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The Infrastructure Bill and the SFMTA By What the infrastructure bill means for the SFMTA On December 20, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi joined Mayor London Breed and US Representative Mark DeSaulnier to promote the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed into law in November. They held an event at the corner of Second and Howard Streets to explain how the bill will benefit California and show the type of street improvements it can pay for to improve pedestrian safety. These include things like wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes, transit boarding islands and ADA-compliant curb ramps. It’s through these types of improvements that San Francisco will be able to reach its goal of eliminating traffic fatalities. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which coordinates Bay Area transportation financing, estimates that the infrastructure bill will provide about $4.5 billion in funding to the region over the next five years via formula funds that the MTC a...

Muni Highlights in 2021: More Service to More Destinations By Jonathan Streeter Our goal for Muni in 2021 was to match the service we offer with the changing travel patterns of an unpredictable era, as San Franciscans grappled with a second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.  To achieve this, we expanded on the core routes that formed the nucleus of our early 2020 pandemic network by adding and improving service in key areas throughout San Francisco. We focused on access in neighborhoods where essential workers live, as well as on adding service in busy corridors and even creating new lines. At the beginning of the year, even with our reduced schedule, 91% of San Franciscans were within two or three blocks of a Muni stop. This included 100% of residents in San Francisco’s neighborhoods identified by the Muni Service Equity Strategy . By summer 2021, we added enough additional service so that 98% of San Franciscans were within two or three blocks of a Muni stop. To the relief of ma...

Free Muni for New Year’s Eve By Stephen Chun 2021 marks the 22nd consecutive year that we will offer free rides on New Year’s Eve. Starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, December 31 and going through 5 a.m. on Saturday, January 1, all trips on Muni will be free. This program supports San Francisco’s  Vision Zero  goals to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries as well as promotes safe and responsible transit during the New Year’s festivities.   Please note that  face masks are still required by federal law  while riding Muni, in Muni stations, on paratransit and in taxis. Violations can result in denial of boarding or removal from Muni and may carry federal penalties.  Ride Muni Free New Year’s Eve  includes all Muni lines and routes. Clipper Card customers should NOT tap their cards to make sure they don’t get charged a fare. Muni Mobile passes will not be n...

Central Subway Revenue Service Update By Enrique Aguilar Central Subway Finishes Year on a High Note As we say goodbye to 2021 and bring in the new year, construction crews for the Central Subway remain laser-focused on the finish line and are working towards completing items in our substantial punch list. It includes testing and certifying elevators and escalators, installing all ticket vending machines and completing small tasks that need to be addressed before the start of service, anticipated for October 2022. Early next year, construction work will continue on the surface near 4th and King streets to install overhead wire and support systems connecting the Central Subway to the existing Metro system. Train and traffic signaling work and installation of new street lighting between Bryant and Townsend will also resume on 4th Street. Now that station elevators and escalators are fully functional and tested, equipment must be certified to meet local and federal safety requirement...

Year-End Review of History Uncovered in 2021 By Jeremy Menzies As the year comes to an end, we are excited to present a selection of historic photos that were preserved in the SFMTA Photo Archive this year. Archive staff have been scanning and cataloguing archival Muni photos that date back 100+ years for over a decade now. Read more about our work in the  10 year milestone blog from 2018 .   The images below are a set of richly colored slides, some of which were originally used in presentations by Muni staff in the 1970s.  These photos have a wide range of subject matter from everyday street activity to scenic vistas, project documentation and important Muni milestones.  A typical day in the life of a Muni Operator.  This shot was taken near Market and 5th Streets in the early 1970s Here, customers board a 38 Geary bus painted for the 1976 Bicentennial in a striking red, white, and blue paint job. A rare snowfall is c...

Happy Holidays from the SFMTA By Jeffrey Tumlin As the year comes to a close, we are grateful for our riders, customers, city partners and neighbors, whose support this past year has been invaluable. We want to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a joyous holiday season and a happy new year.  As 2021 ends, we are taking a moment to reflect on the challenges of the last year and the ways our agency was able to respond to them with courage, commitment and compassion. Our dedicated employees are the heart and soul of our agency, and we hope you’ll join us in celebrating them and the ways they’ve supported San Francisco’s recovery.  The COVID-19 pandemic and the changes it’s provoked in the San Francisco Bay Area have required the SFMTA to rethink street design and transit operations, as well as expedite processes and practices that have traditionally taken much longer....

Safe Driver Awards 2021 By Pamela Johnson Navigating any type of vehicle, no matter the size, through miles of hilly San Francisco terrain and sharing the roadway with others is no easy feat. Add Ubers, private and commercial vehicles, taxis, bicycles, scooters and pedestrians into the mix and the challenge escalates quickly.   But what is even more truly remarkable is that we have 282 Muni transit operators who've managed this safe driving record with no avoidable safety incidents year after year for more than 15 years. Some for several decades!   This year, the Muni operators named as honorees for the annual Safe Driver Award Program have met that challenge to be called a Safe Driver. Additionally, 20 new operators were welcomed to this elite club of which three have at least 35 years of safe driving:  Oliverio Valle, Cable Car Division, 47 Year...