City Project to Improve the 28 19th Avenue Bus Line

City Project to Improve the 28 19th Avenue Bus Line
By Enrique Aguilar

As part of the 19th Avenue Combined City Project, the SFMTA will implement transit priority and safety improvements for people walking along the route of the 28 19th Avenue. The improvements will make it safer to walk, remove stops to make transit service more reliable, and enhance customers’ experiences—on and off the bus.  

As part of the project, seven Muni stops were removed between Irving Street and Ocean Avenue on the 28 19th Avenue bus line to improve transit reliability. Removing closely spaced stops will help to reduce delays for the 28 19th Avenue line while preserving bus stops within a block of each removal to minimize impacts to people with limited mobility. Please visit our website for more details about these stop changes, which took effect on October 17.  

The project includes transit bulbs that allow Muni vehicles to stop for passengers without having to pull out of traffic. It will also widen the sidewalk at corners by installing pedestrian bulbs along 19th Avenue and modify traffic and pedestrian signals to give people who walk more time to cross the street.  

The SFMTA Board approved the project, including these stop changes, after community engagement and feedback in 2015.  

Diagram of 28th the 19th Avenue Rapid Project improvements (note: stop removal on 19th at Irving is still under review) 

The transit improvements are just one part of the combined project that will also include water main and sewer replacement and rehabilitation and Auxiliary Water Supply Service for emergency fire fighting. This project will be followed by Caltrans repaving of 19th Avenue from Holloway Avenue to Lincoln Way. 

San Francisco Public Works will lead construction, beginning in Fall 2020 and be completed in 2023. Project work will be completed in four segments to minimize construction impacts during its 27-month duration. The first construction segment from Lincoln Way to Noriega Street on 19th Avenue is anticipated to begin in November.  

In preparation for stop changes this month, project staff has mailed over 10,000 postcards to residents near the project area, posted multilingual signs at every intersection, and briefed district supervisors for District Three, Four and Seven. Transit Information Program (TIP) staff along 19th Avenue were present during the first six days of these stop changes taking effect to help customers find alternative stops, provide project information and answer questions.  

TIP staff helping 28 19th Avenue customers find alternative stops 

Find additional information about the transit reliability and pedestrian safety components of the project at SFMTA.com/28Rapid. For the overall project information, please visit sfpublicworks.org/19th-Avenue.

Published October 27, 2020 at 03:17AM
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Shared Spaces Permits Extending to Next Summer

Shared Spaces Permits Extending to Next Summer
By Phillip Pierce

More than 1,800 individual operators and counting are making the Shared Spaces Program a successful part of San Francisco’s economic recovery. Permits originally set to expire at the end of December may now be extended through June 30 and new applications are welcome. Mayor Breed has called for this extension as well as for exploring ways to make the program permanent.

Shared Spaces allow merchants to use sidewalks, full or partial streets, and other nearby outdoor spaces like parks, parking lots and plazas for restaurant pick-up and other neighborhood retail activities allowed under San Francisco’s Public Health Orders. The program is a multiagency collaboration born out of the city’s Economic Recovery Task Force. 

White Cap’s Shared Space in the Outer Sunset.

How to Renew Existing Permits:

The process for renewing permits to June 30, 2021  depends on the type of Shared Space. Merchants may use the following guide to understand how to renew a permit:

• Sidewalk Permits – Automatically renewed before December 31, 2020.  No action is needed from the permittee unless:
  
  • The permittee wants to modify the existing permit. To do so, the permittee must submit a new application for a Sidewalk Permit on the Shared Spaces website.  
  • The permittee wants to discontinue or withdraw the existing permit. To do so, email SharedSpacesPermit@sfdpw.org with "Withdraw
    permit" in the subject line.
• Curbside Lane Permits – On Monday, October 26 curbside lane permit holders are scheduled to receive a personalized email from the SFMTA to renew, extend or change the existing permit. The email contains a personalized link to a permit renewal form. This webform must be completed by November 15, to be guaranteed a permit renewal by December 31.
  
  • If the curbside lane zone being permitted extends in front of a neighboring property, written consent for the permittee to occupy that area through June 30, 2021 from the affected neighboring property owner(s) must be provided.
  • If the curbside lane zone has a fixed structure or deck, a signed form and photos must be provided as described in the Shared Spaces Design Guidelines.
• Street Closure Permits – To extend the Street Closure permit beyond December 31, the permittee must submit a new application for Street Closure Permit on the Shared Spaces website.
• Private Property Permits – Valid through the end of the State of Public Emergency. No action is needed from the permittee.
• Port Property Permits – To renew, email SharedSpaces@sfport.com requesting renewal.
• Recreation and Parks Department Property Permits – Permittees will be contacted by the Recreation and Parks Department in the coming weeks about extending Outdoor Dining and Outdoor Fitness Permits. The availability of facilities for outdoor fitness classes may change due to the change in seasons or the reopening of facilities previously closed by the health order.
• Just Add Music (JAM) Permits – If the JAM permit is associated with a Shared Space, the Shared Space permit must be renewed in order for the JAM permit to remain valid. JAM permits not associated with Shared Spaces do not need to be renewed at this time.

