Blogging Tips for Beginners

Creating Sustainable Change in Downtown San Francisco By Shayda Haghgoo Rendering of 6th Street between Market and Howard Streets When planning for new projects in Downtown San Francisco, the SFMTA must look at potential sites through multiple lenses:   How did previous planning decisions that funnel traffic through the Tenderloin to freeway onramps in SoMa influence existing street conditions?   How can we leverage quick-builds and capital streetscape projects now to make the streets safer not only today, but far into the future as well?  This dual-pronged approach allowed the SFMTA to address immediate safety issues along 6th and Taylor streets while collaborating with San Francisco Public Works to bring capital improvements to these corridors.  6th and Taylor streets are  among the 13%  of city streets that account for 75% of severe traffic injuries and fatalities  known as the Vision Zero high-injury network. The communities that live along these corridors largely con

Creating Sustainable Change in Downtown San Francisco By Samantha Serafica Rendering of 6th Street between Market and Howard Streets When planning for new projects in Downtown San Francisco, the SFMTA must look at potential sites through multiple lenses:   How did previous planning decisions that funnel traffic through the Tenderloin to freeway onramps in SoMa influence existing street conditions?   How can we leverage quick-builds and capital streetscape projects now to make the streets safer not only today, but far into the future as well?  This dual-pronged approach allowed the SFMTA to address immediate safety issues along 6th and Taylor streets while collaborating with San Francisco Public Works to bring capital improvements to these corridors.  6th and Taylor streets are  among the 13%  of city streets that account for 75% of severe traffic injuries and fatalities  known as the Vision Zero high-injury network. The communities that live along these corridors largely 

History in Motion: New Photos from the 1960s to 1980s Now Online By Jeremy Menzies We’ve been hard at work in the SFMTA Photo Archive and recently uploaded two large collections of photos from the early 1960s to the 1980s to our website. These photos, both color and black and white, give a glimpse into the day-to-day operations of Muni and the streets of San Francisco. Here’s a selection of shots from this brand-new batch of photos, many of which have not been seen outside the Photo Archive in years.  This shot shows a typical evening rush hour scene from the mid-1970s taken at Market and Powell Streets.  The color photos from this era are all part of a collection that was most likely used for presentations, studies and as general “stock” type photos of San Francisco, streets and Muni facilities and operations. Subjects include project documentation, copies of maps and charts, street scenes and “before and after” type photos showing Muni improvement projects being implemented. 

Destination San Francisco: Muni Gets You to All the Sights By 39 Coit servicing Coit Tower at Telegraph Hill – one of the routes that will be returning in August 2021 as part of Muni’s next service changes. San Francisco is reopening and the  SFMTA is supporting economic recovery by providing Muni access to 98% of the city.  By August 2021, a majority of our pre-COVID routes will be back in service connecting residents and visitors with world-class shopping and dining experiences, off-the-beaten-path local flare, diverse neighborhoods and almost boundless outdoor activities.  Shops, Markets & Dining in Diverse Neighborhoods  Virtually every neighborhood in San Francisco has its own boutique shopping and dining experiences, as well as unique farmers markets showcasing local shops and amenities.   With service to 24th Street in the city’s Latino Cultural District, the  67 Bernal Heights  (restored August 2020) will take you to Alemany’s Saturday Farmers Market and Sunday Flea 

Muni Metro Debuts New International Wayfinding Standards By Mariana Maguire New subway signage showing new directional wayfinding and accessible exists.  When the Muni Metro subway reopened on May 15, 2021, customers noticed some changes at the Castro and Church stations: new overhead wayfinding signage more clearly identifying station exits and indicating where those exits lead, and new cardinal (north, south, east, west) directions, which now indicate where trains are headed instead of the former “inbound/outbound” directions.   These stations – along with Powell Station, which will be updated soon – are part of the  Metro Enhancement Project  to improve the customer experience by providing better travel information, clearer wayfinding, cleaner stations and safety improvements. Treatments depend on the station, but enhancement elements include paint, lighting and accessibility improvements. The project began with the Castro and Church stations because those are easier to update

South Van Ness and Mission Intersection Closure August 4-9 By John Gravener With the recent completion of the new red transit lanes along Van Ness Avenue, the Van Ness Improvement Project is now focused on its upcoming  Mission Street closure as the project works to complete construction later this year.  The major intersection closure, scheduled for August 4-9, is planned to reduce the duration of the work there. By closing the full intersection for five days, the team can complete work in the intersection that would normally require two months  of work completed one segment at a time. The goal is to minimize inconvenience for the public. Map of Van Ness Avenue and Mission Street intersection with reroutes. Once the construction during the intersection closure has been completed, there will be just a few more milestones left for the Van Ness Improvement Project before construction wraps up later this year. New overhead powerlines for transit lines will be installed. Additional

Going Back to School with Muni By Shalon Rogers Schools are returning to in-person instruction in August. If you have school-aged children at home, then you likely have a back-to-school checklist that includes reliable, efficient transportation.  Many parents and guardians rely heavily on Muni to get their children to and from school which is why households will see Muni service restoration continue in August, so that  98% of San Francisco residents  will be within two to three blocks of a Muni stop by the start of the new school year.   To help take the guesswork out of what bus your child can take to school, the SFMTA has put together a list of  Muni routes that serve SFUSD schools . This resource shows the closest transit options for all San Francisco public elementary, middle and high schools.  With additional lines returning in August, including the  18 46th Avenue ,  35 Eureka ,  36 Teresita  and  56 Rutland , you can rest assured that at least one or more Muni lines will p