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29 Sunset Improvement Project Relaunched By Shalon Rogers Improvements are on the horizon for one of the longest bus routes in the Muni system. As part of the 29 Sunset Improvement Project , the SFMTA is conducting a survey to gather feedback and ideas on how to improve the 29 Sunset.  At the beginning of 2020, the SFMTA’s 29 Sunset Improvement Project was ready to kick-off a year-long outreach program. However, the COVID-19 pandemic  delayed the project and priorities were shifted to developing and implementing Temporary Emergency Transit Lanes (TETL) and service changes to respond to COVID and then restore service on Muni routes incrementally over the past year and a half.  We’re excited to relaunch community outreach for the 29 Sunset Improvement Project, starting with a multilingual survey that is both online and over text message. We will also conduct additional outreach to different users of this route including students, service workers and groups that represent seniors

Then and Now: Keeping the Cable Cars on the Move By Jeremy Menzies When Andrew Hallidie’s first cable car climbed Nob Hill on Clay Street in August 1873, the cars were a brand-new technology to replace the horse-drawn streetcars used at the time. Little did he know that 148 years later, cable cars would still be scaling the steep slopes of Nob Hill. Many of the methods used to maintain and operate the cars to this day harken back to the golden era of cable cars in the late 1800s. As we ramp up for the return of revenue service on San Francisco’s beloved cable cars, check out the images below for a look at just some of the behind-the-scenes work keeping the system running, both then and now. Keeping up the Cars Maintaining the cars on a regular basis is vital to keeping them safe, operable and looking good for the tens of thousands of people who ride them. At the Cable Car Division shops, mechanics, carpenters and painters perform routine maintenance, make repairs and brighten up w

Thanks for Keeping Your Mask On By Jonathan Streeter Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Muni customers have consistently demonstrated a strong willingness to comply with health safety mandates, in particular with wearing masks .  As a reminder, the Federal requirement to wear a mask while riding, boarding and waiting for Muni vehicles remains in place, and has been extended until January 18, 2022 . Everyone over the age of two is required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. We are grateful for the cooperation of everyone involved, as it lowers the risks associated with the spread of the virus, not only for Muni customers, but also for vehicle operators, maintenance crews and others.  If you haven’t already received a vaccination, we encourage you to explore the resources available in San Francisco as well as in other locations . Thanks for helping to keep your transportation system as safe as we can for everyone. Published August 19, 2021 at 09:43PM https://ift.

​​​​​​​Moving Towards San Francisco’s Transportation Future By Bonnie Jean von Krogh Transportation is a vital part of a thriving and equitable community and economy. We are planning for a future transportation system to deliver the reliable and safe transit San Franciscans tell us they want, address changes in travel patterns and demographics and improve safety. We also need to address the historical wrongs of inequitable service and long delayed infrastructure repairs.  We have looked at our past and begun charting our future. Transportation in San Francisco is on an unsustainable financial path. We are $50 billion short of the transportation system our city needs over the next 30 years. But we can act now to put San Francisco on a path to success. That’s what Transportation 2050 is about.    Over the last 20 years, the demands on San Francisco’s transportation system have increased while revenues haven’t kept up. The last decade saw tremendous growth in San Francisco and its ec

Powered Scooter Share Program Update By Philip Cranna On Friday, August 13, 2021, the SFMTA granted Scoot a permit to operate a shared power scooter share system in San Francisco.  Scoot’s permit comes in addition to the two 12-month permits previously granted to Lime and Spin on July 1st. Scooters are a sustainable mode of travel and a complement to Muni and public transit service. The SFMTA’s Powered Scooter Share Program ensures that shared scooter operations support the City’s recovery in a safe, sustainable, and equitable way. We take seriously permittees’ adherence to the permit terms and conditions, which are crafted to ensure private mobility options best contribute to the public welfare of the City. SFMTA’s decision on Scoot’s permit In June 2021, SFMTA temporarily deferred the decision to grant a permit to Scoot in order to investigate their compliance with the 2019 permit terms and conditions after learning that Scoot had been operating with unauthorized and inadequate

Changes Coming to NextMuni By Mariana Maguire When the SFMTA first partnered with NextBus more than twenty years ago to create NextMuni, the real-time transit vehicle arrival predictions system was state-of-the-art and revolutionary for its time. As technology has advanced and our transit system has grown, we are moving to a new system that will best meet the needs of our customers. Last year, the  SFMTA Board of Directors  and the  Board of Supervisors  approved a contract for the  Next Generation Customer Information System  to replace NextMuni.  Set to debut in 2022, the new Customer Information System will focus on improving predictions accuracy, particularly near the beginning of routes, along with several other customer-friendly upgrades. New, larger graphical signs in transit shelters will also feature maps showing the real-time positions of vehicles. These enhancements will help improve the customer experience and make riding transit easier. While the SFMTA has been workin

