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Showing posts from July, 2021

Destination San Francisco: Muni Gets You to All the Sights

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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 
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Muni Metro Debuts New International Wayfinding Standards

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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
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South Van Ness and Mission Intersection Closure August 4-9

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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
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Going Back to School with Muni

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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
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Rolling Out the Red on Geary

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Rolling Out the Red on Geary By Liz Brisson Transit lanes on Geary Boulevard east of Stanyan Street are about to receive the red carpet treatment. And with Geary Rapid Project construction nearing the finish line on time and on budget, it’s the perfect occasion for the corridor to be getting the ruby rollout. But what’s so magical about the color red? In general, painting transit lanes red has been shown to improve compliance by about 50% . Studies of three downtown San Francisco streets found that red paint led to fewer violations by private vehicles, which reduces the number of collisions and makes Muni service more reliable. And it makes sense: coloring transit lanes red makes it easier for drivers to know where they’re allowed to drive. By making transit lanes extra clear, you’re less likely to get a citation for unintentionally driving in a transit lane. Learn about when it’s okay for drivers to access a transit lane. Red transit lanes mark the final step of the trans
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Rolling Out the Red on Geary

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Rolling Out the Red on Geary By Amy Fowler Transit lanes on Geary Boulevard east of Stanyan Street are about to receive the red carpet treatment. And with Geary Rapid Project construction nearing the finish line on time and on budget, it’s the perfect occasion for the corridor to be getting the ruby rollout. But what’s so magical about the color red? In general, painting transit lanes red has been shown to improve compliance by about 50% . Studies of three downtown San Francisco streets found that red paint led to fewer violations by private vehicles, which reduces the number of collisions and makes Muni service more reliable. And it makes sense: coloring transit lanes red makes it easier for drivers to know where they’re allowed to drive. By making transit lanes extra clear, you’re less likely to get a citation for unintentionally driving in a transit lane. Learn about when it’s okay for drivers to access a transit lane. Red transit lanes mark the final step of the transi
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Guest Blog: What's the Best Way to Restore Muni Service?

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Guest Blog: What's the Best Way to Restore Muni Service? By Jarrett Walker Today Moving SF welcomes guest-blogger Jarrett Walker, an international public transit planning consultant and the author of the book Human Transit and the blog humantransit.org. The SFMTA contracted with Jarrett and his firm to provide an independent perspective on how to best help Muni service recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. His team has been tasked with evaluating different approaches for each of the next phases of Muni service expansion developed by the SFMTA’s transit planning team.  Starting this summer, the SFMTA will be sharing three alternatives for how Muni service should be restored and inviting the public to provide feedback. When a transit agency comes back from the COVID-19 crisis, should it aim to put service back the way it was, or try to put back something better?  Muni started out as a service that took people downtown, and even today, most of the service is oriented that way. Me
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Welcoming Back the M Ocean View and 31 Balboa

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Welcoming Back the M Ocean View and 31 Balboa By Kate McCarthy The M Ocean View will return to rail service and resume its full pre-pandemic route in August As August 14 approaches, the target date for the next big Muni service change, the SFMTA is pleased to announce Muni’s M Ocean View will be returning to rail service and the 31 Balboa will be returning to service with a temporarily adjusted route. We thank Supervisors Melgar, Safai, Preston and Haney for their advocacy for the return of this service on behalf of their constituents. The addition of the 31 Balboa and return of the M Ocean View to rail service was made possible following improved clarity on our staffing levels this fall. We had previously forecast that due to an abnormally low level of retirements during the pandemic, we would see a spike at the start of the fiscal year (July 1) when many staff tend to announce their retirements. However, we are now confident there will be adequate staffing to deliver this addit
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Reconnecting San Francisco Across Streets and Freeways

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Reconnecting San Francisco Across Streets and Freeways By With limited space on San Francisco city streets, how can we ensure that current and future transportation options remain accessible and affordable to all? The San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA), the SFMTA and the San Francisco Planning Department are collaborating through ConnectSF in creating a template for an equitable, sustainable and effective future. Their Streets and Freeways Strategy examines approaches that support San Francisco’s Transit-First , Vision Zero , climate action , and equity goals .  The strategy complements the Transit Investment Strategy released in April 2021. SFMTA staff provided expertise in developing the strategy and is leading the Active Transportation component, exploring ways to build a connected network of bike and pedestrian routes across the city that make biking and walking safe and enjoyable. SFMTA staff from across the agency also developed strategies to ma
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Good People, Tough Job

