Go Local. Muni Supports Small Businesses.

Go Local. Muni Supports Small Businesses.
By Sophia Scherr

An illustration for one of the featured neighborhood districts supporting the Take Muni to Support Small Business campaign, Artwork created by Dan Bransfield.

This week we are launching a campaign encouraging residents and visitors to take Muni to support San Francisco small businesses. The “Go Local” campaign is centered around defining the personalities of several neighborhood business districts, highlighting what makes them unique and promoting the benefits of taking Muni to shop, dine and explore.  

Economic Boost 

When you choose Muni for your daily commute or to explore the city, you're directly contributing to our local economy. Small businesses thrive when customers can easily access their shops, restaurants and services, as many of them rely on foot traffic and local patronage. By opting to take Muni, you're helping these businesses grow, create jobs and continue to enrich our city.  

Climate Conscious Choice 

Choosing Muni over private cars reduces carbon emissions and traffic congestion. It's a small thing that makes a big difference in our efforts to combat climate change.

Cost-Effective 

Rideshare costs can add up, and parking can be scarce and expensive. Shopping corridors can get congested, especially during peak hours and holidays. By opting to take Muni, you help reduce street congestion and you won’t need to spend time looking for parking. With various pass options (and no surge charging), Muni makes it easy to save money on your ride, leaving you with more spending money to support local restaurants, cafes and shops.  

About the Artwork and Artist 

SFMTA staff collaborated with San Francisco-based artist Dan Bransfield for the “Go Local” campaign. Bransfield is an award-winning illustrator, animator and author working in gouache, watercolors and ink, as well as digital media. The campaign artwork captures the vibrancy and culture of each neighborhood’s commercial corridors. Riders can spot the artwork on Muni, social media, digital ads and citywide outdoor media in the coming weeks. 

Look for the #GoLocalwithMuni social tags and keep an eye out for special collaborations with local social media influencers – each spotlighting different neighborhood destinations that offer the best shopping, dining and culture...all a Muni ride away.  

By choosing to Go Local you're not just embarking on an adventure; you're supporting the heart and soul of San Francisco - the small businesses that make our city shine. 

Visit the campaign page (SFMTA.com/GoLocal) to discover what each neighborhood has to offer.

Published September 27, 2023 at 12:43AM
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Taken with Transportation Podcast: Transit Month on Muni

Taken with Transportation Podcast: Transit Month on Muni
By

September is Transit Month in the Bay Area and on the latest episode of Taken with Transportation, the official SFMTA podcast, host Melissa Culross talks with Muni riders in multiple neighborhoods who use our buses, streetcars and light rail vehicles as their principal means of transportation.  

“I just absolutely loathe driving, and the Muni gets me somewhere that I don’t have to drive,” says Erin Livingston, who has lived in San Francisco for almost a decade. “I have such fond memories of days that I had nothing to do, and me and my friends just kind of bopped around, and we took the Muni to one neighborhood and then took it another … and I think Muni is so quintessentially San Francisco.” 

“My family still doesn’t drive, I don’t drive,” San Francisco native Jennifer Borromeo says. “I’m so happy that I have a transportation system that’s reliable, something I can easily navigate with my parents as they’re getting older.” 

Culross also speaks with SFMTA Transit Director Julie Kirschbaum about service improvements and investments the agency is making, as well as Director of Transportation Jeff Tumlin about his favorite Muni line and the first he remembers riding. 

“We really want Muni to be something our customers can rely on,” Kirschbaum explains in the episode. “So, that means if you schedule service to come every ten minutes, that it comes every ten minutes. That the customer predictions are accurate; that the operator is friendly and safe. And that’s what I’m seeing in the system today. So, it’s something we’re really proud of.” 

You can hear this and all the Taken with Transportation episodes at our podcast page (SFMTA.com/Podcast), Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. 

