Friday 27 October 2023

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

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

A white car appearing blurry as it speeds through an intersection.

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. 

A grey car appears blurry as it speeds through a cross walk with a person crossing to the other side in the background.

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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Thursday 19 October 2023

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

Map of the security zone boundary on Market Street to 2nd Street to Harrison to 5th Street and back up to Market Street. The security zone is bounded by Market, 2nd, Harrison and 5th streets. These listed streets which form the boundary of the security zone will remain open to the public.

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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Tuesday 17 October 2023

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
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.

A map displaying the meetup location for the Adaptive Scooter Event. A pin is dropped at the meetup site on John F. Kennedy Drive in front of Peacock Meadow.

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.  

Two adaptive mobility scooters. One on the left is a black scooter from the Lime company. The one on the right is an orange three-wheel scooter from the Spin Company.

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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Thursday 12 October 2023

Hop on Board: Experience the Magic of Trolley Dances

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

A group of people pose around a vintage bus.

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
Taken with Transportation Podcast: School Days
By

Three people in an intersection. One holding a stop sign, one on a scooter and one with a baby.

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!’” 

A man at a street corner wearing a safety vest and holding a stop sign.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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Wednesday 11 October 2023

What’s Next for the Hayes Street Weekend Street Closure

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

People dining in an outdoor enclsoure.

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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Friday 6 October 2023

SFMTA Projects Honored as Exemplars of Community Engagement

SFMTA Projects Honored as Exemplars of Community Engagement
SFMTA Projects Honored as Exemplars of Community Engagement
By Che Harmon

Ambassadors helping people at Union Square Station on opening day of free weekend shuttle service in Central Subway.Ambassadors helping people at Union Square Station on opening day of free weekend shuttle service in Central Subway, November 19, 2022.

The Central Subway and the Potrero Yard Modernization Project were both nationally recognized by the International Association for Public Participation at the IAP2 USA Core Values Awards in Seattle, Washington this September. Each year, the awards go to projects that demonstrate public engagement best practices and advance the field of public engagement.  

Both the Central Subway Project and Potrero Yard Modernization Project are prime examples of the positive effects that community engagement and effective public participation can have on public projects and programs. Both projects embody IAP2’s core values centered on the belief that the people affected by a decision have a right to be involved in decision-making and participate in shaping outcomes.  

Central Subway 

The Central Subway was awarded the Diversity, Inclusion and Culture Core Values Award and the Project of the Year Award for engaging with the diverse communities and neighborhoods impacted by the project. Our team focused on ensuring community voices were heard from day one of project planning up until the opening day of service for San Francisco’s first new subway in 50 years.  

Public input was critical in determining the locations of four new Central Subway stations, station design and station elements such as gathering spaces, retail spaces and a police sub-station. Diverse communities across San Francisco helped to shape the future of the subway thanks to a culturally appropriate outreach approach that ensured the community was heard and respected over the two decades of planning and construction.  

“The consistent commitment to outreach and involvement over a 20-year period is remarkable, through all the demographic changes, neighborhood transitions, changes in city administration and more recently the COVID pandemic. Most often, public participation occurs during the planning stage with only infrequent updates during construction,” said IAP2 USA President Heather Imboden. “[The] SFMTA provided a very good explanation of the initial problem and how additional problems that came up over time were addressed. They made strong use of multilingual ambassadors from the community while providing funding for initiatives to help the community.”  

The agency worked closely with valued community partners, including the Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC), Community Youth Center (CYC), Chinatown merchant groups, Union Square Alliance, Yerba Buena Alliance, the Bayview community and many others. 

Potrero Yard 

A tour guide standing in front of a Muni bus presents to a group of people inside of Muni’s Potrero Yard facility.

Members of the public take a tour of the Potrero Yard in 2019 as part of the award-winning outreach program recognized in September by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2). 

The Potrero Yard Modernization Project was awarded the General Project Award with its work to build a new state-of-the-art bus maintenance and storage facility that integrates affordable housing. It is the first joint development project of its kind in the United States.  

The project not only expands and modernizes a 100-year-old bus yard but also provides much-needed housing, community spaces and services that have been co-designed with the community. Community input continues to shape the project through initial planning, a sensitive procurement process and the launch of the City’s first public-private partnership to the 100% schematic designs we have today.  

IAP2 President Imboden commented, “It was remarkable that what could have been approached by [the] SFMTA as a simple modernization of a bus yard project instead acknowledged the community’s gentrification issues and created a multiple benefit project that addressed the community’s affordable housing challenges in a meaningful way.”  

A key part of the project’s engagement has been the Potrero Yard Neighborhood Working Group that was created in 2018. This group serves as a conduit to the greater community. Bilingual English-Spanish communications have also been part of public engagement from the start. 

