Bike to Wherever Day

Bike to Wherever Day
By

Join people across the city bicycling today for the annual Bike to Wherever Day. The SFMTA is proud to be the official citywide sponsor of Bike to Wherever Day 2023, San Francisco's favorite biking celebration!   

Hosted by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Bike to Wherever Day celebrates  bicycles as a fun and healthy way to get around. This annual event invites people to pedal to their destinations, and it promotes bicycling both as an alternative commute and as a healthy and safe alternative to driving to…wherever. 

We encourage everyone, including those who don't usually bike, to get out and cycle today. After grabbing some wheels  (your own or a bikeshare bike), consider joining one of the Neighborhood Rides. Need more reason to stop by? You also can pick up your free Bike to Wherever Day canvas tote bag, filled with goodies, courtesy of the SF Bicycle Coalition. 

Resources to Help You Plan Your Bicycle Trip 

The SFMTA has go-to resources to help you plan your bicycle trips.  The interactive bike network map highlights recommended routes and shows bikeshare station locations. Go to our Get Out, Get Going website  to find an interactive multi-mode map with information about other sustainable ways to get around that you could pair with your bicycle trip, including walking and using shared mobility devices, like a scooter or moped.   

The SFMTA supports low-carbon transportation options like bicycles, and we continue to expand our dedicated bike lanes around the city to make streets safer and more comfortable for bicycling.  

You can check out our Slow Streets Program with over 18 corridors  that have traffic limitations so they can be used as shared spaces with walkers and bicyclists. Biking, scooting and rolling  are integral to our new Active Communities Plan, a 2-year process to develop a plan for active mobility in San Francisco.  For more information, visit the project website (SFMTA.com/ActiveCommunities).  

Published May 19, 2023 at 12:20AM
https://ift.tt/L0NBepz

San Francisco To Extend Parking Meter Hours Citywide

San Francisco To Extend Parking Meter Hours Citywide
By Pamela Johnson

Much like real estate, parking is at a premium in San Francisco. For decades, most parking meters in the city have operated from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. While drivers generally love free parking, they may not realize that it’s hard to find a space in the evenings and on Sundays in many neighborhoods because the meters are not running. 

Beginning in July 2023 and continuing in phases through December 2024, the SFMTA will extend parking meter hours until 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and add Sunday meter hours from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Parking meters already operate in the evenings or on Sundays in some areas, including Mission Bay, South Beach, the 18th Street business district in Potrero Hill and along the Embarcadero. This extension will make meter hours more consistent citywide, create more parking availability and generate revenue to help the agency sustain vital Muni service. San Francisco has changed considerably since the current parking meter hours were introduced in 1947. Cities locally and around the country run their parking meters in the evenings and on Sundays because these days, many businesses are open then. Since parking spaces tend to turn over more quickly when meters are in operation, extending meter hours can help businesses by making parking more available and therefore allowing drivers to spend less time looking for a space. Fewer drivers circling the block to look for parking means reduced traffic congestion, less air pollution and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. 

Extending meter hours also will help the SFMTA address a potentially catastrophic budget shortfall. The agency anticipates a projected $130 million deficit starting in Fiscal Year 2025 due to COVID-19's ongoing effects. Without additional funding, we could be forced to eliminate as many as 20 Muni lines, which would disproportionately affect those with low incomes, people of color, older adults and people with disabilities.  

Evening and Sunday parking meter hours will be implemented in six phases over a period of 18 months, beginning with Dogpatch and Fisherman’s Wharf. To take into account historic inequities in San Francisco, lower-income neighborhoods whose residents are predominantly people of color will come last in the rollout. We also are in the process of replacing every parking meter in the city. The extended meter hour implementation is designed to follow behind the installation of new meters, which will have bigger, brighter and easier to use screens; operate in English, Spanish and Chinese; and are more resistant to vandalism. 

In the meantime, SFMTA staff will be doing extensive outreach and meeting with merchant groups, religious leaders, neighborhood groups and elected officials to discuss the program.  

We do understand that extending parking meter hours will impact people who drive to religious services on Sundays. However, those drivers likely will only have to pay for parking for a few hours, if at all, because the meters won’t begin operating until noon on Sundays. There also will be no time limits at metered spaces after 6 p.m. or at any time on Sundays, giving drivers the freedom to decide how much time to spend at dinner, a religious service or wherever they might be, without having to feed the meter repeatedly. Plus, thanks to the SFMTA’s Demand Responsive Parking Pricing program, drivers will often find less expensive parking meters just a block or two away from busier corridors.  

To learn more, visit the project website (SFMTA.com/ModernMeterHours).  

Published May 17, 2023 at 12:45AM
https://ift.tt/h0Cbvel

Track Work Through the Years

Track Work Through the Years
By Jeremy Menzies

San Francisco’s unique rail system brings together 150-year-old cable cars, historic electric streetcars of all shapes and sizes and modern light rail vehicles.  

Many trades across the SFMTA play a critical role in keeping the system moving. This month we look back in time at the work of one such group, the Track Department. While the lines and technologies of SF’s street railway have changed over the years, some of the base-level work, tools and skills needed to maintain our tracks are the same today as they were over 100 years ago. 

A decade before Muni was founded, the United Railroads Company (URR) dominated San Francisco’s transit system. URR owned and operated nearly 400 miles of street and cable car track all over the city. To keep this network in service, their track department was fully equipped to handle any possible construction or repair job. 

All hands were on deck for this job outside the Ferry Building in 1912. Here, two special work streetcars equipped with cranes lift an entire section of track in one piece. 

The Municipal Railway was built in 1912 and expanded over the next 16 years to include multiple lines and two dedicated tunnels. The city relied on its own team to maintain this system on a daily basis.  

Following World War II, many streetcar lines were converted to bus routes, but Muni retained the J, K, L, M, and N streetcar lines. With those core lines still in service, the work of the Track Dept. continued. 

Taken on January 31, 1947, this photo shows Muni track workers Pat Kellerher and Con Maloney at Division and Bryant Streets.

In the 1970s, construction of the Market Street Subway transformed the city’s streetcar lines into the Muni Metro system. Miles of tracks were rebuilt to handle light rail vehicle (LRV) traffic, and an automatic train control system was introduced for subway operations.

In this 1977 shot, a crew replaces K Line tracks on Ocean Avenue just outside Lick-Wilmerding High School.