Published September 25, 2023 at 11:11PM
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Reimagine Potrero Yard: View Latest Designs

Reimagine Potrero Yard: View Latest Designs
By Bonnie Jean von Krogh

Rendering of Bryant and 17th Streets intersection. Image: Arcadis IBI Group 

We are reimagining the SFMTA’s Potrero Yard as the nation’s first known joint development of a bus maintenance facility with integrated housing and retail. Please join us at a Community Open House today, Wednesday, September 20, 2023, to learn more about the Potrero Yard Modernization Project including updated designs, economic development opportunities and the public art plan.  

Community Open House 

• Wednesday, September 20, 2023, 5:30 p.m. (TODAY) 

• Z Space, 450 Florida St, San Francisco, CA 

• Bus Yard tours for all ages, childcare and dinner provided

Español - Jornada Comunitaria, Miércoles 20 de septiembre de 2023 a las 5:30 p.m. Z Space, 450 Florida Street, San Francisco, CA. Tour de Yarde de autobuses para todas las edades, Cuidado de niños, Cena.

Located at Bryant and Mariposa Streets, Potrero Yard is an over 100-year-old bus yard, which is long past its lifespan and does not meet current seismic safety standards. The new state-of-the-art bus facility will not only improve maintenance and storage capabilities but support a greener, more sustainable and reliable transportation system for our community.

 

 

The Potrero Yard Modernization Project also gives San Francisco a unique opportunity to address a critical housing need. The project proposes up to 513 units of affordable and workforce housing, subject to funding sources and market feasibility. Plus, it includes retail opportunities at three key intersections with space for street vendors along 17th Street. Our design is rooted in being a good neighbor by minimizing shadowing on Franklin Square Park, providing a public restroom, offering views into the yard of Muni operations and including a strategy to achieve a LEED Gold rating.

  Rendering of 17th Street frontage from Franklin Square Park. Image: Arcadis IBI Group 

The SFMTA selected the Potrero Neighborhood Collective (PNC) as the Development Team to refine the Project during the pre-development phase, and PNC is expected to design, build, finance, and maintain Potrero Yard as part of a Public Private Partnership (P3) with the City. 

If you cannot attend the Community Open House, visit the Potrero Yard Modernization Project page (SFMTA.com/PotreroYard) starting October 4, 2023, to view Community Open House information.

Published September 20, 2023 at 11:33PM
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Muni Heritage Weekend Brings History Alive

Muni Heritage Weekend Brings History Alive
By Jeremy Menzies

Take a ride back in time and explore transit history at Muni Heritage Weekend this Saturday and Sunday, September 23-24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This years’ festivities combine free rides on heritage buses and streetcars, with special cable car service and activities to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the cable cars. The action will come together in the plaza across from the San Francisco Railway Museum on Steuart Street between Market and Mission Streets. 

Vintage Bus Rides 

Pulling out for the weekend will be several vintage trolleys and motor buses that will run on two new, never-before offered excursion loops. Trolley coach buffs will get a chance to ride on three different buses running a special Cable Car 150th Anniversary commemoration route over Nob Hill. This route follows in the footsteps of San Francisco’s very first cable car line from 1873. 

Four motor buses from 20 to 85 years old will drive along the stunning Embarcadero to 4th and Townsend Streets. On Saturday, this route will allow Muni Heritage attendees to check out the latest in locomotive technology as Caltrain unveils its brand new all-electric train.  RSVP is required to tour the train, so be sure to sign up! 

Rare Historic Streetcars 

Rolling out on the rail side will be favorites like the Boat Car and Muni’s Streetcar 1, as well as cars from around the world. Special heritage streetcars will run a loop along the Embarcadero from Don Chee Way to Pier 39 and back, giving riders plenty of opportunity to take in the views and fresh air.

One-of-a-Kind Cable Cars 

In celebration of the 150th Anniversary of our cable cars, event attendees will have the opportunity to ride two unique cars on the California Street line. Not seen in regular service, O’Farrell, Jones & Hyde Cable Car 42 and Sacramento-Clay Cable Car 19 will be out on both Saturday and Sunday. Riders this year can purchase a specially discounted $5 all-day on-off pass for the California Line to experience these outstanding relics from our past. 

