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New Muni Service Changes Start Saturday, August 19 By Clive Tsuma 28R 19th Avenue will run on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. starting Monday, August 21.  Back to School  With SFUSD students returning to school August 16, many families who rely on Muni to get to school will see service increase after school as part of the new schedule. Because Muni vehicles often become crowded during morning peak hours and sometimes pass up stops when there is not enough room for more riders, families are encouraged to plan their trips ahead of time and hop on Muni early to make sure students get to school on time.  With every public school in the San Francisco Unified School District being served by at least one Muni route , students can expect extra Muni service on the first day of the school this fall and continue providing service throughout the school year. While the Muni service changes won’t be implemented until August 19, school tripper service will be offered starting August 16, the f

Track Replacement on the L Taraval Line By Sevilla Mann If you’ve traveled through the Sunset or Parkside neighborhoods recently, you may have seen a lot of construction activity on Taraval Street. Major construction projects are an inconvenience, and the impacts seem to be never ending. You may wonder, why does it take so long ?  We would like to thank everyone for your ongoing patience and understanding as the L Taraval Improvement Project to replace aging infrastructure continues. Since we announced the beginning of the second segment of improvements on Taraval Street in January 2022 , we’ve been busy wrapping up upgrades to the sewer and water lines, underground conduits and new pole foundations for the Overhead Contact System (OCS) that powers our Muni trains. We have also installed the necessary infrastructure to upgrade existing electrical for the trains, current and future streetlights and light poles. We’ve now begun work on some of the above-ground improvements that you’

Making Special Events Possible By Michael Delia   Outdoor festivals like Sunday Streets Phoenix Day celebrate the spirit of San Francisco. Such special events rely on the cooperation of many city departments.  San Francisco is a city that loves its outdoor events. Whether it’s a cultural heritage or holiday festival, farmers market, street fair, dance party, road race or even just a neighborhood block party, what often gets overlooked is the intricate collaboration and planning across city departments to make these events a success.  Nick Chapman is one of the people behind the scenes at the SFMTA who helps make them a reality. For seven years, he has worked to manage the permitting process that’s required for any special event . As a native San Franciscan who knows many corners of the city, Chapman has an appreciation for the public’s requests and finds the work to be fascinating.  “Every project is a little different. Every event, every location is a new situation with differen

How to Pay for Parking at The City's New Multi-Space Paystations By Pamela Johnson One of San Francisco's new paystations as the city moves away from its aging parking meters. How drivers pay for street parking in San Francisco continues to evolve. In March 2022, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) began the Citywide Parking Meter Replacement Project to replace San Francisco's aging 27,000 parking meters. Half of the parking meters will be replaced with new single-space meters and the other half with multi-space paystations that use a brand-new pay-by-license-plate system. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.  San Francisco uses paid parking to create curb availability in commercial districts and high-demand neighborhoods. When parking meters are in operation, drivers spend less time circling the block looking for a space. Less circling means less congestion and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.   To help drivers use the new m

150 Years Ago Today – The Cable Car is Born By Kelley Trahan August 2, 2023, marks the 150th anniversary of the world’s first successful cable railway, born right here in San Francisco. To celebrate the occasion, we bring you the story of Andrew Hallidie and the very first cable car company, the Clay Street Hill Railroad.  Andrew Hallidie (1834-1900) was a pioneering inventor and entrepreneur who changed urban transportation. In 1852, at the age of 18, Hallidie emigrated with his father from the United Kingdom to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush. His father, an engineer and inventor, had a wire rope patent that played a crucial role in his son's future success.   Portrait of Andrew Smith Hallidie in 1890. Inspired by his father's wire rope business, Hallidie developed a steel cable mineral mine hauling system in 1857. About a decade later, he designed a wire rope aerial tramway for transporting materials over mountainous terrain. Then, after a stint in bridge