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Six Generations of Pint-Sized Buses Serve Muni’s Toughest Routes By Jeremy Menzies For over 80 years, special fleets of shorter than usual buses have been reserved for some of the City’s toughest routes. Winding through tight bends and climbing up steep grades, these pint-sized coaches ensure access to transit in neighborhoods where standard-length buses cannot go. As the SFMTA phases in a brand-new batch of shorter buses, here’s a look at all six generations of Muni’s “mini” fleet. “Baby White” Buses: 1938-1975 The first generation of short-length buses was intended for regular use on all Muni bus routes. Made by the White Motor Company in Cleveland, Ohio, this fleet came to SF in 1938. The buses were nicknamed “Baby Whites” after a group of longer White Co. buses arrived in 1947. In the mid 1950s, all but three of these buses were retired. The three saved continued to run on the 39 Coit Tower route until 1975—in service longer than any other bus before or after.   This bus ...

Permanent Adaptive Cycling Program Unveiled in Golden Gate Park By Maddy Ruvolo As adaptive bikeshare enthusiasts know, cycling isn’t only for people who are able-bodied. On Saturday, a permanent adaptive cycling program that will serve Golden Gate Park and the Great Highway launched in partnership with San Francisco Recreation & Parks and the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program, commonly known as BORP . The free program matches people with disabilities to adaptive bicycles by advance reservation. The BORP Cycling Center hosts one of the largest collections of adaptive bikes in the world, including handcycles, recumbent bikes, side-by-side tandems, and other models. The program serves children, youth, and adults with physical and sensory disabilities, as well as their family and friends. The Adaptive Cycling Program will run on Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. by appointment only from April through October. Locations will alternate between the Music Concourse in Golden Gate P...

Midyear Check-In: SFMTA Milestones in 2022 By Erica Kato Despite the ups and downs of COVID-19 in 2022, the SFMTA has been highly productive so far this year, keeping everyone moving and supporting San Francisco’s recovery from the pandemic. We increased Muni service in February and April, completed the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit corridor and have moved forward with our quick-build program that help us reap the benefits of safe street design faster than ever, among other accomplishments. As we head in to the second half of the year, we continue to think creatively and expedite processes and practices that have traditionally required long lead times. We’re proud to give an update on some of our projects with significant milestones happening before year’s end. There’s a lot to look forward to. Muni riders in the subway   Here's a snapshot of what we’re currently working on: Muni Service: July 9, 2022 : Muni service changes, including the restoration of the 2 Sutter (m...

SFMTA Receives $116 Million Award from CalSTA By A Snapshot from our most recent round of service changes Back in June, we published a blog about the loss of Proposition A , the Muni Reliability and Street Safety Bond, and what it would mean for our infrastructure projects going forward. In the post, we reaffirmed our commitment to find alternative sources for these funds. We know that improving Muni and making streets safer remain priorities for our community—and we’re dedicated to making that a reality. We’ve also committed to being transparent about our financial situation and budget, and we have good news to share on that front. Last week, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) awarded us $116 million for SFMTA Core Capacity projects as part of the fifth cycle of the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) . This historic investment will be used to directly fund projects that will make Muni more reliable and dependable. Speeding up Muni and maki...

The Lasting Legacy of the 1913 Bion Arnold Report By Jeremy Menzies Looking back at San Francisco’s transportation history, one study from 1913 has impacted the city’s transit system for over 100 years. Commissioned by city officials, the “ Report on the Improvement and Development of the Transportation Facilities of San Francisco ” by engineer Bion J. Arnold , is a comprehensive study of transit in the city. The 450-page report covers everything from rush hour congestion to plans for a Market Street subway. This document is essential to understanding our city’s transportation history and some of its recommendations are still in use today. This 1910 view of Market and Sutter streets shows just some of the complex issues that the Arnold report addressed.   Building Muni One section of the report is entirely dedicated to specifications for building and improving the city’s cable and street cars. Muni’s very first streetcars, frequently called “Arnold” cars, were specified bas...

Details on Expanded Bus Service Coming July 9 By Mariana Maguire Photo caption: The 6 Haight-Parnassus is one of the Muni bus routes that will be brought back into service July 9, 2022 after being temporarily suspended since March 2020. On July 9, the next phase of the 2022 Muni Service Network plan will go into effect, focused on expanding bus service including the return of the 2 Sutter, 6 Haight-Parnassus and 21 Hayes (with some route changes), as well as other route extensions and modifications. Public feedback helped us prioritize bringing back routes and connections many communities rely on. Read more about what we heard from the public and how we incorporated feedback into the 2022 service proposal. As resources allow, our service changes will continue prioritizing service linking neighborhoods identified by our Muni Service Equity Strategy to essential destinations like hospitals and neighborhood commercial corridors, accommodate changing travel patterns and getting...

What’s next after the loss of Prop A? By Andrea Buffa On Tuesday, June 17, the San Francisco Department of Election posted the final results of the June 7 election. Proposition A, the Muni Reliability and Street Safety Bond, received 65.11%, well over 50%, but short of the 66.67% share of the vote that’s required for passage.  If passed, the bond measure would have provided $400 million for transportation infrastructure projects, including: $250 million on the repair and renovation of SFMTA bus yards, facilities, and equipment $26 million on traffic improvements, such as new traffic signals, wider sidewalks at bus stops and dedicated traffic lanes $10 million on improvements to the Muni train system, including the train communication and control systems $42 million on traffic signal and street crossing improvements, such as more visible traffic and pedestrian signals, curb ramps and signs $42 million on street redesigns that include wider sidewalks, raised crosswalks, pro...