented equitably and transparently.  

• Now through early 2024 – System Planning. We are working to identify potential locations for the speed cameras and to create a System Use Policy and Speed Safety System Impact Report for the new system in collaboration with the city’s Committee on Information Technology. We are also developing a plan for outreach and engagement with local stakeholder organizations, including racial equity, privacy protection and economic justice groups. 

• Early to late 2024 – System Design and Installation. We will hire a contractor to design, build, operate and maintain the system. Construction of the speed cameras will begin in 2024.  

• 2025 – Implementation. Following a month-long public education campaign required by the law, the 33 cameras will be turned on.  

Once the cameras are up and running, SFMTA staff will collect data and evaluate whether each camera is reducing speeding. If a camera isn’t shown to be effective on the street where it is located after 18 months, it will be decommissioned. 

What does this mean for drivers? 

Drivers who are abiding by the speed limit won’t need to worry. But, to make sure everyone is prepared, the legislation requires a robust public education campaign to inform drivers about the locations of the cameras in advance of them being turned on. We will also ease drivers into the program by issuing warning notices rather than fees to drivers who exceed the speed limit for the first 60 days of the program, as is required under the law. The law ensures that drivers with low incomes will be able to receive a fine reduction or an opportunity for community service in lieu of a fine. 

To ensure that drivers’ privacy is protected, the speed safety cameras will only photograph the rear of the vehicle and license plate, not the windshield or face of the driver. The SFMTA will retain photos for no more than five days if no violation is issued, and 60 days if a violation is issued. We also won’t share the photos with any other agencies or use them for other purposes. 

The SFMTA is excited to be a part of the pilot and recognizes that the passage of this transformative legislation was the result of years of advocacy by Vision Zero supporters such as the Vision Zero Coalition, San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safety Streets, WalkSF and the many residents who wrote letters and participated in public hearings to voice their support for speed safety cameras. We appreciate their commitment and the leadership of Assemblymember Laura Friedman, Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymembers Phil Ting and Matt Haney and former Assemblymember and current City Attorney David Chiu, who sponsored the first speed safety legislation in 2017. We thank Mayor London Breed for sponsoring the bill and her leadership in creating safer streets, the Board of Supervisors for their resolution showing unanimous support for the bill in April and the San Francisco Police Department for their partnership in traffic enforcement. We stand committed to safer streets in San Francisco and will work urgently to reduce speed limits to save lives. 

Next steps

We, in coordination with the city’s Committee on Information Technology (COIT), will draft a Speed Safety System Use Policy and a Speed Safety System Impact Report in early 2024 to establish the purpose of the system, outline authorized uses and set standards for data management and protection. These documents will need to be approval by the SFMTA Board of Directors and the Board of Supervisors. 

The Board of Supervisors and the SFMTA Board of Directors will also ultimately need to approve the camera locations. 

We will need to plan and design the system, gain all of the policymaker approvals, obtain a contractor to do the work and install the signals. We are working closely with other agencies and the mayor to eliminate unnecessary bottlenecks while meeting the requirements of the legislation.

For more information and regular updates about the program please visit the Speed Safety Cameras program page (SFMTA.com/SpeedCameras).

Published October 26, 2023 at 11:47PM
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APEC is Coming to SF! What You Need to Know to Get Around

APEC is Coming to SF! What You Need to Know to Get Around
By Mariana Maguire

Map of the main security zone around the APEC conference at Moscone Center, with vehicle detours. Security zones have been set and are managed by the United States Secret Service. Only conference attendees and those who live or work inside this zone will be allowed to enter following security screening procedures.

San Francisco is proud to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in November, one of the largest gatherings of global leaders in San Francsico. This is an exciting opportunity for San Francisco to shine on the world stage. Most APEC activities will take place in the South of Market and Nob Hill neighborhoods. Due to the scale of the gathering, APEC may have some impacts on travel in other areas of San Francisco as well. The bulk of the travel and transit impacts will take place from Nov. 14-19.