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Good People, Tough Job By Pamela Johnson P arking Control Officer L arrell Dean directing traffic in 2019 You may not know always know their names or faces, but dedicated employees of the SFMTA are out on the street every day empowering our mission to keep San Francisco on the move. As part of a Good People, Tough Jobs series, we will be highlighting those key SFMTA staff who are crucial to accomplishing this goal. Today we take a look at the experiences of our parking enforcement group. It isn't easy being a parking control officer (PCO) in San Francisco. PCOs are often met with anger and antagonism while enforcing parking regulations. Yet the work of PCOs is a critical tool in keeping our city moving, as they ensure that streets and critical pathways are kept clear for transit, vehicles, pedestrians, and other modes of transportation. Unfortunately, the day-to-day work of a PCO can involve aggressive and, at times, unsafe situations. There are cases of parking officers bein
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Young People to Ride Muni for Free

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Young People to Ride Muni for Free By Stephen Chun Mayo r London N. Br eed, Supervisor Myrna Melgar and the SFMTA have announced the expansion of our Free Muni for Youth Program to include all youth starting August 15, 2021. This is scheduled to coincide with the full in-person return of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) 2021-2022 school year. This one-year program will eliminate the application process for all youth under the age of 19 to ride Muni, regardless of financial status and without proof of payment. There are currently 39,350 active users of the Free Muni for Youth program, representing approximately 72% of those eligible.  Existing participants will no longer need to carry their Clipper Card with the pass or tap the reader when boarding vehicles. While Muni Transit Fare Inspectors will not request proof of payment from youth who appear to be under the age of 19, youth above the age of 16 are encouraged to carry a student ID or other form of ID for
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L Taraval Improvement Project Reaches Key Milestone

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L Taraval Improvement Project Reaches Key Milestone By Jay Lu While the past 18 months have been full of challenges and anxiety because of the pandemic, today we have good news to share. With community support and collaboration from our city partners, the SFMTA has successfully completed the first of two segments of the L Taraval Improvement Project . Construction of Segment A started in September 2019 and was completed in July 2021 on schedule and within budget. This project was made possible in part by Proposition K Sales Tax dollars provided by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. Our work on this first phase improved transit and infrastructure between Sunset Boulevard and SF Zoo, with close collaboration between the SFMTA, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC), and San Francisco Public Works. Upgrades to this vital corridor that help the community thrive include:  Rail track and overhead line replacement Water and sewer line replacement Surface
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Beat the traffic and celebrate July 4th with Muni! 

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Beat the traffic and celebrate July 4th with Muni!  By Jonathan Streeter The Fourth of July fireworks are back this year , thanks to COVID-19 vaccines and the city’s ongoing reopening! The show will start at 9:30pm over San Francisco’s historic waterfront. Muni wants to get you to the festivities and back , quickly and safely, on Independence Day.  The State of California strongly recommends that anyone planning to attend the Fourth of July fireworks be fully vaccinated, obtain a negative COVID-19 test prior to attending the event, or wear a face covering. Customers must wear face masks while riding transit or using transit facilities, per federal mandate. Getting There Before the show, from 3 to 9 p.m., Muni will provide extra service to connect people from the Muni Metro Subway, BART, Ferries and Caltrain to the fireworks viewing area. Along the Embarcadero, Muni will have two shuttle routes to Pier 39. From the Ferry Building, board at  Steuart & Mission  and at histo
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Public Participation Improves the J Church Transfer

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Public Participation Improves the J Church Transfer By Jonathan Streeter As a part of the SFMTA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented a number of temporary emergency projects designed to maximize Muni service in light of newly constrained resources. For example, we brought back the J Church in December 2020 as a surface only rail route between Balboa Park and Duboce Avenue as the first train service to be re-started since shelter in place began in March 2020. Throughout these efforts, we have worked with the public to modify and improve their design. A 22 Fillmore bus and J Church light rail vehicle travel northbound on Church Street at Market To provide better connectivity between the J Church and other Muni Metro lines, we created a temporary boarding island and ramp on Church Street south of Market, and added a temporary ramp to the island on Church Street just south of Duboce Avenue. This now serves customers transferring to the re-opened subway.  We implemented
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