Today the SFMTA Track Department is primarily responsible for maintaining and repairing our rail infrastructure. Outside of this, they take on other jobs moving cable cars to and from the cable car carpentry shop, hauling heavy equipment in the subway, and supporting the work of the teams that maintain and repair our stations. With the skilled labor, know-how, and equipment to do a variety of heavy jobs, the department plays a critical role in keeping Muni moving.

Whether it’s 1903 or 2023, track work is a team effort. This photo was taken during the March 2023 Fix-It Week when the Track team replaced sections of rail in the Van Ness Crossover.

Published April 27, 2023 at 01:23AM
https://ift.tt/Tz7r3c0

This Week is Bike & Roll to School Week!

This Week is Bike & Roll to School Week!
By Crysta Highfield

Artwork by Ai Yamada, SFUSD student and winner of 2023 art contest, showing a girl bicycling down a road away from the viewer and featuring three cats. Additional text reads Bike & roll to School Week, San Francisco, April 24-28, 2023.

Hey. San Francisco! It's time to lace up your shoes, put on your helmets, and get ready to roll for Bike & Roll to School Week! Every year, our Safe Route to School program puts on this event to celebrate students getting around on their own power, whether by bike, wheelchair, scooter or skateboard, walking, or any other form of active transportation! This year’s celebration is April 24-28, at schools citywide.

San Francisco Safe Routes to School is a partnership of city agencies and nonprofits, led by the SFMTA, that helps make walking and bicycling to school safer and more accessible for all San Francisco children and youth and to increase the number of families who choose to walk, bicycle, take public transit, or join carpools on their way to and from school.

Bike & Roll to School Week demonstrates the joy and empowerment that comes with choosing sustainable modes of transportation and encourages students to adopt healthy habits that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Walking, biking or rolling to school embodies the importance of being environmentally conscious and prioritizing health and well-being. And with fewer students being driven to school, pick-up and drop-off times are less congested with car traffic, and therefore safer and easier for everyone.

: Photograph of a group of students and parents on bicycles in a schoolyard enthusiastically raising their arms in the air, with one adult in the foreground taking a “selfie” photo of the group on a cell phone.

Join in on the fun! There are many ways for students, families and school staff to get involved:

See if your school is registered! Each school’s celebration is made possible by volunteer “Bike Champions” from the school community who are eager to share the joy of healthy and sustainable mobility with their students and families. San Francisco Safe Routes to School provides everything needed to make it a great event.

Pledge to bike or roll to school during the week! Everyone who pledges to participate will be entered into a drawing for great prizes, courtesy of Cleary Bikes and Mike’s Bikes.

You can even join the fun from inside your home or classroom by entering the Bike & Roll Art Contest. All SFUSD students are invited to enter the art contest, in which students at every age level can win prizes. Entries are due by May 10, 2023 and the grand prize winner will be featured on the BR2SW poster for 2024!

Learn more about our Safe Routes to School program by visiting www.sfsaferoutes.org

Published April 24, 2023 at 11:21PM
https://ift.tt/sMcFr5j

Muni Improvements Draw Increased Ridership

Muni Improvements Draw Increased Ridership
By Kate McCarthy

38 Geary buses zip downtown on new transit lanes that improve travel times for Muni riders.

As Earth Day approaches and we think about how to encourage more people to take non-car trips, recent Muni improvement projects are drawing increased ridership across the city. While Muni ridership downtown has not yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, ridership has gone up on Muni lines where we have improved speed and frequency of Muni service. 

Muni is a lifeline for many of our riders: 70% of Muni riders have an annual income of less than $50,000. As we restored and added Muni service after the start of the pandemic, we invested in the routes that serve people who rely on transit and need it most. For example, after we installed transit lanes, increased frequency and re-routed the 22 Fillmore to bring people to their jobs and medical appointments in Mission Bay, ridership increased to 107% of pre-pandemic levels on weekdays and 118% on weekends. 

Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve implemented more than 21 miles of new transit priority lanes, growing our transit lane network (https://ift.tt/vie6BVu) to over 70 miles. These transit lanes are improving travel times for Muni riders across the city. After transit lanes were installed on Mission Street in downtown, travel times on the 14 Mission and 14R Mission Rapid are now 31% quicker. 

Ridership numbers on the 49 Van Ness-Mission also blossomed to 109% of pre-pandemic ridership on weekdays and 114% on weekends after construction on the Van Ness BRT corridor was completed last April. With physically-separated transit lanes and transit signal priority that gives the green light to Muni and Golden Gate Transit buses, riders there are seeing travel times reduced by 35%. 

A similar story has emerged on San Francisco’s busiest transit boulevard — Geary. Like other lines that serve downtown, the 38 Geary hasn’t fully recovered to pre-pandemic ridership levels. But the route did nab a spot in the top 10 highest recovered routes in the Muni system. The 38 Geary’s 36,000 daily riders have recently seen travel time savings of up to 18% since we installed three miles of new transit lanes, bus stop changes and other improvements as part of the Geary Rapid Project. We plan similar improvements on the western end of the corridor as part of the Geary Boulevard Improvement Project.     

Muni riders have noticed that improvements to our busiest Muni lines are making service faster and more reliable than it has been in decades. Two-thirds (66%) of Muni riders who took our Annual Muni Rider Survey last fall rated Muni service as “good” or “excellent” — a 9% increase from 2021 and the strongest increase since 2018. 

These improvements can’t come soon enough. Most of San Francisco’s greenhouse gas emissions come from cars and trucks. As the urgency to address climate change mounts, so does the need to get the most out of our Muni system. To inspire riders to come back to Muni, we’re working hard to bring back the Muni system our city deserves: One that is thriving with the better frequency, improved reliability and better connections that these projects are delivering. 

Published April 20, 2023 at 11:54PM
https://ift.tt/h5LHunF

There’s a Community Shuttle Coming to the Bayview

There’s a Community Shuttle Coming to the Bayview
By

A new shuttle to serve Bayview’s diverse communities

A new community shuttle is coming to Bayview-Hunters Point in January of 2024, and we need your help designing it! The SFMTA is partnering with the California Air Resources Board and nine community-based organizations to launch a dynamic service community shuttle that truly meets your needs. A community shuttle has been a long-desired service for this geographically isolated community, and was identified as a top priority in the Bayview Community Based Transportation Plan. This program builds off of previous community shuttle efforts like the Bayview Moves program. To share your voice, take our survey now or attend one of our upcoming community partner events.

