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Return of Muni Metro Rail FAQs By Mariana Maguire Map: Proposed new Muni Metro rail configuration. Recently, we shared the exciting announcement that Muni Metro Rail service will return in August with some time saving changes. For some customers, this is a big change and we know there are lots of questions! So, we complied answers to some of the most frequent ones we hear.   Stay tuned for more information as we prepare to deliver more reliable, efficient rail service back to San Francisco. And please remember that Muni is still for essential trips only. You can help reduce crowding on transit by using other transportation options if they are available to you, like walking, biking, or our Essential Trip Card program. Unless you need to take transit for work, stay local and support your neighborhood businesses as they reopen. How are Muni Metro Rail routes changing and will any routes be eliminated? None of the Muni Metro rails lines are being eliminated. Rail service is...

Active Beale Improves Connection to Salesforce Transit Center By Enrique Aguilar A series of transportation improvements on Beale Street will kick off this summer with a new transit lane from Market to Natoma streets. Transit lanes are part of the first phase of the  Active Beale Street Project , and installation is scheduled to begin later this summer. The project was unanimously approved by the SFMTA Board of Directors on June 16, 2020 and received wide support from community members who participated in the meeting.  The project aims to promote active transportation in the East Cut neighborhood as it continues to grow. Other  Quick-Build  changes coming to Beale Street this summer also include a two-way protected bike lane track between Market and Natoma, and a pickup/drop-off zone between Howard and Folsom. An extension of the two-way bike lane from Natoma t...

Updating Parking Meter Pricing and Reprioritizing Enforcement By Phillip Pierce As the Bay Area enters the next phases of reopening, demand for on-street parking is continuing to increase, especially while transit service is limited under the  Core Muni Service Plan  and with physical distancing transit vehicle capacity restrictions in place. Parking meters are a key tool for making sure San Franciscans have access to our commercial corridors by making finding parking easier. For that reason, after temporarily suspending time limits and lowering meter prices at meters in response to the shelter-in-place order, starting on Monday, July 6 we will be restoring meter prices close to normal levels and reprioritizing enforcement.  Deep Cleaning Parking Meters – Our parking meter crews now deep cleans each m...

Leading with Pride By Jeffrey Tumlin addresses participants and attendees, including Mayor London Breed, at the Better Market Street opening day ceremony on Jan. 29. This week we are profiling several agency leaders, including Director of Transportation Jeffrey Tumlin, on their thoughts about this month’s Pride celebrations and their experience with equity and transit in San Francisco. Our agency has participated as a sponsor and with a parade contingent in San Francisco’s world-renown Pride celebration for many years. Last week Director of Transportation Jeffrey Tumlin logged in with our communications team to share some of his background and perspective on the 50th anniversary of Pride. The questions and answers have been edited for length. Q: What does the 50th anniversary of Pride mean to you? A: I think the 50th anniversary of Pride is interesting in the context of the George Floyd anti-police brutality protests that are happening in San Francisco. Pride started as a ri...

Fast-Tracking Transit Lanes to Help the City's Recovery By Amy Fowler Map of temporary emergency transit lanes being proposed at the June 30 SFMTA Board of Directors meeting We don’t have a crystal ball to see into San Francisco’s future, but one thing is clear: a citywide economic recovery is dependent in large part on a transportation recovery. And while we work to come back from one crisis, we’re looking to avert another—traffic gridlock. With hundreds of thousands of people dependent on transit to get around before COVID-19, our city is uniquely vulnerable to increased congestion. Congestion is already on the rise, and some studies are predicting that people may turn increasingly to private vehicles, turning the streets into a “Carmageddon” for both cars and transit. Our city’s streets simply don’t have room for more vehicles. At the same time, COVID-19 has impacted our ability to provide Muni service. Service levels depend on the availability of operators, car cleaners, ...

The SFMTA celebrates 50 Years of Pride By Sophia Scherr As we celebrate 50 years of Pride, we continue to stand with the LGBTQ+ community, by proudly honoring our core values of inclusion, diversity, equality, and respect for all. To commemorate this monumental month, we’re highlighting some of our amazing staff, their work, and what being part of the LGBTQ+ community means to them. We've also created  “line pride” phone and video conferencing wallpapers for you to download and show off proudly.  Moving SF with Pride Travis Fox   Travis Fox  (right, pictured at his first Pride celebration) has been with the SFMTA since 2003 and is the agency’s chief performance officer. He oversees  strategic planning ,  performance measurement , capital project controls for the agency and the  MuniMobile  fare payment app. Currently, his team is supporting the  COVID-19 response  and  Transportation Recovery Plan , as well as shaping our new...

Taxi Taxi By Benjamin Barnett During this time of physical distancing and temporarily reduced Muni service, our Taxi program continues to provide essential trips around the City. A number of changes have been made to meet the challenges of this crisis and instill confidence in drivers and passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic.  To start with, taxi company representatives have been trained, including with an SFMTA  training video on proper cleaning procedures . Taxis are now required to be sanitized after each passenger trip and the SFMTA follows up with enforcement activities to ensure compliance.   In addition to making personal protective equipment (PPE) kits available to all taxi companies for distribution to drivers, the SFMTA has procured and distributed clear plastic shields for vehicles. These plastic shields are easily installed inside the vehicle, separating the rear and front seats...