More than 20,000 people are expected to attend this historic conference, including heads of state and dignitaries from over 20 member economies in Asia, the Pacific, North America and South America. Visit the APEC website (APEC2023SF.org) for further information about the conference.

For security, areas around events and activities will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians except for event attendees or people who live or work within the security boundaries.

Street Impacts

Streets and freeway ramps in SoMa will be closed from Tuesday, Nov. 14 - Sunday, Nov. 19. These closures will result in significant traffic impacts.

Visitors and residents — whether driving or taking Muni or SF Paratransit — should expect congestion downtown, traffic delays, transit reroutes and potential crowding on Muni during the APEC conference and any additional conference-related events or activities. Additional events and activities may arise with little notice and may impact Muni and SF Paratransit routes, as well as traffic and pedestrian access.

Additional APEC-related events will take place in multiple locations. Some events require a temporary security zone that will restrict traffic and may require Muni reroutes. We will make information available as events are announced.

Please note that predictions and third-party navigation apps may not display information properly during this period. We advise Muni customers and anyone traveling through the city to allow ample extra time for travel and be prepared for possible delays.

We understand that these changes will present some challenges and we appreciate your support and patience as San Francisco hosts one of the world’s premier global leadership events.

For the most up to date information in real-time, subscribe to our Muni SMS and/or email alerts. For free language assistance, please call 3-1-1 within San Francisco or 415-701-2311 outside of San Francisco. For TTY, press “7”.

Muni Impacts

For additional details on transportation impacts visit our main APEC page (SFMTA.com/APEC).

The following lines will be impacted:

• T Third Muni Metro
• T Third Bus
• 1 California outbound
• 5 Fulton Owl
• 8 Bayshore, 8AX Bayshore Express A and 8BX Bayshore Express B
• 12 Folsom inbound
• 14 Mission and 14R Mission Rapid
• 15 Bayview Hunter’s Point Express
• 30 Stockton
• 45 Union-Stockton
• 91 Owl
• 714 BART Early Morning Shuttle
• California Cable Car
• Powell/Mason Cable Car
• Powell/Hyde Cable Car
• 18 46th Avenue (single day reroute)
• F Market and Wharves (single day reroute)

The 30 Stockton and 45 Union-Stockton will only operate north of Market Street and continue to serve connections from Union Square to Chinatown, Fort Mason, The Marina and the Presidio.

Temporary KT Ingleside-Third substituting T Third service

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 Nov. 14 - 19. This includes Embarcadero at Folsom and Brannan, and King at 2nd and 4th streets. Customers should look for train head signs that indicate the K Ingleside westbound, T Third eastbound or KT Ingleside-Third.

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

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

For further information, maps and more visit our APEC information page (SFMTA.com/APEC).

Published October 19, 2023 at 04:11AM
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Lime and Spin Host Adaptive Scooter Event in Golden Gate Park with SFMTA Support

Lime and Spin Host Adaptive Scooter Event in Golden Gate Park with SFMTA Support
By

We are proud to support Lime and Spin as the companies host a dedicated adaptive scooter event in front of Peacock Meadow in Golden Gate Park on Oct. 17 from 2:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. The initiative is another step toward ensuring a more inclusive and accessible transportation ecosystem for San Francisco's residents and visitors.

Adaptive scooters, equipped with features such as wider bases, seating and additional wheels, are designed to cater to riders with various mobility needs. They may be particularly useful to those who find traditional scooters challenging to ride. 

People will have the chance to get hands-on experience with a range of adaptive scooters from both Lime and Spin at this event. There are expected to be at least 10 vehicles for riders to test out and provide feedback.  

A two-wheeled adaptive scooter with a seat from Lime (left) and a three-wheeled adaptive scooter with a seat from Spin (right).

San Francisco users of the Spin app will receive notifications about the event through in-app banners and pop-up messages, while Lime notified its users by email. 

In a previous collaboration with AccessSFUSD, students and staff enthusiastically test-rode adaptive scooters in Golden Gate Park. Their invaluable feedback has significantly influenced the design and functionalities of these scooters. 