A “dynamic service” shuttle is one that doesn’t have a fixed route like a bus line, but instead operates in a “service area.” The shuttle will pick up and drop off riders anywhere within the Bayview area and connect them to hard-to-reach destinations like community centers, regional transit and grocery stores. Combined with Muni service, this program will help Bayview-Hunters Point residents get around more easily while reducing car trips and improving air quality.

A Community Shuttle only works if it is accessible, feels welcoming and gets people where they need to go. That’s why the SFMTA will be working with residents through the summer and fall of 2023 to build a service plan that works for the community.

This is where you come in. We want to know how you might use a shuttle like this. Would you use it during commute hours or on nights and weekends? Would you ride within your immediate neighborhood or to destinations like the 24th Street BART station and SF General Hospital? How long would you wait for a shuttle to arrive? Would you walk to the corner or a block away for a pickup? Answers to these questions will help us build a shuttle that meets your needs.

We want to establish shuttle service that effectively serves the people living in Bayview-Hunters Point today, and the more feedback we get, the better. You can get involved in the following ways:

• Sign up for our mailing list
• Take our shuttle service planning survey
• Attend an upcoming shuttle outreach event
• Attend a Community Congress meeting in the Bayview – details on the project website
• Contact us directly

This program also includes job training, a Community Congress that will provide project oversight, and a Third Street storefront for transit information and services. You can find more information on our Fact Sheet.

Published April 19, 2023 at 12:12AM
https://ift.tt/KgbHekN

Reimagining Potrero Yard – A Community Open House, Saturday, March 18

Reimagining Potrero Yard – A Community Open House, Saturday, March 18
By John Angelico

This conceptual rendering shows one of the proposed spaces in the Potrero Yard project designated for small businesses and non-profits at the intersection of 17th and Hampshire streets. (Image: Arcadis IBI Group) 

This Saturday we’re joining the Potrero Neighborhood Collective (PNC) developer team to host a community open house for the Potrero Yard Modernization Project, the nation’s first joint development of a bus facility with integrated housing and retail. Learn about how we’re improving transit by replacing a century-old bus yard with a modern facility, as well as addressing SF’s need for affordable housing. Please join us to view the latest designs and give your input on this groundbreaking project.  

Join us! Reimaging Potrero Yard. Saturday, March 18,  2023, 1-3 p.m. KQED, 2601 Mariposa Street, SF. (Conceptual rendering from Arcadis IBI Group)

What: Reimagining Potrero Yard Community Open House

Español - Reimagina el Potrero Yard. Sábado 18 de marzo, 1-3p.m. KQED, 2601 Calle Mariposa, San Francisco CA

When: Saturday, March 18, 1-3 p.m. 

Where: KQED building, 2601 Mariposa Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 

This event will be family-friendly with activities for all ages. Take a tour of Potrero Yard to get an inside look at this 108-year-old facility and check out the historic Muni bus we’ll have parked outside. Childcare and lunch will be provided.  

Safety note: Closed-toed shoes required, and no strollers allowed on the tour. 

For interpretation or other accommodations, please contact PotreroYard@plenarygroup.com or 415-646-2223 at least 48 hours before the event. 

Topics we need community input on include: 

• Streetscape on 17th Street: What type of amenities and activities would you like to see on 17th Street to create a welcoming environment? 

• Spaces for small businesses & non-profits: What kind of neighborhood organizations or businesses would you visit? What type of street vendors would you like to see? 

• Landscaping choices along sidewalks: Creative landscaping can greatly improve the vibrancy and safety of spaces. We want your ideas — including which tree species you’d like to see.  

• Look and feel of the building: Do you have ideas on building materials? Let us know what colors, textures and artistic elements you’d like to see on the new structure.  

• Public art: Art in the public realm can enliven spaces and capture the essence of unique neighborhood characteristics. The project’s Public Art strategy will be developed with input from the community. Learn more at our upcoming informational presentation to the SF Arts Commission Civic Design Review Committee on Monday, March 20. 

At the end of 2022, we selected the Potrero Neighborhood Collective to partner with the city and launch the current predevelopment agreement phase. This period lasts roughly 18 months. The Potrero Yard Modernization Project has always considered transparency and open dialogue to be key as we partner with the community to bring this project forward. The project would not be where it is today without that community partnership. This open house is an opportunity to help shape the project’s design before we break ground in 2024. 

To learn more, visit the Potrero Yard Modernization Project (SFMTA.com/PotreroYard).

Published March 17, 2023 at 01:25AM
https://ift.tt/b01krxR

Take Muni’s Safety Survey!

Take Muni’s Safety Survey!
By Greer Cowan

Everyone should feel safe on Muni. Help make Muni safer by taking the SFMTA’s survey about personal safety and harassment in the Muni system.  

As part of the MuniSafe Safety Equity Initiative launched in August 2022, the SFMTA has partnered with the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies to better understand Muni riders’ experiences and develop safety recommendations, tools and policies aimed at preventing harassment and assault on Muni. 

Take the 5-minute survey 

Survey information will also help the SFMTA understand Muni customers’ specific safety needs and challenges, and help us identify valuable trends and patterns so we know where, when and how harassment shows up in the Muni system. 

Incidents often go unreported, but the SFMTA is working to change that with new reporting options. As of October 2022, Muni customers can report incidents of  harassment by calling 311, using the 311 mobile app or using the Muni Feedback form at SFMTA.com/MuniFeedback. Each report is investigated by the SFMTA’s Safety and Security Division, and Muni operators are made aware as necessary. 

The SFMTA is committed to the safety, rights and dignity of all riders and working to combat the disturbing and unacceptable  violence we’ve seen on transit. In recent months, we have seen terrible incidents of anti-Asian verbal and physical violence, derogatory hate speech like racial and homophobic slurs, and increased anti-Semitism. In addition, gender-based harassment is one of the most expansive and persistent forms of violence. It is especially pervasive on transit, most often impacting women, girls and gender-expansive people of all ages, abilities, races and ethnicities, cultural and language groups. Studies show that women often feel unsafe on transit, which impacts how often they ride, when they ride and if they ride at all. This is especially true for women and girls from Black, Asian, Latinx, Indigenous and other communities of color. 

Harassment and safety issues on transit can cause women and gender-expansive people – people who don’t conform to traditional gender roles – to shift their travel behavior by traveling at different times of day, choosing longer routes where they feel safer or using rideshares or private vehicles when they can afford to. 

