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In-person Lifeline Pass Sales to Resume in August By Sophia Scherr As in-person sales of the Lifeline pass are set to resume on August 21, 2020, changes to the Lifeline program are also underway. As the state of emergency persists, a new online application process has been launched and changes are being made to locations where the passes can be purchased. Lifeline is a Muni-only monthly pass for customers with limited incomes. Lifeline customers get unlimited access to Muni service for a calendar month at a 50% discount off the standard adult monthly pass price. Individuals with a gross annual income, also known as income before taxes, at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty level are eligible to receive the Lifeline pass. Currently, Lifeline program applications and requests for replacement cards are still being accepted online or by mail, and expired Lifeline passes have been extended until April 2022. Lifeline pass holders may also qualify Clipper’s START   program, a new regi

Safe Streets 2019 Year End Report By Victoria Chong The Results Are In! Over the course of 2019, the SFMTA implemented a record number of pedestrian, bicycle and traffic calming projects. But our goal is not only to deliver projects, but to make our streets safer and more comfortable for all San Franciscans. SFMTA’s Safe Streets Evaluation Program is sharing  our annual Safe Streets Evaluation Report which takes stock of last year’s progress as well as lessons learned. Pedestrians and bicyclist using the bike lane and pedestrian walkway along Townsend Street on June 13, 2019 Under the direction of Mayor London Breed, the SFMTA initiated the Vision Zero Quick-Build Program. This program represented reduced barriers for SFMTA to install pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements on the city’s High Injury Network . Quick-build projects offer opportunities to take community feedback in real time and make design changes as needed. These projects can be put in the ground in as litt

Clipper launching START Pilot Discount Program By Sophia Scherr Clipper is excited to launch the START Pilot Program in collaboration with the SFMTA and other Bay Area transportation agencies (BART, Caltrain and Golden Gate Transit and Ferry). Designed to make transportation more affordable for low-income residents, the Clipper START pilot program moves toward a consistent fare discount standard for the Bay Area region.  The discount pilot program will last for 18 months while the program is evaluated. SFMTA has committed to continue to offer the discount after the pilot period ends. To design, implement and evaluate this pilot program, the SFMTA is working with Clipper, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), BART and Golden Gate Transit—as well as community-based organizations, social services and public health sectors. Am I eligible for the pilot Clipper START Program? How do I apply? Adults ages 19 to 64 who have a household income of up to 200% of the Federal Pover

Advocacy works! Recognizing the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act By Jonathan Cheng This week marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In 1990, the ADA made clear that public transit must be fully accessible to persons with disabilities.  The SFMTA continues its commitment to developing a more comprehensive accessible transportation network including improving accessible bus, rail and paratransit services. As we reflect on thirty years of the ADA creating a more accessible transportation system, we also recognize there are many opportunities that lie ahead. The ADA clearly mandated that both transit service accessibility and paratransit were an obligation of all transit agencies in the nation and moved the needle forward in terms of accountability. However, Muni’s commitment to providing access for seniors and persons with disabilities accessibility predates the ADA. Muni started to purchase buses with wheelchair l

Advocacy works! Recognizing the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act By Annette Williams This week marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In 1990, the ADA made clear that public transit must be fully accessible to persons with disabilities.  The SFMTA continues its commitment to developing a more comprehensive accessible transportation network including improving accessible bus, rail and paratransit services. As we reflect on thirty years of the ADA creating a more accessible transportation system, we also recognize there are many opportunities that lie ahead. The ADA clearly mandated that both transit service accessibility and paratransit were an obligation of all transit agencies in the nation and moved the needle forward in terms of accountability. However, Muni’s commitment to providing access for seniors and persons with disabilities accessibility predates the ADA. Muni started to purchase buses with wheelchair

Valencia Street and Grant Street: The first two “Shared Spaces” Street Closures  By Phillip Pierce To expand public space for physically distanced outdoor dining, retail and mobility, the city’s  Shared Spaces  program will close parts of Valencia Street to traffic starting this week. This temporary repurposing of Valencia Street from Thursdays to Sundays is similar to another zone created on Grant Street in Chinatown on weekends.  Valencia and Grant streets are the first two full street closures in the Shared Spaces program,  initiated by Mayor Breed  to support the economic and social recovery of neighborhood businesses.    a Mano restaurant in Hayes Valley using the area in front of their restaurant as a Shared Space.    A multiagency city program of the Economic Recovery Task Force, the program allows merchants to use sidewalks, full or partial streets, and other nearby public spaces like parks and plazas for restaurant pick-up and other neighborhood retail activity, as allow

Improving Forest Hill Park and Realizing City Sustainability Goals By Jay Lu Thanks to agency partners, community support and Supervisor Yee, the Forest Hill Irrigation Improvement Project was completed in late June. This project aims to conserve water, increase biodiversity, and improve the park conditions at the Forest Hill transit station. Funded by SFMTA and the San Francisco Public Utility Commission’s Large Landscape Grant Program, the project has upgraded the station area’s 40-year-old irrigation system and replaced the existing sod with a new variety that requires less water. The project also introduced drought tolerant and native plants selected with input from the community which will surround the historic Forest Hill station that opened to transit service in 1918. In addition, a Nature Exploration Area was constructed as part of the project with funding and design by SF Rec & Park. The five-month construction started in February 2020. To give the new sod ample ti