Activities and Displays 

If all that wasn’t enough, the plaza at the museum will showcase more historic vehicles and host activities for kids of all ages. 

At the end of each day there will be a guided tour of the “Innovation to Icon: 150 Years of Cable Cars” exhibit at the San Francisco Public Library main branch. Those interested should plan to be in the plaza around 3:45pm for a trip down Market to the Library. 

Also on the docket for the weekend are two excellent walking tours led by SF City Guides on the cable cars.  These tours meet just a short cable car ride away from the Muni Heritage action at the top of Nob Hill. Tours are free but space is limited, so RSVP in advance. 

For more information, visit our Muni Heritage Weekend page (SFMTA.com/MuniHeritage) 

Published September 19, 2023 at 10:55PM
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Enhancing Safety on Franklin Street

Enhancing Safety on Franklin Street
By Mark Dreger

We're excited to share an update on the Franklin Street Quick-Build Project, an effort to enhance traffic safety on Franklin Street between Broadway and Lombard Streets. This roadway stretch was the site of 38 collisions between 2017 and 2021, including the tragic loss of a Sherman Elementary School paraeducator in November 2021. Our data-driven approach focuses on several key safety improvements, and we are ready to share the evaluation results and the next steps to bring further safety changes to Franklin Street. 

The project includes the implementation of a suite of safety measures focused on the intersections where neighborhood stakeholders expressed most concerns during the outreach process. 

• Painted safety zones (PSZs) have been installed to increase pedestrian visibility at crosswalks by keeping the corners of intersections clear.

• Slow-turn wedges have been added to encourage drivers to turn at safer speeds and at angles that make people crossing more visible. 

• Daylighting, or removing parking spaces next to intersections, was used to keep areas near crossings clear. This ensures that parked cars don’t prevent drivers and pedestrians from seeing each other. 

• Right-turn-on-red restrictions have been applied to keep crosswalks clear and minimize conflicts between people driving and walking. 

   

A slow-turn wedge at the intersection of Franklin and Broadway implemented as part of the Franklin Street Quick-Build Project.

The initial results offer some signs of progress: 

• Reduced close calls: After implementation, there were no recorded 'close calls' between people driving and people walking in crosswalks, compared to three such incidents before. 

• Right-turn compliance: Drivers complied with the new right-turn restrictions 94% of the time, indicating that drivers are adhering to the new rules. 

However, there are areas where the project did not yield significant changes: 

• Driver yielding rates: Drivers yielded to pedestrians 60% of the time after these changes were implemented, as opposed to 61% before.  

• Vehicle speeds: Both turning and mid-block speeds remained largely unaffected by the changes. Turning speeds are holding at approximately 10-11 mph, which is below the 15-mph safety threshold set by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), and mid-block speeds remain slightly above the 25-mph speed limit. 

What's Next 

While the project did improve intersection safety, it was not effective at reducing speeds along Franklin Street. The corridor is on the Vision Zero High-Injury Network – the 12% of streets that account for 68% of severe and fatal traffic collisions. So, in line with our commitment to Vision Zero, we’re taking the following steps to further increase safety on Franklin Street. 

1. Road diet: We plan to reduce Franklin from three lanes to two between Broadway and Lombard Street. This lane reduction should reduce mid-block speeds. People driving more slowly are more likely to see people crossing the street and have time to yield to them. 

2. Enhanced intersection designs between Market Street and Broadway: The remainder of Franklin Street from Market Street to Broadway will see enhanced intersection designs using the Quick-Build Toolkit — including painted safety zones, slow-turn wedges and daylighting — creating a uniformly safer walking experience along the corridor. 

3. Long-term projects: Our team is brainstorming how to incorporate more significant changes with future projects on and around Franklin Street.

