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Archive for the ‘Muni’ Category

Aug-31-2010

MUNI service restorations coming to 1 California, 5 Fulton, 31 Balboa

As the Examiner reports, the SFMTA will restore many of the service cuts they made back in May in an effort to save $28.8 million annually.

The service cuts didn’t go over well, with riders citing longer waits and massively overcrowded buses. As a result, the SFMTA managed to pull together enough funds to restore service on some of the busier lines during peak times.

Service improvements to lines in the Richmond District include adding more buses to the 1-California and 5-Fulton lines to reduce weekday crowding, and increasing frequency at night along the 31-Balboa line.

The Examiner reports that the SFMTA is “set on bringing back 61 percent of its cut service Saturday, but the agency is working with Mayor Gavin Newsom and members of the Board of Supervisors to develop a plan to eventually restore all recent reductions.”

Read more at sfexaminer.com

Sarah B.

9:57 am | Posted under Muni | 3 comments
Feb-25-2010

Underground MUNI…in the Richmond?

Travel back in time to 1967 when plans were in the works for an extensive underground subway that would connect the Richmond with the new BART system once it opened. The image below is a concept showing it running underneath Park Presidio Boulevard at Geary.

Thanks to Eric Fisher for sharing this on his Flickr account and providing this information about the image:

The maps and pictures here are from a report on Coordinated Transit for the San Francisco Bay Area that was concerned with proposing changes to various transit systems to make connections with BART once it opened. Although the full report wasn’t published until 1967, an earlier draft of the plan was the subject of Proposition B of November 8, 1966 which was voted down. The core of the plan seems to have survived at least into the 1972 Rapid Transit Plan (map).

Reminds me of something I would see at Future World at Epcot Center. :)

Sarah B.

6:03 am | Posted under History, Muni | 6 comments
Nov-11-2009

The pros and cons of the Geary Bus Rapid Transit Project


The Geary Bus Rapid Transit project, or Geary BRT for short, is the subject of debate among Richmond District residents. The project is designed to speed up buses and make service more reliable and comfortable along Geary Boulevard, as well as improve pedestrian conditions among the busy corridor with new medians, safer crossings, landscaping and countdown signals.

But the Geary BRT is dismissed by opponents as being too expensive, too disruptive to residents and businesses, and unrealistic in its goals. On the other hand, proponents believe that Geary Boulevard can become the “Great Street” it was always meant to be, and that bus riders will benefit from the service improvements and merchants from the increased ridership into the Richmond District.

To help clarify the two sides of the Geary BRT debate, I invited two Davids to weigh in on the primary issues around the project. They were provided with the same set of questions and asked to keep their answers to no more than 150 words.

Falling into the anti-BRT camp is David Heller, President of the Greater Geary Boulevard Merchants & Property Owners Association and founder of savegearyblvd.com.

For the pro side, I invited Dave Snyder, a regular sf.streetsblogs.org contributor and longtime activist for better transportation. You’ll see the Davids’ side-by-side answers below to some of the top questions that arise when Geary BRT is discussed. But don’t just take their word for it – head over to gearybrt.org to learn more about the project.

Many thanks to David Heller and Dave Snyder for participating in the Q&A.

Sarah B.

——————————————————————

Please give a short bio about yourself and explain your relationship to the Geary BRT project:
Dave Snyder: I’m a longtime student of local transportation policy, and activist for better transportation since 1991. After stints as the chief executive of local organizations, the SFBC and Livable City, I served as the transportation policy director for the San Francisco Planning & Urban Research Association where I learned about best practices in public transit and worked to promote improved transit in San Francisco. I learned that BRT systems are an important innovation in public transit that provide a fantastic return on the investment for limited dollars available to build new public transportation infrastructure. David Heller: As president of the Greater Geary Boulevard and Property Owners Association, I am responsible for actions that benefit or hurt local businesses, which are the life-blood of our community. I served on the first citizens advisory committee, which was comprised to investigate the potential for the Bus Rapid Transit system.