The Adaptive Scooter Program formally began in 2020. The SFMTA now requires all scooter operators to ensure that adaptive scooters represent at least 5% of their on-street fleet. The permittees also offer different types of adaptive devices through their Complementary Adaptive Programs, which provide longer-term adaptive rentals free of charge through scheduled drop-off and pick-up. Anyone who is interested in trying an adaptive scooter can learn more on our Adaptive Scooter Program page.  

This upcoming event exemplifies our commitment with Lime and Spin to create and support an inclusive transportation landscape in San Francisco. All are welcome to come experience this event focused on equitable urban mobility firsthand. 

Published October 17, 2023 at 01:45AM
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Hop on Board: Experience the Magic of Trolley Dances

Hop on Board: Experience the Magic of Trolley Dances
By Jeanne Brophy

Are you ready for an unforgettable adventure that combines the beauty of dance with the charm of San Francisco's iconic trolley cars? Mark your calendars for the Epiphany Dance Company’s 20th annual Trolley Dances event on October 21 and 22.  

This free event is great fun for all. You’ll be able to explore the city and witness the magic of dance in unexpected places—while taking advantage of San Francisco's efficient and easy to navigate transit system. 

What Are Trolley Dances? 

Now in its 20th season, SF Trolley Dances is a unique event that brings together seven dance companies and the city's public transit system. It's a rich and different experience that highlights the city's vibrant culture and artistic spirit. It’s free, however capacity is limited so you will want to reserve a spot now at their website (epiphanydance.org/san-francisco-trolley-dances/). This year’s event will be along the waterfront. 

As you follow the dance performances, you’ll see art in a new way with the city becoming the backdrop for storytelling through movement. 

Gather your friends and family for an unforgettable adventure through the heart of San Francisco's artistic soul. SF Trolley Dances will entertain you, inspire you and show you of the magic that can happen when art and transit come together in our vibrant city. 

Published October 12, 2023 at 10:00PM
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Taken with Transportation Podcast: School Days

Taken with Transportation Podcast: School Days
By

SFMTA School Crossing Guard Arturo Garcia helps pedestrians across Castro Street outside McKinley Elementary School.

A successful school day begins with students getting to class safely, and school crossing guards help San Francisco children and their parents navigate intersections near their campuses. “School Days,” the latest episode of the Taken with Transportation podcast, is focused on our School Crossing Guard program. This is part of the agency's larger effort to create safe and inviting streets. This school year, we have 180 crossing guards serving 106 public and private schools across about 154 intersections in San Francisco. 

Host Melissa Culross offers listeners a firsthand look at the program by interviewing school crossing guards Christian Frederick Lauser and Arturo Garcia in action. She also speaks with the School Crossing Guard Program’s acting manager, Karen Wong, and others. 

Lauser is a San Francisco native and has been working at the Chinese Immersion School at De Avila in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood for just under five years. “I’ve never had children. Been married a couple of times but never had children,” he tells Culross, adding that now he gets to watch the Chinese Immersion students grow up. “Throughout the years we build up a relationship, so they know me real well, and I know them. And it’s been fun [to] just see not only the physical growth but the intellectual growth and stuff.” 

Garcia is also a lifelong San Franciscan, and he keeps watch over the busy intersection of Castro and 14th Streets outside McKinley Elementary. “Even though this is a controlled intersection, it’s still pretty hazardous sometimes for pedestrians to get through,” he says. "And then sometimes pedestrians, themselves, are distracted. Pedestrians are looking at their phone, and they walk right into a situation, and I’ve had a couple of times where I’ve had to tell them, ‘Stop!’” 

SFMTA School Crossing Guard Christian Frederick Lauser at the corner of Central and Waller Streets near the Chinese Immersion School at De Avila.  

“[The] School Crossing Guard Program has been around San Francisco for a very long time,” says Wong. “It is important because this is one of the solutions for safe crossings.” 

You can find “School Days” and all the episodes of Taken with Transportation at our podcast page (SFMTA.com/Podcast). 