Improving traffic safety is an evolving process and we're committed to making Franklin Street safe and accessible for everyone. While the project has made some headway, it's clear that more work is needed. We appreciate the community's ongoing involvement and look forward to your continued support as we embark on the next steps. 

For more information on the Franklin Street Quick-Build Project, please visit our project website (SFMTA.com/FranklinQB) or contact our project team by email at FranklinQB@sfmta.com.

Published September 13, 2023 at 10:37PM
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Transit Month is Taking Over the Bay Area

Transit Month is Taking Over the Bay Area
By

Guest Authors Rebecca Gibian and Reanne Lacosta, San Francisco Transit Riders

Transit Month 2023 is a celebration of the role of public transportation in our communities and the Bay Area’s economic, social and cultural vibrancy. In the span of just eight years, it has grown from Transit Day into Transit Week and into the robust month it is now, thanks to our partnership with Seamless Bay Area and other transit-focused agencies and organizations. Together we have reached hundreds of riders through events held across the city.  

We love seeing people get on transit and enjoy themselves, the ride and the experience. We appreciate that Transit Month encourages people to take a trip they never have or try a new line. We love seeing the shift that happens when people take the bus or train, realize how easy and affordable it is and then continue to do so (and tell their friends)! 

Transit Month is a time to show our support for the people who ride public transit, as well as all the drivers, mechanics and others who make the service possible every day. It is so much fun to come together as riders and lift each other, empower new riders to get on the bus and celebrate all that makes our city great. Over the years we’ve seen amazing events including Transit Hubs, a ride-along with CEOs from multiple transit agencies, a Ride Contest that logged over 3,000 rides last year, an attempt to ride all 27 agencies in one day, ride-alongs, rallies with elected officials and so much more. 

 

Riders rally in support of Transit Month at San Francisco City Hall in September 2023. 

It’s no secret that the past few years have been hard on transit. We secured some funding for transit operations in the state budget recently, but it’s not enough. That’s why we need to uplift transit throughout September and highlight how it keeps our city equitable, equal and fun. Public transit is also a key platform to exercise our democratic rights in the city. Riders in San Francisco have used their political power to make sure that transit needs are prioritized, and Transit Month is dedicated to these efforts. It is more important than ever that we show our elected leaders how important transit is to our city, and that we need to continue funding it.

Everyone in our city deserves access to affordable, efficient, equitable and fast transit. Events like Transit Month help us come together as a community, raise awareness about what needs to be done, and celebrate the big wins we’ve had as a city over the years. 

You can check out all our events at the Transit Month website, and sign up for our Ride Contest for the chance to win prizes just for riding transit! See you on the bus!  

 

San Francisco Transit Riders (SFTR) is dedicated to raising the rider’s voice to improve access to public transit in San Francisco and to reduce the city’s reliance on fossil fuels. We are fighting for an excellent, affordable and growing public transit system. We need great service that connects all neighborhoods. We need transit that provides equitable access to resources, opportunities, and each other.  

SFTR works within a broader ecosystem of advocates, non-profits, city and county officials, and policymakers who are engaged in advancing transportation priorities in the city and region. We’re fighting for a public transit system that can live up to its potential and serve us all. 

Published September 12, 2023 at 11:58PM
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Taken with Transportation Podcast: Connecting Community to Transit

Taken with Transportation Podcast: Connecting Community to Transit
By

The Bayview Community Shuttle is intended to help residents connect more easily with transit lines that serve Bayview-Hunters Point, such as the 54 Felton and T-Third.

Accessing public transit can be more difficult for people in one particular San Francisco neighborhood than it is in other parts of the city. So we are designing a supplemental transportation program for this area, the Bayview Community Shuttle.