For more information about the Potrero Yard Modernization Project, visit the project page (SFMTA.com/PotreroYard). 

The International Association for Public Participation’s guiding principles have been the foundation for the SFMTA’s Public Outreach and Engagement (POETs) program since its inception. To view the awards submissions and videos, visit the IAP2 2023 USA Core Values Awards website.



Published October 05, 2023 at 11:23PM
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Thursday 5 October 2023

New Rebate Programs Will Help Taxis Go Electric

New Rebate Programs Will Help Taxis Go Electric
New Rebate Programs Will Help Taxis Go Electric
By Asher Eskind

An illustration of a green electric vehicle being charged at a station.

We are proud to announce the launch of two groundbreaking rebate programs to spearhead efforts to reduce vehicle emissions in the city's taxi industry. Supported by a generous grant of nearly $350,000 from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (TA), these initiatives represent a significant step towards a more environmentally friendly transportation landscape.

Clean Air Taxi Rebate: Accelerating the Shift to Electric Taxis

Building on its success since the program’s inception in 2012, the Clean Air Taxi Rebate program has been instrumental in reducing emissions from San Francisco's taxi industry. Low-emission vehicles comprise over 90% of the city's taxi fleet, making it one of the cleanest in the nation. 

Now, the SFMTA is taking a bold step forward to transition to a completely zero-emission taxi fleet. Under the Clean Air Taxi Rebate program, we will provide rebates ranging from $3,750 to $30,000 to qualifying taxi companies and operators who upgrade their previous gas-powered or hybrid taxis to electric vehicles (EVs). 

To participate in this program, taxi companies and operators must purchase an EV, and both new and used EVs are eligible for rebates. Participants also have the flexibility to lease EVs if they prefer.

EV Charging Infrastructure Rebate: Fueling the Future with Charging Stations  

In conjunction with the Clean Air Taxi Rebate, the SFMTA is introducing an EV Charging Infrastructure Voucher Rebate program to bolster the city's EV charging infrastructure, specifically for electric taxis. The SFMTA will provide a rebate of 90% of the total cost for the construction of EV charging stations. The estimated cost is $90,000 per charger for DC fast chargers with a six-vehicle-per-day capacity, which would yield a rebate of $81,000. To ensure efficient use of these charging stations, this rebate is exclusively available for permitted taxi companies.  

Both Programs: Transforming Transportation Together

Both the Clean Air Taxi Rebate and the EV Charging Infrastructure Rebate programs operate on a first-come, first-served basis and are expected to run for two years or until funding runs out. Should participation levels exceed expectations, the SFMTA will consider requesting additional funding from the BAAQMD and the TA on an annual basis to sustain these programs beyond 2025.  

If you have questions about these innovative rebate programs, please send an email to sftaxi@sfmta.com.  

For more detailed information regarding the EV taxi rebate please visit the Clean Air Taxi Rebate page (sfmta.com/clean-air-taxi-rebate) and for more information about the EV charging infrastructure visit the EV Charging Installation Rebate Page (sfmta.com/ev-charging-infrastructure-rebate). 



Published October 05, 2023 at 12:57AM
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Tuesday 3 October 2023

Dominica Henderson Appointed to MTA Board of Directors

Dominica Henderson Appointed to MTA Board of Directors
Dominica Henderson Appointed to MTA Board of Directors
By

A portrait photograph of SFMTA Board of Directors member Dominica Henderson.

The SFMTA is thrilled to welcome Dominica Henderson to its Board of Directors. Director Henderson is a longtime public servant who has worked to improve housing policy in the Bayview community and create affordable housing opportunities for those in need. She was appointed in July and sworn in on September 26, 2023.  

A lifelong San Franciscan and resident of the Bayview neighborhood, Director Henderson’s goal as a member of the board is to advance a safe and equitable transportation network for all districts and communities in the city. She also shares a surprising connection with the agency, as her grandfather was a Muni and cable car operator for close to 25 years. Henderson considers both her lived experience and 20-year career in housing policy as key attributes in advocating for public transit initiatives and for developing safe, welcoming and sustainable communities.  

Director Henderson is the Chief Social Impact Officer for the Oakland Housing Authority (OHA) and oversees a staff that provides housing subsidies and resident services to 17,000 households. She is also responsible for OHA’s policy planning and government relations outreach. She previously served OHA as Director of Planning, Implementation and Compliance, ensuring that the Housing Authority adhered to all federal, state and local regulations. Henderson is also a former member of the Bayview Citizen’s Advisory Committee, where she advised on neighborhood planning and land use matters. She brings a wealth of experience in leadership roles, housing policy and community engagement to her position as an SFMTA board member.  

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 October 03, 2023 at 01:06AM
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