To learn more about the Safety Equity Initiative visit our project page at SFMTA.com/SafetyEquity.  

Published March 03, 2023 at 01:51AM
https://ift.tt/O1hPfRB

A Day in History: Market Street Subway Milestone

A Day in History: Market Street Subway Milestone
By Jeremy Menzies

Forty-five years ago on January 31, 1978, San Francisco Muni and city officials along with members of the press took an inaugural ride in the brand new Market Street Subway from Castro Station to Embarcadero.

The inaugural run traveled roughly three miles from Castro Station to Embarcadero Station.

The three-mile-long Market Street Subway forms the backbone of the Muni Metro system. Built alongside the BART tunnel which runs below, the subway provided faster service through downtown for local and regional travelers.

San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Public Utilities Commissioner Claire Pilcher pose for a photo in the operator’s compartment of one of Muni’s first light rail vehicles.

In development for 50 years and under construction for another ten, the Market Street Subway took longer to implement than any other transit project before or after.

A large crowd of people and press came out for the ride and press conference at Embarcadero Station.

At the time of this event, San Francisco’s main transit tunnel was the Twin Peaks Tunnel, which opened in 1918. The Twin Peaks Tunnel shuttled people on the K, L, and M Lines from the Castro to West Portal, decreasing travel time from the southwest side of town significantly. Streetcars exited the tunnel at Castro Street and travel along Market to downtown. This trip along the busiest street in the city frequently negated any travel time savings in the tunnel.

Capping off the celebration was a ribbon cutting led by Mayor Moscone.

With the Market Street Subway linked to the Twin Peaks Tunnel, Muni began a new era of rail service using Light Rail Vehicles. Designed to increase capacity, LRVs could run on the surface then enter the subway and travel unimpeded by street traffic five miles from downtown to West Portal and back. This first train ride and ribbon cutting marked the end of a long wait and the beginning of a new subway system for San Francisco.

Published January 31, 2023 at 01:20AM
https://ift.tt/yHUK3VC

Replacing Parking Meters with (Actual) Bike Parking

Replacing Parking Meters with (Actual) Bike Parking
By Eillie Anzilotti

Did you know you can submit a request for new bike parking?

Anyone who rides a bike in San Francisco knows: A parking meter is not just a parking meter. Like street sign poles, meters are also a place to lock your bike when you’re out running errands and exploring the city. 

As an agency, we’re working towards the goal of making bike racks and corrals available across the city, wherever people need them. In the meantime, we recognize that informal bike and scooter parking options, like parking meters, meet people’s needs.  

So, when we announced a campaign last year to remove existing parking meters and replace them with pay stations, this brought up a question: what does this mean for bike parking? 

We strive to install bike racks to replace parking options wherever meters are removed. Right now, our bike parking team is focused on identifying locations for new racks in high-demand areas like the Mission and the Financial districts. Currently, we have 125 locations to install new racks in the next 1-2 months. That means a total of 250 new spaces to park your bike or scooter! We’ll continue surveying new racks in the coming months, focusing on commercial corridors and locations along the bike network where many bike and scooter trips start and end. 

Also, we are in the process of installing over 250 racks with space for 500 bikes across the city as requested by members of the public. Through our website, anyone can submit a request for new bike parking, and we encourage people to let us know where these should go next. Overall, our goal is to install at least 100 racks per month.  

There are many reasons the old parking meters can’t stay in the ground forever: they’re inefficient, labor-intensive to maintain, and take up a lot of space on the sidewalk that could be put to better use (like dedicated bike racks). We recognize that meter removal is progressing at a faster pace than replacement with bike racks. Now that the rain has paused, our crews are moving forward with getting new racks in the ground. We look forward to sharing our progress! 

As more and more people choose to bike and roll in San Francisco and move us toward our goal of 80% low-carbon trips by 2030, adding more parking options is essential. Our vision is for secure, convenient parking to be plentiful for anyone who bikes or rolls in the city. Help us reach that goal by using our online portal to request a new bike rack or corral! 

Published January 26, 2023 at 11:23PM
https://ift.tt/YG4guph

New T Third Connecting Chinatown to Sunnydale Starts Saturday

New T Third Connecting Chinatown to Sunnydale Starts Saturday
By Christopher Ward

New Muni Metro map.

This Saturday the T Third starts its long-awaited new route connecting Chinatown-Rose Pak Station from 4th & King in Central Subway, Mondays through Fridays, 6 a.m. to midnight every 10 minutes and Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to midnight every 12 minutes.  

The K Ingleside will now travel between Balboa Park and Embarcadero Station. Customers using Embarcadero & Folsom, Embarcadero & Brannan and 2nd and King platforms should transfer to the N Judah at Powell Station or 4th & King.

Watch the new Muni Metro service map animations.

The following bus service changes also start this Saturday:

• The T Third Bus will now run along 3rd and 4th Streets in SoMa and on Stockton Street north of Market Street to align with the new T Third rail line and will no longer travel on the Embarcadero and Market Street. 
• The 6 Haight/Parnassus will now run until 12 a.m. daily instead of 10 p.m. to cover the service gap on Haight Street.
• The 21 Hayes will now run to Fulton Street and 8th Avenue on weekdays after 7 p.m. and weekends all day to provide access to Golden Gate Park. There will be no additional stops between Stanyan Street and 8th Avenue.
• The terminals on the 12 Folsom/Pacific and 36 Teresita are changing to provide better operator relief points, with minor reroutes near Cesar Chavez and Valencia Streets.
• Service will be added on 28 19th Avenue and 38R Geary Rapid to help reduce crowding.
• The bus stops at 4th and Folsom streets and 4th and Howard streets will be consolidated into one stop in front of the new Yerba Buena/Moscone Station to provide better connections for customers as part of 4th Street Improvement Project.

Customers traveling to stops along the Embarcadero or the baseball stadium at 2nd & King should use the N Judah.

Customers going to Sunnydale should catch the new T Third at the new Union Square/Market Street Station.

Watch how to get around with our video, Connecting Communities: How to Navigate the Central Subway. 

For more travel and connections tips read our Frequently Asked Questions.

The new Central Subway tunnel runs underneath the Market Street subway, which means the stations are deeper and have very long escalators – the longest in the United States west of the Mississippi. There are also two glass elevators at each station from street level to concourse level and from concourse level to platform level for accessibility.