Muni Brings Service Changes to Both Bus and Rail August 22 By Mariana Maguire Photo: 54 Felton bus serving the Bayview and several other equity neighborhoods from Hunters Point to Daly City BART T he SFMTA will bring back, extend and improve frequencies on several targeted bus routes to continue to support essential trips and physical distancing beginning Saturday, August 22, in addition to restarting modified Muni Metro service . These service changes will also support the city’s economic recovery by providing more connections to neighborhood commercial districts as businesses reopen. With the restart of Muni Metro, we can repurpose Muni buses that had been operating in place of rail lines to add service on other routes. Below is a summary of upcoming service changes. L Bus Construction Shuttle A bus substitution will continue to provide service from SF Zoo to Sunset Blvd. related to L Taraval Improvement Project construction. Eastbound towards West Portal Station: Transfe

The Third Phase of Slow Streets Rolls Out a Network By Benjamin Barnett We are very excited to be moving forward with the third phase Slow Streets, which will connect new and existing Slow Streets together into a network that allows most San Franciscans to be able to access essential services and employment without being reliant on either a car or Muni. With Muni’s reduced capacity due to COVID-19 physical distancing, an additional 30 percent of service on hold due to financial challenges, and congestion already reaching peak pre-COVID levels, Slow Streets and our bicycling network are key to supporting people getting where they need to go. “In order to support further reopening of the economy, we need to make San Francisco more welcoming and accessible for people who want to travel on foot, bicycle, wheelchair, scooter, skateboard or other forms of micromobility,” said Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “Slow Streets are critical infrastructure that attracts users o

The Third Phase of Slow Streets Rolls Out a Network By Phillip Pierce We are very excited to be moving forward with the third phase Slow Streets, which will connect new and existing Slow Streets together into a network that allows most San Franciscans to be able to access essential services and employment without being reliant on either a car or Muni. With Muni’s reduced capacity due to COVID-19 physical distancing, an additional 30 percent of service on hold due to financial challenges, and congestion already reaching peak pre-COVID levels, Slow Streets and our bicycling network are key to supporting people getting where they need to go. “In order to support further reopening of the economy, we need to make San Francisco more welcoming and accessible for people who want to travel on foot, bicycle, wheelchair, scooter, skateboard or other forms of micromobility,” said Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “Slow Streets are critical infrastructure that attracts users of

New Muni Metro Map Debuts to Support Major Railway Changes in August By Jeanne Brophy As part of the Muni service changes scheduled for August we’ve moved forward with applying the upcoming changes to the Muni Metro system map to provide a visual reference. As a temporary emergency measure, the L Taraval and K Ingleside will become one line at West Portal. This practice, known as “interlining” in transportation planning, will result in a new line; the LK Taraval-Ingleside. The line will no longer enter the subway at West Portal station and, as a result, West Portal will become a significant transfer point . The LK Taraval-Ingleside route will run on the surface between the SF Zoo and City College at Balboa Park Station. At West Portal, LK Taraval-Ingleside customers traveling to points downtown will exit the train on the surface at West Portal and Ulloa and enter the station to transfer to the new temporary TM Third-Ocean View line or S Shuttle. Customers transferring fro

How the SFMTA is Supporting Small Businesses  By Bradley Dunn The SFMTA, along with our city agency partners, is committed to working with local businesses to protect public health and ensure our transportation system supports a strong economic recovery. Small businesses are the lifeblood of San Francisco and as we work to recover, working with businesses is a key part of our  Transportation Recovery Plan .  Below are some of the ways the SFMTA is partnering with other city agencies to support businesses.  Shared Spaces  To support small businesses, the SFMTA is working with agency partners to fast track permits enabling businesses to utilize the public right-of-way for their operations. The Shared Spaces effort includes using the curb along requesting business frontages to provide space for curbside pickup and delivery, outdoor dining or physical distancing where queues form. Note that not every business’s application will meet the criteria.  Learn more about the program and appl

The Future of Transit Service Through the Health and Budget Crisis By Jeffrey Tumlin The pandemic has upended every aspect of our society, and the SFMTA is no exception. The COVID-related health and financial crises have resulted in deep and painful cuts to Muni service. We will be draining our fund reserve and spending one-time money just to sustain the service we have. Absent new outside funding, we fall off a financial cliff in 2023, just as the city needs us the most to support its economic recovery. As your Director of Transportation, I want to be open and transparent about how we got here and what it means for you. When I took this job six months ago, our mobility systems were strong but inefficient, the result of too many years of avoiding hard or politically unpopular choices. This crisis has now forced us to make those hard choices. It has also demonstrated the SFMTA workforce’s depth of talent and creativity, and its capacity for collaboration and strategic risk-taking. Th