Transit Access to Jobs Surged with May 2021 Muni Changes By Tracey Lin Side by side Graphics from the SFMTA Equity Toolkit showing an increase in job access from January service changes and May service changes for the Excelsior/Ocean View neighborhood. With the implementation of Muni’s service changes May 15, 2021, and service adjustments made since by regional transit agencies, access to essential jobs via transit has gone up since January 2021, including some significant increases, in all nine neighborhoods identified in the Muni Service Equity Strategy . The Muni Service Equity Strategy focuses on improving transit performance in San Francisco neighborhoods that were selected based on the percentage of households with low incomes (below 200% of the federal poverty level), private vehicle ownership and race and ethnicity demographics. The Muni service in effect as of May 15, 2021 is the most robust since the Shelter-in-Place order took effect in March of 2020. The reopening of

New Transit Lanes for Muni’s 1 California Customers By Jonathan Streeter Muni’s 1 California travels the new transit lane on Sacramento Street You may have seen SFMTA’s Paint, Sign or Meter shops putting the finishing touches on almost three miles of new and expanded transit lanes serving the 1 California. These transit improvements are part of the 1 California Temporary Emergency Transit Lanes project that was approved last April to help maintain travel time and reliability for the over 10,000 daily customers who depend on this vital east-west connector.   In April 2020, when traffic levels were reduced during the shelter-in-place, we saved so much time on the 1 California that we were able to provide the same service frequency while reducing the number of buses on the line—requiring two to three fewer buses per day. Nearly two-thirds of households along the 1 California route in Chinatown and Nob Hill do not own cars, and prioritizing transit is critical to their daily transpor

Muni Ambassadors Walk, Bike and Ride the Extra Mile By Mariana Maguire Each time Muni makes service changes, SFMTA staff from across the agency help to fill hundreds of support shifts to ensure Muni customers easily navigate the changes by dropping off informational materials at community-based organizations in our nine Muni Service Equity Strategy neighborhoods, posting new service signage at Muni stops along affected routes, and helping customers navigate changes with wayfinding assistance. SFMTA staff go the extra mile to make sure this important work gets done, often stepping outside of their normal job roles to help customers out. We caught up with one of our staff ambassadors, Kate McCarthy, a public outreach and engagement manager, after her shift during the May 15, 2021, service changes for a snapshot of her day as she walked, biked and rode Muni along her way. Kate started her shift at SFMTA headquarters stocking up on newly updated handouts for the 36/52 Special . She d

Central Subway Testing Anticipates 2022 Start of Service By Enrique Aguilar   Light rail vehicle entering Union Square station during  testing   The Central Subway Project is moving toward our goal of “substantial completion,” paving the way for the start of critical testing and certification of project elements such as station escalators, elevators, trackwork and radio communications.   The next project stage will include rail activation to begin testing train operations, train control and other integral systems. The project team is identifying and resolving the outstanding issues with the contractor that will lead to recognition work performed on infrastructure elements as complete. Once this step is achieved, we will begin the rail activation process that will ensure the automatic train control and other systems are ready for the start of revenue service in 2022, approximately one year from now.  The project has reached a number of significant milestones, including the laying 

What to Expect When Muni Service is Expanded on August 14 By Angela Genochio Effective August 14, 2021, bus and rail routes will serve 98% of San Francisco within 2 or 3 blocks of a stop. On Saturday, August 14, the SFMTA will launch another COVID-19 Muni Service Change, adding several connector routes and bridging service gaps in hill neighborhoods. 18 routes will be restored, expanded or modified, including the M Ocean View Metro rail, 28 19th Avenue, 31 Balboa, 52 Excelsior and 66 Quintara. These service changes continue to support the city’s economic recovery by ensuring that 98% of San Franciscans have access to Muni transit service within two to three blocks of their home or work. The next Muni service change is anticipated for winter, when the Muni service plan is expected to begin to normalize post-pandemic. S ervice hours will be extended from approximately 5 a.m. to midnight daily on select routes. All other routes will generally have service hours of 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

From Market Street to Fisherman’s Wharf, Cable Cars Return By Lolita Sweet Starting today, August 2nd, San Francisco’s historic cable car service is returning after a 16-month shut-down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because this unique transportation system requires a high level of skill and operational maintenance, we will be operating a limited, free schedule on all three cable car lines during the month of August. Hours of operations will be 7am until approximately 10:30pm, seven days a week. We appreciate your patience as service could be irregular as we roll out the soft-launch of the system. Please join us in celebrating the cable car return with our world-class operators, mechanics and carpenters.   And remember, facemasks are still required while waiting for, boarding, and riding all Muni vehicles, including cable cars. We hope you will enjoy the ride.  Published August 03, 2021 at 01:52AM https://ift.tt/2Vmodaa