At Union Square/Market Street Station, the elevators are in the center of the concourse with their own fare gates.

MuniMobile and Lifeline customers may use any of the wide fare gates at the Union Square/Market Street Station – at the Geary escalators, the Ellis escalators or the elevators in the center of the concourse.

WiFi Connectivity in the New Subway Stations

All three new Central Subway underground stations are equipped with WiFi, and cellular service will be set up soon. To connect to the free, open WiFi network, open your phone’s WiFi settings and select #SFWiFi and enjoy connectivity on all station platforms and concourse levels.

To report WiFi connectivity issues please take note of the exact location in the station where the signal is low or nonexistent and call 311 You can also write to us here with any feedback or questions.

Enjoy your ride on Muni!

Published January 06, 2023 at 03:31AM
https://ift.tt/7QzJgMm

Ride to Chase Center Events Along the New T Third

Ride to Chase Center Events Along the New T Third
By Christopher Ward

Starting January 7, take the S Shuttle Mission Bay on the new T Third line via Central Subway to Chase Center events.

Service on the new T Third Line from Chinatown Rose-Pak to Sunnydale starts January 7. With it, new event service to Chase Center will also start via Central Subway on the S Shuttle Mission Bay.

During events at Chase Center, shuttles will operate between Chinatown-Rose Pak Station and UCSF/Chase Center every 10 minutes. These shuttles will start approximately two and a half hours before an event and continue for two and half hours after an event.

From Chinatown to Chase Center, riding the S Shuttle Mission Bay takes about 20 minutes. Best of all, your Chase Center event ticket is your Muni fare. No additional Muni fare needed!

• Both electronic and physical tickets for events – including Warriors games, concerts and other events – will serve as proof of payment for Muni service throughout the day.
• The ticket will be valid all day and expire at the end of the service day at 2 a.m. after the event.
• Passengers with a valid ticket can board through any door so we can quickly get you to the event or game! There is no need to show your Chase Center ticket to a bus or rail driver.
• Keep your event ticket handy for proof of ticket purchase. To avoid fines, you will need to show your valid event ticket as proof of purchase if requested by a Transit Fare Inspector.

The S Shuttle Mission Bay will operate between Chinatown-Rose Pak Station and UCSF/Chase Center during Chase Center events.

Muni Metro and BART customers can transfer at Powell Station underground to Union Square/Market Street Station and board the S Shuttle Mission Bay southbound to the UCSF/Chase Center Station. At Union Square/Market Street Station, elevators to the platform are in the center of the station with their own fare gates.

Customers traveling past Chase Center should board trains with head signs that say “T Third Sunnydale” to avoid transferring at Mission Bay.

The 78X 16th Street Arena Express will continue to run express service between Chase Center and the 16th Street BART station two and a half hours before events and one hour after events.

Visit our Chase Center webpage (SFMTA.com/ChaseCenter) for more information.

Published January 05, 2023 at 03:01AM
https://ift.tt/N7uCMDo

Free Muni for New Year’s Eve

Free Muni for New Year’s Eve
By Stephen Chun

For the 23rd consecutive year, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will offer free rides on New Year’s Eve from 8 p.m. on Saturday, December 31 through 5 a.m. on Sunday, January 1. Extra Muni Metro Subway Service will be provided from 8 p.m. Saturday to 2:15 a.m. Sunday. Extra Owl Service will be provided from 10 p.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday

This program supports San Francisco’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic fatalities.

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 necessary. Metro fare gates will be open that night. All information, including schedules and stops, will be posted on New Year's Eve Free Muni and Extra Service or SFMTA.com/NYE. Clipper Card customers should NOT tap their cards to make sure they don’t get charged a fare.

Don’t drink and drive, let Muni do the driving.

New Year's Eve Muni Service

• Complimentary Muni service from 8 p.m. Saturday, December 31 to 5 a.m. Sunday, January 1.
• Please do not tag your Clipper® card. If you tag it, you will be charged.
• Please do not activate a MuniMobile ticket. Metro fare gates will be open.
• Extra Muni Metro service:
  
  • Trains between West Portal Station and 4th & King from 8 p.m. to 2:15 a.m.
  • Additional trains between West Portal and Embarcadero Station from 8 p.m. to 2:15 a.m.
  • Transfer at West Portal Station to OWL bus lines.
• Extra service on the OWL Network, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.:
  
  • 5 Fulton
  • 7 Haight/Noriega
  • 22 Fillmore
  • 24 Divisadero
  • 25 Treasure Island
  • 38 Geary
  • 44 O’Shaughnessy
  • 48 Quintara/24th 
  • 90 Owl
  • 91 Owl
  • N Owl

At midnight on New Year’s Eve, a city-sponsored fireworks show from a barge off The Embarcadero, south of the Ferry Building, will take place. Motorists should anticipate delays in the area from approximately 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. and pedestrians are advised to use caution when traveling.

Note: Central Subway will provide free rail shuttle service from Chinatown Rose-Pak to 4th / Brannan St on Saturday, December 31st and Sunday, January 1st from 8 am to 5 pm, instead of midnight. We encourage those planning to use the Central Subway after 5 p.m. this weekend to use the 30 Stockton and 45 Union/Stockton which are scheduled to come every 15-20 minutes. For further information on our staffing & service plans, please visit Central Subway Will Close Early On The Holiday Weekends.

Regional Transit Connections for New Year's Eve

• BART will provide additional service on January 1.
  
  • Full fare pricing will be in effect.
  • The last East Bay bound train running through Downtown San Francisco will be at around 1:30am and the last Southbound train heading toward Millbrae will run through Downtown San Francisco at 2:10am.
  • For more details & trip times, please visit BART’s New Year’s Eve service article.
• Caltrain service will be running on a Weekend Schedule. For more details, please visit https://www.caltrain.com
• SamTrans service will be from 8 p.m. on December 31 until 3:30 am on January 1. For more details, please visit http://www.samtrans.com 

Published December 28, 2022 at 11:33PM
https://ift.tt/31Fzpix

Upcoming Capacity Indicators

Upcoming Capacity Indicators
By Christopher Ward

Next Generation Customer Information displays will show capacity indicators: One figure means there are many seats available. Two figures indicates that there are likely a few empty seats available. Three figures tell you that there’s likely only standing room available.