As a Richmond District resident, what are the two most important things I should know about the Geary BRT project?
Snyder: (1) That Geary BRT will be public transit unlike anything most of us have ever seen: new vehicles that feel like and operate like trains, stations instead of stops, and faster and more reliable than our current buses and LRVs, and (2) that impacts on car traffic will be minor, almost negligible. Heller: The BRT project was born in secrecy when the SFMTA snuck enabling legislation into a 10-page bill requesting an extension of sales tax revenues for transportation projects. There was one sentence, on page 6 of the legislation, which called for the BRT plan and made it a “voter mandate” to implement. At the meetings before the November vote on the legislation, the MTA’s advisory board made a decision to not tell anyone in the Richmond District about the legislation’s provisions and to avoid the Richmond District’s numerous community meetings for fear of exposure. As well, the highly-politicized MTA is skewing or misleading the public in its partisan effort to get the program going. For example, the number of cars leaving Geary for other Richmond District roads is expressed in terms of vehicles per minute, not vehicles per hour, which gives a better impression of what the actual impacts would be.

What effect will the Geary BRT project have on the businesses along the Geary corridor?
Snyder: All businesses will benefit a little, some a great deal. Geary BRT will attract more people to the corridor as people figure out that if you want to go downtown without your car, you can always walk to Geary and catch a fast and comfortable BRT vehicle in five minutes. This means more people on the Geary sidewalks able to pick up something at a store on their way home. For businesses that need to attract people from the whole city, faster access from Market Street and the Van Ness BRT will make the Richmond an easier destination to access. Construction is usually a hassle, but in this case the sidewalks are hardly being touched, so access to businesses will be unhindered. When the street is dug up, the impact will be much like repaving, which is going to happen anyway, and in fact be coordinated with the BRT construction. Heller: Businesses will suffer during construction and after. The loss of traffic lanes, left-hand turns and parking spaces will hurt an already battered business district. Traffic will be driven to ancillary streets as people avoid the driving-unfriendly environment of Geary. When the BRT line is converted from buses to light rail vehicles, businesses located between the “transit stations” will suffer. Only the high-traffic “transit station” locations would benefit, and those locations are usually taken by high-volume chain stores, such as Walgreens.

In lieu of the BRT project, what else could we be doing to achieve the same objectives of the BRT, which are described on the project website as “to improve travel times, reliability, and the user experience on one of San Francisco’s highest ridership bus routes”?
Snyder: The MTA is already planning to increase the frequency of the 38L and run it until 9:00 p.m. They are also going to adjust the light timing in the eastern portion of Geary. These changes are important practically because they provide better service at less cost to Muni, but they are also important politically because they will provide a sense of optimism among Muni riders. In my experience as a transportation activist, I have learned that people need hope, a sense that the government cares and is making changes to improve the lives of everyday people. Muni riders haven’t had this optimism in a long time, but they deserve it! Boy do they deserve it! If the MTA follows through on these modest improvements, it should make people more enthusiastic about the chances for really fantastic transit that BRT can bring. Heller: A whole bunch of the recommendations we made to improve transit on Geary is being incorporated into the BRT, including transit signal control and GPS monitoring technology. We recommended transforming one lane of traffic on Geary to a “transit-only” diamond lane during morning and evening commute hours but the plan was dismissed by the MTA, which is hell-bent on spending a quarter of a billion dollars on the project, whether it is needed or not.

If/When completed, do you think that the use of public transportation to and from the Richmond District will increase? Why or why not?
Snyder: I’ve come to learn you can’t force people to do something they don’t want to do. You can’t force them out of their cars, or onto bicycles or buses. Most people make a pretty simple calculation about time and money, and choose whatever option is easiest, and worth the money. For example, the 55,000 daily riders of Geary today don’t take the bus to stop global warming, they do it because it’s easy enough and cheap compared to parking or taxis. It’s pretty easy to understand that if you make transit faster, more frequent, more reliable, and more comfortable, more people will take it. Heller: The Geary BRT is slated to end at 33rd Avenue, not at the Great Highway as it currently is. For riders in the Outer Richmond, there will be a hardship just getting to the new Geary BRT line. Travel times will increase slightly for bus riders, but at what cost to the community – years of extensive construction, a dispersement of vehicles onto other Richmond roads, a loss of businesses, etc. It is a large price to pay for a few years of union construction and the shaving of a few minutes off the average downtown commute.


