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29 Sunset Improvement Project Relaunched

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29 Sunset Improvement Project Relaunched By Shalon Rogers Improvements are on the horizon for one of the longest bus routes in the Muni system. As part of the 29 Sunset Improvement Project , the SFMTA is conducting a survey to gather feedback and ideas on how to improve the 29 Sunset.  At the beginning of 2020, the SFMTA’s 29 Sunset Improvement Project was ready to kick-off a year-long outreach program. However, the COVID-19 pandemic  delayed the project and priorities were shifted to developing and implementing Temporary Emergency Transit Lanes (TETL) and service changes to respond to COVID and then restore service on Muni routes incrementally over the past year and a half.  We’re excited to relaunch community outreach for the 29 Sunset Improvement Project, starting with a multilingual survey that is both online and over text message. We will also conduct additional outreach to different users of this route including students, service workers and groups that represent seniors

Then and Now: Keeping the Cable Cars on the Move

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Then and Now: Keeping the Cable Cars on the Move By Jeremy Menzies When Andrew Hallidie’s first cable car climbed Nob Hill on Clay Street in August 1873, the cars were a brand-new technology to replace the horse-drawn streetcars used at the time. Little did he know that 148 years later, cable cars would still be scaling the steep slopes of Nob Hill. Many of the methods used to maintain and operate the cars to this day harken back to the golden era of cable cars in the late 1800s. As we ramp up for the return of revenue service on San Francisco’s beloved cable cars, check out the images below for a look at just some of the behind-the-scenes work keeping the system running, both then and now. Keeping up the Cars Maintaining the cars on a regular basis is vital to keeping them safe, operable and looking good for the tens of thousands of people who ride them. At the Cable Car Division shops, mechanics, carpenters and painters perform routine maintenance, make repairs and brighten up w

Thanks for Keeping Your Mask On

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Thanks for Keeping Your Mask On By Jonathan Streeter Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Muni customers have consistently demonstrated a strong willingness to comply with health safety mandates, in particular with wearing masks .  As a reminder, the Federal requirement to wear a mask while riding, boarding and waiting for Muni vehicles remains in place, and has been extended until January 18, 2022 . Everyone over the age of two is required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. We are grateful for the cooperation of everyone involved, as it lowers the risks associated with the spread of the virus, not only for Muni customers, but also for vehicle operators, maintenance crews and others.  If you haven’t already received a vaccination, we encourage you to explore the resources available in San Francisco as well as in other locations . Thanks for helping to keep your transportation system as safe as we can for everyone. Published August 19, 2021 at 09:43PM https://ift.

​​​​​​​Moving Towards San Francisco’s Transportation Future

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​​​​​​​Moving Towards San Francisco’s Transportation Future By Bonnie Jean von Krogh Transportation is a vital part of a thriving and equitable community and economy. We are planning for a future transportation system to deliver the reliable and safe transit San Franciscans tell us they want, address changes in travel patterns and demographics and improve safety. We also need to address the historical wrongs of inequitable service and long delayed infrastructure repairs.  We have looked at our past and begun charting our future. Transportation in San Francisco is on an unsustainable financial path. We are $50 billion short of the transportation system our city needs over the next 30 years. But we can act now to put San Francisco on a path to success. That’s what Transportation 2050 is about.    Over the last 20 years, the demands on San Francisco’s transportation system have increased while revenues haven’t kept up. The last decade saw tremendous growth in San Francisco and its ec

Powered Scooter Share Program Update

Powered Scooter Share Program Update By Philip Cranna On Friday, August 13, 2021, the SFMTA granted Scoot a permit to operate a shared power scooter share system in San Francisco.  Scoot’s permit comes in addition to the two 12-month permits previously granted to Lime and Spin on July 1st. Scooters are a sustainable mode of travel and a complement to Muni and public transit service. The SFMTA’s Powered Scooter Share Program ensures that shared scooter operations support the City’s recovery in a safe, sustainable, and equitable way. We take seriously permittees’ adherence to the permit terms and conditions, which are crafted to ensure private mobility options best contribute to the public welfare of the City. SFMTA’s decision on Scoot’s permit In June 2021, SFMTA temporarily deferred the decision to grant a permit to Scoot in order to investigate their compliance with the 2019 permit terms and conditions after learning that Scoot had been operating with unauthorized and inadequate

Changes Coming to NextMuni

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Changes Coming to NextMuni By Mariana Maguire When the SFMTA first partnered with NextBus more than twenty years ago to create NextMuni, the real-time transit vehicle arrival predictions system was state-of-the-art and revolutionary for its time. As technology has advanced and our transit system has grown, we are moving to a new system that will best meet the needs of our customers. Last year, the  SFMTA Board of Directors  and the  Board of Supervisors  approved a contract for the  Next Generation Customer Information System  to replace NextMuni.  Set to debut in 2022, the new Customer Information System will focus on improving predictions accuracy, particularly near the beginning of routes, along with several other customer-friendly upgrades. New, larger graphical signs in transit shelters will also feature maps showing the real-time positions of vehicles. These enhancements will help improve the customer experience and make riding transit easier. While the SFMTA has been workin

Transit Access to Jobs Surged with May 2021 Muni Changes

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Transit Access to Jobs Surged with May 2021 Muni Changes By Tracey Lin Side by side Graphics from the SFMTA Equity Toolkit showing an increase in job access from January service changes and May service changes for the Excelsior/Ocean View neighborhood. With the implementation of Muni’s service changes May 15, 2021, and service adjustments made since by regional transit agencies, access to essential jobs via transit has gone up since January 2021, including some significant increases, in all nine neighborhoods identified in the Muni Service Equity Strategy . The Muni Service Equity Strategy focuses on improving transit performance in San Francisco neighborhoods that were selected based on the percentage of households with low incomes (below 200% of the federal poverty level), private vehicle ownership and race and ethnicity demographics. The Muni service in effect as of May 15, 2021 is the most robust since the Shelter-in-Place order took effect in March of 2020. The reopening of