The SFMTA continues expanding trip planning and accessibility features and improving Muni predictions. This is part of the ongoing Next Generation Customer Information System (CIS) project. One of the newest features is a capacity indicator.

A capacity indicator helps customers understand how much space is available on vehicles. Customers can see the indicator on our Next Generation displays in the bus shelters and on train platforms. Customers may use this information to make travel choices. For example, customers can choose to wait for a less full vehicle or take an alternative route.

As of November 2022, Muni vehicles equipped with automatic onboard passenger counters send capacity information to our Next Generation CIS. This information is now shown symbolically with stick figures. One figure means there are many seats available. Two figures indicates that there are likely a few empty seats available. Three figures tell you that there’s likely only standing room available.

Customers should always yield the priority seating area for people with disabilities, older adults, and pregnant persons.

We’re excited to finally bring these features to our customers and build a system that will help make Muni travel even more efficient, reliable and enjoyable.

Published December 20, 2022 at 02:08AM
https://ift.tt/CS8aZgW

Central Subway Brings More Art to Union Square

Central Subway Brings More Art to Union Square
By Enrique Aguilar

Main entrance to Union Square/Market Street Station during special weekend service 

The Union Square/Market Street Station is centered in the heart of the Union Square neighborhood, known for world-class shopping and notable art galleries. With the opening of the Central Subway, a new public art collection arrived, with color schemes complementing the station’s modern architectural design. Collaborations between artists reign at this station, allowing a blend of different artistic concepts. 

• Erwin Redl titled his piece Lucy in the Sky. It is an illuminated installation comprised of hundreds of translucent 10 x 10 inch light panels, each containing an array of color LEDs. A diamond-shaped pattern is formed by suspended light panels along the entire length of the concourse level corridor’s ceiling. They are computer programmed to slowly change color and display simple patterns, creating an immersive and kaleidoscopic experience.  

• Jim Campbell and Werner Klotz created a site-specific stainless-steel sculpture called Silent Stream, located on the station’s platform level. Comprised of highly polished steel disks, the overhead installation loops its way through the struts along the length of the platform and reflects the passengers and trains passing below.  

• Amanda Hughen and Jennifer Starkweather integrated a design into the glass deck and the front faces of the glass elevator enclosures. Titled Convergence: Commute Patterns, the artwork is based on the dynamic and diverse pathways, commute patterns and arterial structures above and below the streets of the Bay Area. The artwork’s visual impact on the station’s exterior alternates from being subtle during the day to backlit at night.  

Watch an interview video with comments from Amanda Hughen, Jennifer Starkweather, Erwin Redel, Jim Campbell and Werner Klotz. Get to know the artists and learn directly from them about their work at the new Union Square/Market Street Station. A special thank you to the San Francisco Arts Commission for making public art possible at the four new stations. 

Special Weekend Service started on Nov. 19 and will last through the end of the year, Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to midnight. Full revenue service will begin January 7, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to midnight and Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to midnight. 

For more artist information: 

• Hughen/Starkweather: 
  • https://www.hughenstarkweather.com/ 
  • https://www.instagram.com/hughen_starkweather/ 
  • https://twitter.com/hughenstarkw 
• Erwin Redl: 
  • http://www.paramedia.net/ 
  • https://www.instagram.com/erwinredl/ 
  • https://www.facebook.com/erwin.redl.3/ 
•  Jim Campbell  and  Werner Klotz: 
  • https://new.jimcampbell.tv/about/ 
  • http://werner-klotz.de/ 
  • https://www.instagram.com/jimcampbellstudio/ 
  • https://www.instagram.com/werner_klotz/ 

Published December 15, 2022 at 03:24AM
https://ift.tt/ugrPZFs

New T Third Route in Central Subway Starting January 7

New T Third Route in Central Subway Starting January 7
By Mariana Maguire

New T Third service via Central Subway starts January 7 with service between Sunnydale and Chinatown-Rose Pak Station.

On Saturday, January 7, the T Third starts its historic new route, providing a direct Metro connection between Sunnydale and Chinatown-Rose Pak Station. Service runs Mondays through Fridays, 6 a.m. to midnight. every 10 minutes and Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to midnight every 12 minutes. The new T Third line vastly improves transportation to and from some of San Francisco’s most densely populated areas and major shopping corridors, expanding transit options and new connections.

The new T Third route will travel north to the new Central Subway from 4th & King platform. It will no longer turn onto King Street or run along the Embarcadero and the Market Street subway. Also, the K Ingleside will now travel between Balboa Park and Embarcadero Station.

New Connections

Customers traveling to stops along the Embarcadero, the baseball stadium at 2nd and King streets should transfer to the N Judah. Customers should transfer at Powell Station to Union Square/Market Street Station for the T Third going to Sunnydale.

To transfer to the new T Third at Union Square/Market Street Station from the J Church, K Ingleside, M Ocean View, N Judah or BART at Powell Station, you can connect entirely underground. From the Powell Station platforms, take the elevator or follow signs to concourse level, then follow signs to Union Square/Market Street Station.  

Customers on the T Third connecting to other Muni Metro routes or BART should follow signs on the Union Square/Market Street Station platform toward Stockton/Ellis streets.

Navigating the Union Square/Market Street Station

The new Central Subway stations have many new features, including long escalators – the longest in the United States west of the Mississippi – and two glass elevators at every level for more accessibility.

Customers who need to use the elevators to the platform should bypass the fare gates near the street entrances at Union Square/Market Street Station. Instead, use the fare gates in the center of the concourse.

MuniMobile and Lifeline customers may use any fare gate at the Union Square/Market Street Station.

Special Chase Center Event Service

During events at Chase Center, the SFMTA will run special event service about every 10 minutes in addition to normal T Third service. The additional special event trains – with “S Chase Center” head signs – will serve all stops between Chinatown-Rose Pak Station and UCSF/Chase Center. From end to end the ride takes only 20 minutes. Best of all, your event ticket is your Muni fare. No additional Muni fare needed!

Customers traveling past Chase Center during this special event service should check train head signs and only board “T Third” trains for a one-seat ride to their destination.

We know new T Third service in the new Central Subway is a big change that will take time to get used to. We’re here to help! Stay tuned for helpful wayfinding guidance and orientations, and check out our Frequently Asked Questions for helpful commuting tips.

Send us your questions at TellMuni@SFMTA.com so we can help you navigate better and become a Muni Metro pro!