Of the proposed layouts for the BRT lanes, which do you recommend and why?
Snyder: Either of the two center options is better than the side option. The side option eliminates the qualities of BRT that make it seem like a train. The side option will require the bus to be delayed by or swerve around double-parked cars or even cars legally waiting to pull into a spot. This won’t happen with the center option. The side option also does not allow for express buses to pass the locals without swerving. Also, the center option also allows the restoration of parking spaces that are currently occupied by bus stops. In sum, the side option isn’t really BRT. Heller: Using the outside lanes, with exclusive transit use during busy commute times, is the cheapest, most efficient and cost-effective option. But, because the BRT line has to be “rail ready,” the center lane option is being aggressively pursued by the MTA. Of the two center lane options, one would require a whole new fleet of buses with loading doors on the left side of the bus. That option would also shut down when a bus broke down, making it a “straw” choice. There is only one option that the MTA wants, and all of the other choices being studied are for show only.

Finally, please use this space to add any final thoughts about the project.
Snyder: As a transportation professional, I’m excited to see the Geary and Van Ness BRT projects built because I think they will be models for more projects throughout the city. Some say that BART should have been extended under Geary as originally contemplated and they’re right, but this is almost as good and so very much cheaper. This technology doesn’t exist anywhere in the Bay Area, so people can’t appreciate how different it’s going to be than the regular bus. Even though it won’t be trains, it will be better than Muni’s existing surface light rail lines: just as comfortable but more frequent and faster. Where BRT does exist around the world, it’s very popular and beloved. Once we have it, San Franciscans will wonder why we didn’t do it sooner. It’s about time we joined the rest of the world and implemented this new idea to improve transit. Heller: The MTA’s Geary BRT plan should be scrapped. It does little for improving commute times or the quality of ride on the Geary #38 bus line and costs upwards of $250 million. The MTA claims the new bus line would increase ridership, but when pressed to explain who the additional riders would be, the MTA has no answers, other than saying people would leave their cars behind to ride the Geary #38 bus line. The population of the Richmond District is not expected to increase much in the next decade, so increased ridership is a red herring. Perhaps the MTA will fill the buses up with commuters from other Bay Area cities, further impacting the parking problems in the Richmond.

11:09 pm | Posted under Business, Muni, Traffic | 86 comments
Nov-2-2009

MUNI service changes take effect December 5

In an effort to curb a $129 million budget deficit, MUNI will implement significant transit route and schedule changes affecting over half of Muni’s existing bus routes and one rail line. The service changes include discontinued routes or route segments, modified routes, changes to service hours and more.

Changes to the following Richmond District lines will take effect on Saturday, December 5:

1 California
Segments eliminated/service hours reduced: Segments of the 1 California south of Sacramento Street on Davis, Beale, Howard, Main and Drumm streets will be eliminated. The last bus to Downtown will depart at 12:20 a.m. and the last bus from Downtown will depart at 1 a.m. Nearby Muni Service: Muni’s 30X Marina Express and 41 Union provide nearby service during peak periods. Map

1AX California ‘A’ Express
Express zone modified: The 1AX nonstop express zone will begin at 8th Avenue instead of Park Presidio Boulevard. The 1AX will make additional local stops at 8th, 10th and 12th avenues.

1BX California ‘B’ Express
Express zone modified: The 1BX will begin at 6th Avenue instead of 12th Avenue. Stops previously served at 8th, 10th and 12th avenues will be served by the 1AX.

2 Clement
Segment eliminated: A segment of the 2 Clement will be eliminated between 33rd and 14th avenues. The 2 Clement will now continue to the Ferry Plaza daily including Saturdays and Sundays. Nearby Muni Service: Muni’s 1 California, 38 Geary and 38L Geary Limited provide nearby service between 14th and 33rd avenues. Map

5 Fulton
Frequency increased/evening service extended: Frequency on the 5 Fulton will increase during peak periods. Evening service on the 5 Fulton will be extended from Jones/McAllister streets to the Transbay Terminal. Owl service will begin earlier, at 12:45 a.m. and the Owl terminal will remain at Market and McAllister streets. Map

18 46th Avenue
Segments eliminated/route modified/service hours reduced: The 18 46th Avenue will be rerouted along Cabrillo Street, 45th Avenue, Balboa Street and 33rd Avenue. Segments will be eliminated along Geary Boulevard and Point Lobos Avenue. The last bus will depart Stonestown at midnight and will depart Legion of Honor at 12:20 a.m. Nearby Muni Service: Muni’s 31 Balboa, 38 Geary and 38L Geary Limited provide nearby service. Map

28 19th Avenue, 28L 19th Ave Limited – No changes.