Published October 12, 2023 at 12:55AM
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What’s Next for the Hayes Street Weekend Street Closure

What’s Next for the Hayes Street Weekend Street Closure
By Monica Munowitch

San Francisco established the Shared Spaces program during the pandemic to make it possible for restaurants and neighborhood business districts, like Hayes Street, to have additional outdoor space in the form of parklets, sidewalk space and block closures they so desperately needed when it wasn’t safe to operate indoors. In addition to bringing people outdoors, it also brought people together, creating community and delight throughout our city. That’s why the Mayor and Board of Supervisors made Shared Spaces a permanent program to allow for outdoor dining and activations that will continue to support our businesses and commercial corridors and enliven our public spaces.  

This Summer, the Hayes Valley Merchant Council applied for a permit to continue their Hayes Street “Shared Street” block closure every weekend, including Fridays 4 to 10 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. While there was a lot of support to continue this closure, the City also heard a lot of concerns around safety and travel confusion. To develop next steps for the Hayes Street closure, city staff from the SFMTA, Mayor’s Office and Office of Small Business met with key stakeholders from each of the core Hayes Valley merchant and neighborhood groups to discuss their interests and concerns, and gain consensus about how to best close this busy stretch of the commercial corridor. The Hayes Valley Merchants Council completed its own membership survey, which showed strong support from residents to continue the three-day closure, while others wanted it reduced or removed entirely.  

Just as we adapted our streets to the conditions of the pandemic, we must also adapt our streets to the demands they face today in recovery. With that in mind, we have developed a set of recommendations to make sure the Hayes Street Shared Street closure continues to bring delight and community to the neighborhood, while minimizing unintended negative impacts on nearby businesses and other city operations.  

Once we developed recommendations for a path forward, city staff went door to door to speak with each of the merchants along the Hayes Valley commercial corridor to get their feedback and understand their needs and preferences. While the feedback ranged from a desire to keep the street closed all weekend (16% of corridor merchants) to a preference for it never being closed at all (11%), two thirds (66%) of corridor merchants preferred or were satisfied with the option of a Saturday one-day closure. Many merchants asked for more activation and programmed events during the closure, plus improved safety measures for moving through and around the closure. These discussions informed the final package of recommendations that will be considered by the SFMTA Board. 

Recommendations  

• Consolidate the street closure from three days a week to Saturdays from 1pm-10pm. We heard from some merchants that access to their businesses was being impacted by the recurring 3-day closure. The 3-day closure was also limiting emergency access by the Fire Department and impacting operations of the 21-Hayes Muni line. A one-day closure will allow the permit sponsor to focus their resources on creating a successful, consolidated event while accommodating the multitude of needs on the street during the other weekend times.  

• Incorporate activities to activate the block and bring more people to the neighborhood. A shared street should bring people together – and we’ve asked the permit sponsor organize activities such as music, games, and artists that enliven the space and create a destination.  

• Add new cones, barricades, signage and wayfinding at Gough and Octavia streets to minimize the double parking that has impacted emergency access and circulation. The SFMTA will provide new signs to help traffic navigate the street closure and a new barricade set-up to discourage people from double parking at the entrances. The agency will also prioritize new loading zone spaces near the Hayes intersections of Octavia and Gough to create more pick-up and drop-off zones and clearly delineate where food pickup activity should occur.  

• Monitor the closure. The City has asked the permittee to monitor the street closure to ensure people use it safely and do not drive through the closed street or double park at the cones and block emergency access.  

The City is committed to seeing the Hayes Street closure succeed and the neighborhood thrive. Our recommendations aim to address the diversity of current needs, interests and concerns we heard from merchants, residents and visitors so that Hayes Street can continue to bring people together. If it turns out that modifications need to be made over time, we can make changes in the future; and that could include extending hours, days and even blocks. We look forward to seeing you on Hayes Street! 

These recommendations will go to the SFMTA Board for approval on Tuesday, October 17. You can learn how to attend the Board meeting in person or virtually, and view the meeting agenda (https://www.SFMTA.com/Calendar/Board-Directors-Meeting-October-17-2023) which will be posted at the end of this week.

Published October 11, 2023 at 06:37AM
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