Published December 13, 2022 at 11:29PM
https://ift.tt/7Pgkqtj

Public Artwork Unveiled Inside New Station in Yerba Buena

Public Artwork Unveiled Inside New Station in Yerba Buena
By Enrique Aguilar

Have you had a chance to explore the Central Subway's new stations? Special weekend service is Saturdays and Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. midnight, through the end of the year. Ride the trains and be mesmerized by beautiful artwork at each new station. 

Muni customers will encounter public art when using the four new Central Subway stations to reach their destinations. The art was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission and funded by the City’s Art Enrichment Ordinance, which allocates 2% of the total eligible costs of public works projects for public art. Public art helps draw out the identity of a space, aids in understanding a neighborhood's historical or cultural significance, and builds a connection between the visitor and surrounding community. 

The Yerba Buena/Moscone Station includes artwork by Catherine Wagner, Leslie Shows and Roxy Paine. The installations can be found on the station's surface and concourse levels. 

• Catherine Wagner transformed photographs she took in the late 1970s that document the monumental construction of the George Moscone Convention Center, and focus on ideas of transformation. Titled Arc Cycle, the artwork reproduces several iconic images from this photographic series, translating them into laser-etched granite at the concourse level, and art glass at the station’s entry.  

• Leslie Shows created Face C/Z, installed in the ticketing hall on the concourse level. Based on an image of iron pyrite made with a consumer grade scanner, the artwork was hand fabricated in a unique style combining mirrored, fused, painted, and engraved glass, sheet metal, and other permanent materials The pyrite (or "fool's gold") image speaks to ever-shifting notions of value in industry and aesthetics, the many historical "gold rushes" of California, and the idea that anything might be made valuable under the right circumstances.  

• Roxy Paine created a monumental, 110 feet tall sculpture for the public plaza at 4th and Clementina streets outside of the station. Titled Node, the artwork is conceived to emerge from the complex manmade structures existing beneath the sidewalk, including the subway, communication networks, electrical and water supply, and waste systems that are all lifelines of a functioning city. According to Paine, the sculpture is "an elegant line connecting earth to sky, people to underground systems, and sculpture to city." Node is expected to be installed in early 2023. 

Mockup of art installation on the station's plaza

Watch an interview video with artists Leslie Shows and Catherine Wagner to learn more about their inspiration for their work on display at the new Yerba Buena/Moscone station. A special thank you to the San Francisco Arts Commission for making public art possible at the four new stations. 

Full revenue service will begin January 7, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to midnight and Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to midnight. 

Stay tuned for additional blogs showcasing public art at the other new Central Subway stations. 

For more artist information:

• Roxy Paine:  
  • http://roxypaine.com/ 
  • https://www.instagram.com/roxypaine/   
• Leslie Shows: 
  • https://www.leslieshows.com/ 
  • https://www.instagram.com/peepshows/ 
• Catherine Wagner: 
  • http://www.catherinewagner.org/ 
  • https://www.instagram.com/catherine_wagner_studio/ 
• Moto Ohtake:  
  • http://www.motoohtake.com/ 
  • https://www.facebook.com/moto.ohtake 

Published December 10, 2022 at 02:35AM
https://ift.tt/SlGERPf

Riders are Feeling the Difference on Geary

Riders are Feeling the Difference on Geary
By

The results are in: the Geary Rapid Project has delivered a faster, more reliable bus trip and a safer street, according to the SFMTA’s recently published evaluation report for the project.  

A faster, more reliable bus ride 

One out of every ten passengers stepping onto a Muni vehicle will ride on Geary Blvd., which makes reducing travel time on the corridor a key piece of improving transit in the city. The transit lanes installed as part of the Geary Rapid Project protect buses from traffic congestion, while smarter traffic signals allow buses to get green lights more often. Similar transit upgrades have been made across the city as part of the Muni Forward program, making your next San Francisco destination closer than ever. 

Transit travel time improved after the quick-build phase of the Geary Rapid Project in late 2018 and early 2019, and again after the full project was completed in 2021 — with savings as great as 18%. Westbound travel times generally improved the most — up to 3.6 minutes during the PM peak — providing a daily 38R Geary Rapid rider 18 hours of savings per year. Although the biggest time savings were seen during commute hours, with 36,000 riders traveling on Geary around the clock each day, even smaller gains outside of peak hours adds up to major travel time savings for all Geary riders combined.  Travel time reliability also improved up to 37%, which means that the time spent waiting for the next bus is more consistent. 

A safer street  

Reducing Muni-involved collisions is critical to protect our passengers and operators. It also keeps Muni service running smoothly; even non-injury collisions cause buses to be taken out of service. Adding dedicated transit lanes on Geary Boulevard has substantially reduced the rate of Muni-involved collisions on the corridor. The collision rate of 38/38R buses decreased by two-thirds and is now about half that of the current citywide Muni bus collision rate. Several years of data will be necessary to fully evaluate the project’s impacts on reducing traffic collisions in general. But one promising indicator is that there was a 70-80% reduction in vehicles traveling over 40 mph (more than 5 mph over the speed limit). A suite of improvements to calm the “expressway” section of the corridor, including a reduction in general-purpose travel lanes to two per direction, new crosswalks, narrower travel lanes and bulb-outs (sidewalk extensions) were implemented to encourage people driving to slow down. 

Comparison graph of 40 mph travel speeds before and after the Geary Rapid Project. 

 

Keeping transit lanes clear 

One of the final portions of the project was painting the transit lanes red. This “red carpet” treatment makes it easier for drivers to know where they’re allowed to drive. When we make transit lanes extra clear with red paint, drivers are less likely to get a citation for unintentionally driving in a transit lane. Previous SFMTA studies showed that the number of private vehicles illegally using transit lanes declines about 50% when the lanes are painted red. Sure enough, the number of vehicles entering the lanes on Geary dropped by 47% from 2019 to 2022, even as traffic congestion returned after COVID restrictions eased (vehicles driving legally in the transit lane to turn right or access curbside parking or driveways were not included). 

The full evaluation report is available on the SFMTA website and covers several additional metrics, including street space allocation, Muni customer experience and parking availability. 

The success of the Geary Rapid Project has informed the final design for the second phase of upgrades, the Geary Boulevard Improvement Project, which proposes to expand these improvements west into the Richmond District.  

