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Slow Streets: A Path to Permanence By Shannon Hake In locations throughout San Francisco, the Slow Streets Program has shown that minimizing traffic on residential streets allows them to be more safely used as a space for people traveling by foot and by bicycle. Due to the program’s success, the SFMTA is now exploring the possibility of making some of the current temporary Slow Streets permanent, extending their use beyond the COVID-19 emergency.   Slow Streets discourage non-local vehicle access through barricades and signage. Reducing the number of vehicles on Slow Streets provides more space for physically-distanced essential travel and exercise during the COVID-19 emergency. Because of their popularity, community members have indicated a strong interest in a longer-term future for these streets. As such, we are planning ahead so that some Slow Streets can be maintained beyond the public health emergency. In the coming months we’ll be implementing our “Path to Permanence” on t

Fiona Hinze Fills Final Seat on SFMTA Board of Directors By Lori Phelan Fiona Hinze, transit accessibility advocate and resident of the Outer Richmond, has joined the SFMTA Board of Directors as the seventh member on the board, filling the final vacancy. Nominated by Mayor Breed in late October, Hinze brings a lifetime of experience advocating for transit access for people with disabilities such as herself. Hinze lives with cerebral palsy and uses an electric wheelchair for mobility. "It is important we have a member on the SFMTA Board who understands the needs of our disability community and the challenges people face getting around our City, whether that's riding Muni or navigating our streets and sidewalks," said Mayor Breed in a press release. "Fiona is a respected and trusted community member and knows how to listen to the needs of people living with disabilities and advocate for change. She will bring an important perspective to the SFMTA Board and I'm

Meet Manny Yekutiel, New Addition to the SFMTA Board of Directors By Lori Phelan On Tuesday, January 14, Mayor London Breed officially welcomed small-business owner Manny Yekutiel as one of two new members of the SFMTA Board of Directors. The appointment fills the sixth of the seven SFMTA board positions. Yekutiel is currently the owner of  Manny's , a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, political bookstore and civic social gathering space built at the corner of 16th and Valencia in the Mission district. He is also a member of the city's Small Business Commission and board member of the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association. "I'm excited to nominate Manny Yekutiel to serve on the SFMTA Board of Directors," said Mayor Breed in a tweet. "He knows how to bring people together, and I am confident in his ability to bring a fresh perspective to the Board and represent the needs of SF small businesses and residents." In  Mayor Breed's press release  he wa

Southeast San Francisco Residents Speak Up for More Mobility By Adrienne Heim The start of the 15 Bayview line on January 23 signals the SFMTA’s strengthening commitment to the diverse neighborhoods in southeast San Francisco, which have for too long seen disinvestment and a lack of sufficient transportation infrastructure. This commitment  extends to neighborhoods from Mission Bay to Visitacion Valley that have seen a surge in infill development such as the Chase Cente r, Visitacion Valley/Schlage Lock Plan and Candlestick Point and Hunters Point Shipyard . To begin to correct historical inequities and support this new growth, the SFMTA has been steadily engaged in bringing transportation improvements to residents, merchants, businesses and visitors to this important area. Voice of the Community From 2017 to 2019, the  Southeast Muni Expansion  project partnered with the Muni Service Equity Strategy, the Bayview Community Based Transportation Plan, and The San Francisco Coun

San Francisco Launches Safety - It’s Your Turn Campaign By Christine Osorio In San Francisco, left turns are one of the top three crash factors in severe injuries and fatal collisions for people walking and biking. SFMTA is kicking off the new year with a city-wide education campaign designed to encourage safer driving behavior around left turns. The Safety - It’s Your Turn campaign will use multiple strategies, including grants to community organizations, to engage the public at different times and raise awareness about unsafe left turns. Drivers especially will see the Safety - It’s Your Turn messaging on billboards and buses, hear about it on the radio, and read about it on social media and in newspapers. This community education program also accompanies the SFMTA’s Left-Turn Traffic Calming Project .  Under that project, launched in October 2020, the SFMTA installed safety infrastructure at 7 intersections on the High Injury Network. Community Grant Awardees After a competi

Muni Expands Service, Access for Equity Neighborhoods in January By Mariana Maguire On Saturday, January 23, the SFMTA will restart T Third Muni Metro rail service and increase Muni bus service, including adding several routes based on community feedback. Graphic: New C ore Service map, effective January 23, showing new and returning Muni lines. Temporarily modified T Third rail service will resume between Sunnydale and Embarcadero Station. This frees up the buses currently providing the temporary T Third Street Bus service to increase bus service elsewhere. This change also brings more of our rail operators back to operating Muni Metro rail service. Temporary changes to bus service include the return of the 27 Bryant and two new lines: the 55 Dogpatch and the 15 Bayview-Hunters Point Express . The full 33 Ashbury-18th Street line will also resume to provide another vital cross-town connection. All of these changes are the direct result of community engagement and feedback. I

The SFMTA and San Francisco Beautiful Kick Off Muni Art Project 2021 By Jeanne Brophy The SFMTA  and San Francisco Beautiful   announce the kick-off of the 2021 Muni Art Project.  This year the program launch will be held virtually due to COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders. Artwork by Agustina Caprioglio who found inspiration from COVID-19 and the frontline staff in hospitals, “They are our modern-day temples,” she states, “where people are born and die, where doctors and nurses work hard to take care of all”. The 2021 theme, “San Francisco United” is the sixth year that the SFMTA, San Francisco Beautiful and The Poetry Society of America (sponsors of Poetry in Motion ®) have collaborated to bring art and poetry to Muni riders.   “Now more than ever—it’s important to appreciate and be thankful for the positives around us,” said Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “That’s why we’re looking forward to bringing Muni Art back and sparking some joy in the wake of such a