31 Balboa
Frequency and service hours reduced: Frequency on the 31 Balboa will decrease during peak periods to every 12 minutes. The last bus to Downtown will depart at 11:55 p.m. and the last bus from Downtown will depart at 12:40 a.m.

31AX Balboa ‘A’ Express, 31BX Balboa ‘B’ Express – No changes.

33 Stanyan
Service hours reduced: The last bus from 24th Street and Potrero Avenue will depart at 12:30 a.m. and the last bus from the Richmond District will depart at midnight.

38 Geary, 38 Geary Owl
Segments eliminated: Segments of the 38 Geary and 38 Geary Owl will be eliminated along the Ocean Beach branch on Balboa Street, 45th Avenue and Cabrillo Street. The 38 Geary Owl will provide service to 48th and Point Lobos avenues. Nearby Muni Service: Muni’s rerouted 18 46th Avenue provides nearby service to Geary Boulevard, 31 Balboa provides nearby service to Downtown and 5 Fulton Owl provides nearby service to Downtown during the Owl period. Map

38L Geary Limited
Frequency increased/ service hours expanded: The 38L Geary Limited will have more service during peak periods, and service hours will be expanded to operate to Downtown until 7:50 p.m. and from Downtown until 8:55 p.m.

38AX Geary ‘A’ Express, 38BX Geary ‘B’ Express – No changes.

View the complete list of MUNI service changes, scheduled to begin December 5.

Sarah B.

4:46 pm | Posted under Muni | 3 comments
Oct-28-2009

Woman hit by 38 Geary bus

SF Appeal reports that a woman was hit by a 38 Geary MUNI bus this afternoon near 42nd Avenue and Point Lobos Avenue. She was taken to General Hospital; the extent of her injuries is unknown.

MUNI spokesman Judson True said that the driver of the 38 Geary bus that was involved will be placed on non-driving status and tested for drugs and alcohol in accordance with standard MUNI procedure.

Sarah B.

5:42 pm | Posted under Muni, News | Add comments
Oct-24-2009

A well-targeted ad on the 38 Geary


8:05 am | Posted under Muni | Add comments
Oct-22-2009

Decision reached for location of new 2 Clement terminal

The SF Examiner reports today that SFMTA has finally decided on a location for the new 2 Clement terminal. This is the spot where the bus parks and idles before heading back downtown.

As you may recall, the upcoming MUNI cuts will result in the 2 Clement no longer traveling all the way out to 33rd Avenue, and instead, turning around at Park Presidio. As a result, the MTA has been in discussions with neighbors in the area about the best route for the turnaround and location for the new terminal. The public meetings have been heated as residents from Funston, 14th and 15th Avenues expressed their concerns about the turnaround and terminal creating traffic clogs, safety hazards for pedestrians, and a reduction in parking spaces.

Nevertheless, a decision had to be made. MUNI will experiment with a six month trial of the bus turning left on Park Presidio, right on Geary, and then right onto 15th Avenue. It will then turn back onto Clement Street, with the terminal being located on the southern side of Clement street near 14th Avenue (see the red circle in the map below).

According to the Examiner article, “Muni planning officials said they will monitor the situation of the 2-Clement, and reevaluate the route after the six-month pilot has expired.” It’s unclear when this new route will take effect.

UPDATE: Streetsblog reports that after the 6 month trial, the Clement Street stretch of the 2-Clement may be moved to California Street, with the line being converted to an electric trolley bus service. Get all the details here.

Sarah B.


The new turnaround and terminal for the shortened 2 Clement route.

11:07 am | Posted under Muni | 9 comments
Oct-15-2009

38 Geary outbound route change for President Obama’s visit

Due to President Obama’s visit to San Francisco for a private fundraiser, some MUNI lines will be affected to accomodate his traffic detail.

Beginning at noon on Thursday 5pm tonight and continuing until 10pm, the 38-Geary and 38L-Geary outbound buses won’t stop at Geary and Kearny, Stockton or Powell streets. Instead, catch the bus at Market and Kearny, Fourth or Fifth streets.

The 26-Valencia and 27-Bryant lines will also be affected through Friday morning, as well some street closures downtown. See the SFMTA website for full details.

Sarah B.

11:18 am | Posted under Muni | 4 comments