A photo is worth a thousand words to show the improvements made on Geary Boulevard. These birds-eye shots provide representative examples of the street design on Geary before (August 2018) and after implementation (February 2022) of the Geary Rapid Project.

Published December 09, 2022 at 01:02AM
https://ift.tt/jEfcenW

Slow Streets are Here to Stay—Here's How to Use Them

Slow Streets are Here to Stay—Here's How to Use Them
By Eillie Anzilotti

Slow Streets provide safe travel for children, families, wheel users, older adults, persons with disabilities and the entire community

The success of Slow Streets depends on everyone working together to keep these spaces safe and joyful. 

On Tuesday, December 6 the SFMTA Board of Directors approved an ongoing, post-pandemic Slow Streets program for San Francisco. That means that Slow Streets are here to stay!  

We recognize that there are a lot of questions about how to use Slow Streets. To answer them, we created a fact sheet in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Filipino. You can find that fact sheet linked here. 

The main thing to remember is: Everybody is welcome, and please go slow! 

Slow Streets create safe corridors for people who prefer not to drive, while preserving parallel arterial streets for vehicles. On Slow Streets, kids can walk and bike themselves safely to school, families can run errands together by bike, and people with disabilities can find safe spaces to navigate their communities.  

Whether you are walking, rolling, riding a bicycle, or driving, please watch out for and be kind to your fellow Slow Street users. These streets are community spaces, and basic decency and consideration will go a long way. 

In general, we ask that communities make sure Slow Streets can still function as active roadways. That means keeping decorations out of travel lanes, and not adding any hard-to-move items, like furniture, to the streets. If you want to host an event that requires the full use of a street, the Slow Streets and the SFMTA Special Events teams are happy to help. Our program team is always available to discuss and respond to any of your questions. 

Since Slow Streets were first introduced at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have created safe, shared community spaces on residential streets across San Francisco. Slow Streets are an essential part of how San Francisco will meet its Vision Zero and Climate Action goals. SFMTA data shows a drop in collisions on Slow Streets, which means they’re safer for all users. And having safer streets means more people are encouraged to bike, walk, and roll to get around.  

The program will be able to expand to meet community needs and contribute to a growing network of streets that are safe and welcoming to people of all ages and abilities. While the Board initially approved 16 corridors for inclusion, more will be added in the future. 

We look forward to expanding the program and offering more ways for communities to activate their Slow Streets. Keep an eye out for news and opportunities by subscribing for updates at SFMTA.com/SlowStreets! 

Published December 07, 2022 at 11:09PM
https://ift.tt/6Txrhip

A Brief History of the T Third Part 1: 1860-2007

A Brief History of the T Third Part 1: 1860-2007
By Jeremy Menzies

Earlier this month, we launched free weekend shuttle service in the Central Subway. And come January 7th, our 4 new stations will connect directly to the rest of the T line from Sunnydale to Chinatown. Through this two-part blog series, we will look back at some of the history of the T from the 1860s to today!

In Part One, we’ll look over the first 150 years from the 1860s to the 2000s. Next month in Part Two, we will take a closer look at the history of the T and Central Subway projects leading up to today’s service. 

The Horsecar Era: 1860s-1890s 

Starting in the 1860s, transit service along today’s T Line was provided by horsecars. These were small rail cars (that looked much like a cable car) that were pulled along tracks by horses. Two companies, the Omnibus Railroad and the North Beach & Mission Railway, operated horsecar lines on parts of the path of today’s T. These lines were mainly meant to connect North Beach with the 3rd and 4th street corridors as far south as about Townsend Street. 

This photo circa the 1880s shows the busy intersection of Kearny, Geary, 3rd and Market streets, looking south to 3rd.  In the foreground is a horsecar running up Kearny from 3rd. 

Further south on 3rd (then called Kentucky Street), horsecars were operated by the Potrero & Bay View Railroad. Here the route ran over two bridges across Mission Bay and Islais Creek (known as “Longbridge”), ending near today’s 3rd & Gilman. This route served the industrial heart of San Francisco and opened up development in the Bayview but was not very profitable because of its length. 

The Electric Streetcar Era: 1890s-1940s 

The 1890s marked the dawn of the electric streetcar era in San Francisco. A new technology, electric-powered cars could carry more people over longer distances faster than both horse and cable cars. On top of that, they were cheaper to operate and increased profit potential for transit companies. 

This 1911 photo shows two cars passing at 3rd (Kentucky) and 20th streets. On the left is a 16 Line car running to its terminal in the Bayview. At right is a 30 Line car heading north to 8th and Market. 

In 1894, the first electric streetcar line began operating along parts of today’s T Line. Known as the 3rd & Kearny Line, it followed much the same route as the early horsecars from North Beach to the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot on Townsend Street. It was extended into the Bayview to 3rd and Palou and eventually was reformed into the 15, 16, and 29 Lines. Each of these served a different portion of the corridor covering differing needs of riders travelling through downtown or all the way out to the Bayview. 

A Muni F Stockton streetcar passes Vallejo Street in this photo from 1916. 

Muni’s first streetcar line to serve a similar route to the Central Subway portion of the T was the F Stockton, which opened for the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition. The F Line ran along 4th and Stockton streets to serve South of Market, Union Square, Chinatown and North Beach before heading out to end at Chestnut and Scott streets. 

Buses along the Bay: 1950s-2000s 

Following World War II, the 3rd Street corridor was among the many that saw transit service shift from streetcars to buses. By 1951, the 15 Kearny route served much of the area once covered by the 15, 16, and 29 streetcar lines.  

Buses on the 30, 15 and 42 fight the morning rush northbound on 3rd Street in this 1959 photo. 

Traveling along portions of today’s 8 Bayshore and T Third, the 15 route went from Powell and Jefferson streets all the way to Geneva and Mission. Eventually, it was extended to City College on Ocean Avenue. While not the only route to serve the area, the 15 carried the bulk of the load for people wishing to travel along this corridor. 

On Stockton Street, the 30 Stockton bus took over for the F, following the same route through Chinatown, Union Square, and South of Market to 4th and Townsend streets. 

Many long-time riders will recognize this view of a 15 bus on 3rd & Palou. Discontinued with the opening of the T Line in 2007, the 15 was revived as the 15 Bayview-Hunter’s Point Express in 2021.  

Tune in next month for a closer look at the history of the T Third and Central Subway Projects. 

Published December 01, 2022 at 03:08AM
https://ift.tt/OMDTPiG