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Why Does Construction Take So Long? By Amy Fowler Tired of construction in San Francisco? You are not alone. With so many city projects and private developments raising dust across the city, our iconic skyline can more closely resemble a giant Erector set than a world-class city. Without these necessary upgrades, however, roads would crumble, traffic signals would be stymied by aging technology and century-old sewer and water pipes would be vulnerable to earthquakes and climate change.   New pedestrian refuge island under construction at Geary Boulevard and Steiner Street as part of the Geary Rapid Project. But why does construction take so darn long? There are many factors that can turn a seemingly simple project into an extraordinarily  complex undertaking. Chief among them is that many SFMTA projects are done in the public right of way. Unlike private developments that are usually self-contained, our projects happen in areas where people need to walk, drive, bike and take tran

22 Fillmore Moves to Mission Bay, Makes Way for the 55 Dogpatch By Erin McMillan Starting Saturday, January 23, the eastern section of the 22 Fillmore will shift its route to begin serving Mission Bay . Utilizing the new transit and street amenities along 16th Street, the 22 Fillmore will travel east from the Mission to 3rd Street to serve medical facilities and the growing residential and commercial areas in the Mission Bay neighborhood. In addition to increasing service to the Mission Bay neighborhood, this move will provide an improved east-west connector from the Mission neighborhood to Mission Bay, increasing transit access to jobs and healthcare services. This 5+ mile bus route serves nearly 18,000 daily customers from the Marina through the Mission and soon to Mission Bay, improving Muni service to all the neighborhoods in between. Start of the 55 Dogpatch Moving the eastern segment of the 22 Fillmore to Mission Bay provided an opportunity to work with the communities of Po

Get Active with Your New Year’s Resolution By Benjamin Barnett Do you want to make a change in 2021 that reaps rewards? An easy way to do that is to pick an active travel option for your trips around town. Sticking to a New Year’s resolution can be hard to do, but choosing an active way to get around is one small thing that can make a big difference. “Active mobility” is the industry term that describes how people move around the city using any non-motorized means of physical activity. The best-known examples of active mobility are walking and bicycling, though other modes include running, skateboarding, scooters and roller skates. Whatever way you choose to be active when you are going to the grocery store, the doctor or to other essential places, you’ll be rewarded for your efforts. Staying Healthy One benefit of choosing active mobility is stress reduction. Making your trips by foot, bicycle or skateboard gets your heart rate up and brings your stress levels down. The COVID-19

New Equity Toolkit Helps SFMTA Improve Access By Mariana Maguire The SFMTA’s Equity Toolkit helps us improve Muni service for San Francisco’s most transit-dependent residents and essential workers. Using data layered with mapping we are able to improve access to jobs and key destinations by identifying and fixing gaps in service. Our Equity Toolkit helps us serve San Franciscans better. The toolkit focuses on San Francisco’s nine neighborhoods identified by the Muni Service Equity Strategy , including the Inner Mission, Outer Mission/Excelsior,  Visitacion  Valley, Bayview/Hunters Point, Oceanview-Ingleside, Chinatown, Tenderloin, Western Addition and Treasure Island . It’s part of SFMTA’s Transportation Recovery Plan for rebuilding our transportation system for a strong, lasting recovery that is more just and equitable for historically marginalized communities . For many of our essential workers, COVID-19 is not only a health crisis, it is an economic crisis too. Economic and

New Muni Route to Serve Bayview and Hunters Point Neighborhoods By Enrique Aguilar Starting in early 2021, Muni’s new  15 Bayview Hunters Point Express  line will improve Downtown access, reduce commute times and add transit capacity for residents of the Bayview and Hunters Point neighborhoods. This community-designed route connects the hilly communities east of Third Street to Downtown and was chosen by residents who voted in a fall 2020 survey. The process and the route demonstrates our commitment to working with communities to provide equitable Muni service.  Launching the new route coincides with the gradual  return of Muni Metro rail service . Returning to rail frees up enough buses to run new service, like the 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express and  new 27 Bryant route , and improve frequency on other key routes. Service on the 15 will run every 10 minutes from approximately 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekends.  Map of new 15 Bayview Hunter

By the numbers: Protecting Operator and Customer Health and Safety By Emily Stefiuk The SFMTA has responded to COVID-19 by working to minimize the risk of transmission and protect the health and safety of our employees and the public. Health and safety is  SFMTA’s Transportation Recovery Plan’s  number one priority.   To assess how we are doing, the SFMTA has been monitoring data through our  Transportation Recovery Plan Dashboards . The  Objective 1 dashboard  compiles metrics associated with health and safety, including sanitizing vehicles and facilities, promoting physical distancing, and encouraging mask compliance. Here’s what we’re seeing:   As of December 6, operator reported mask-related incidents are down 92% from the peak in April.   Mask compliance on Muni is at an all-time high at 96% of observed passengers wearing masks.   We’ve upped our mask distribution – our  Transit Information Program (TIP)  staff distributed over 14,000 masks to customers the week of Nov

Tenderloin Streets Transform During COVID-19 By Kimberly Leung COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted people who live and work in the Tenderloin. As a result, the SFMTA has been working closely with District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney’s office, other city departments, the Tenderloin Traffic Safety Task Force and community members to address the public health issues and unique challenges in the neighborhood through innovative interventions.    The Tenderloin is home to many of our most vulnerable communities including historically marginalized groups such as people with disabilities, residents of SROs and supportive housing and limited-English proficient communities. With every single street in the Tenderloin on the city’s High Injury Network -- the 13 percent of San Francisco streets that account for 75 percent of severe traffic injury collision and fatalities -- this critical neighborhood is the focus of our latest efforts to make the city safer for everyone.  As part of the city’s