You can learn more in the latest episode of the SFMTA podcast, Taken with Transportation. Host Melissa Culross talks with SFMTA Transportation Planner Christopher Kidd, San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton, Bayview-Hunters Point Community Advocates Environmental Justice Director Dalila Adofo, SFMTA Planning Director Maia Small and neighborhood residents about the shuttle, which is expected to begin running in Bayview-Hunters Point in 2024. 

Christopher Kidd is the planner in charge of the shuttle program, and he discusses its development and design, which includes extensive community outreach. “We want to make sure that this is a service where it’s effective,” he says. “And also, we really want to make sure this is a service that is complementing our transit service already and helping connect people to rapid transit and regional transit to help them make trips more effectively on transit so they don’t have to drive.” 

The podcast episode also explores why Bayview-Hunters Point, specifically, will benefit from this type of service through the conversations Culross has with Supervisor Walton, Small, Adofo and neighborhood residents.  

“A lot of people [in the neighborhood] are driving because they have to get to work, because they have to get their children to school, because they have to do their daily activities,” Walton says. “And most certainly being in the southeast sector of San Francisco, we don’t always have the fastest and most adequate transportation.” 

“We’re really responding to a particular neighborhood and a history in that neighborhood,” adds Small. “There were really big economic and land use challenges that have gone back many, many, many generations. So we want to make sure that we’re using transportation and mobility as a way to serve them while that’s slowly changing.” 

The shuttle is funded through the spring of 2026 by a grant from the California Air Resources Board. You can hear the entire episode at our podcast page (SFMTA.com/Podcast), Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. Our Bayview Community Shuttle website (SFMTA.com/BayviewShuttle) offers an up-to-date list of community outreach events, as well as a survey you can take to help us develop the service. 

Published September 12, 2023 at 12:23AM
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MTA Board of Directors Welcomes Lydia So

MTA Board of Directors Welcomes Lydia So
By Stephen Chun

Lydia So, a championed public servant, advocate for the AAPI community and an accomplished urban planner, designer and architect, has joined the SFMTA’s Board of Directors. She was appointed in June 2023 and sworn in by Mayor London Breed on Aug. 23, 2023, at Central Subway’s Chinatown Rose Pak Station, in line with her personal connection with the Chinatown community.  

So was born in Hong Kong and is fluent in Chinese (Cantonese). She is the founder of the architecture firm SOLYD Architecture, Management and Design. She is a former Historic Preservation Commissioner for the San Francisco Planning Department where she voted in favor of the Potrero Yard Modernization Project that is expected to bring hundreds of housing units to our city while maintaining the functions of the SFMTA. She was the first Chinese American Historic Preservation Commissioner, implemented the Planning Department’s Racial and Social Equity policy and oversaw a citywide survey on neighborhood streetscapes and buildings.  

So served on the San Francisco Arts Commission and provided a vision for city planning and public art, improved the design quality of city owned properties and regulated the 1%-for-art-program.  

Additionally, she served as liaison to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, where she advised on design quality and equity and advocated for affordable housing production.  

As one of the few AAPI woman architects promoted to Associate at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, So was a trailblazer as she honed her design skills and mastered the technical aspects of architecture and engineering practice.  Her global experience includes helping design of some of the world’s tallest buildings, most advanced life science buildings and the world’s first all glass spiral staircase.     

A strong believer that public transit connects communities, So can draw on her unique background in design, urban planning and land use to shape transportation policy and transit-related priorities. She is committed to carrying the SFMTA through the city’s economic recovery and prioritizes equity, safety on Muni and our streets, and fighting climate change.  

SFMTA Board of Directors  

The SFMTA is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors who are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The SFMTA Board of Directors provides policy oversight in accordance with the San Francisco Charter and the Transit-First Policy and serves as members of the San Francisco Parking Authority. The SFMTA Board of Directors generally meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. Meetings are open to everyone and are streamed live through SFGovTV. Additional information such as agendas, resolutions and legislation passed by the Board can be accessed at SFMTA Board page (SFMTA.com/Board). 

Published September 02, 2023 at 12:02AM
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