Small Business Impact Survey

During these difficult times, the city is working to help small businesses. If you are a business owner or operator, please take the short survey below to help evaluate the Shared Spaces Program. Please fill out a separate survey for each business that you operate.

Survey: ENGLISH  /  ESPANOL  /  中文  /  PILIPINO  /  TIẾNG VIỆT

 

The Castro area on 18th Street is open for people each Sunday. Check out our website for a full list of Shared Space street closures.

More Information

To learn more about the program, track applications or apply, please visit our website or email SharedSpaces@sfgov.org

 

 

Published October 23, 2020 at 05:58AM
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SFMTA Staff Recognized for Putting Riders First

SFMTA Staff Recognized for Putting Riders First
By Bradley Dunn

SFMTA staff were honored for their work to keep the city moving during the San Francisco Transit Riders’ Rider First Awards last Friday. The nonprofit organization that aims to better transit in San Francisco gave awards to several members of the SFMTA’s hard-working staff who put Muni customers first. 

“It's as important as ever that we come together to show our appreciation for all those people working hard to make Muni better every day for riders, despite all the challenges,” the San Francisco Transit Riders said of the awards. 

The San Francisco Transit Riders present awards to Perry Poole, Johnny Siu, Celso Abueg at West Portal Station.

The Transit Riders presented awards to: 

• Myra Phillips and the Car Cleaner team for developing and instituting new cleaning protocols and systems in a quick and effective response to the pandemic, 

• Dickson Yee and the Personal Protective Equipment team for tireless work making sure our Muni operators and staff have personal protective equipment, 

• Cable car operators Perry Poole, Johnny Siu, Celso Abueg and Sam Eversly for stepping up in a new role as ambassadors and using their customer service skills out to the streets to help direct people during all the service changes, 

• Public Information Officer Enrique Aguilar for visual communications that helped the public understand service changes and the importance of transit lanes, 

• Jason Lee for  ushering the biggest improvement in customer information in two decades through design and the SFMTA Board serving as the Program Manager for the Next Generation Customer Information System, 

• Felix Castillo for being a voice for his fellow Muni Operators during the pandemic, 

• Shaun Reeves, a Muni Operator, who helped transport homeless San Franciscans under investigation for COVID-19 infection in the early days of the shelter-in-place. 

You can watch the SF Transit Riders’ Rider First Awards ceremony here. “This year has shown once again that Muni is the critical transportation link for our essential workforce. People who are riding Muni throughout this crisis are the critical workers doing the essential tasks we depend on during these difficult times,” the organization said. “They're also the people who depend on Muni to access services We have always known #TransitIsEssential.” 

The SFMTA congratulates the staff who won awards for their dedication to our customers.  

Published October 20, 2020 at 05:46AM
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First Temporary Emergency Transit Lanes Complete on Mission Street

First Temporary Emergency Transit Lanes Complete on Mission Street
By Erin McMillan

14 Mission downtown on the transit lane. 

Installation of the all-day, temporary emergency transit lanes on Mission Street is complete. With installation completed in just a few months, the new all-day temporary emergency transit lanes from 11th to 3rd streets downtown serve segments of the 14 Mission and 14R Mission Rapid and will help keep buses out of traffic to reduce crowding and travel times. Both routes have been a lifeline for essential trips during the pandemic and have experienced crowding despite increased service. Almost ten percent of trips on the 14 Mission and 14R Mission Rapid are at or exceeding our COVID-era capacity standards, which take into account the need for physical distancing. By reducing delay from congestion, Muni can provide more frequent service and greater capacity with the same number of buses.

In addition to installing the temporary all-day transit lanes, the transit lanes were widened to improve traffic safety. Previously, the lanes on Mission Street were too narrow to accommodate traffic and buses, which has contributed to unsafe street conditions and 225 collisions involving transit in the past five years.

These are the first of the temporary emergency transit lanes  to be installed. SFMTA is planning to install additional temporary transit lanes along other key locations across the city. With the need for a swift response to increasing traffic congestion and the need for more space on buses to allow for physical distancing due to COVID-19, temporary emergency transit lanes are an emergency response that allows us to be nimble and install these temporary measures and evaluate the outcomes, making changes as necessary.

Now that installation is complete, we’ll begin the evaluation process evaluating metrics like travel time and ridership. You can provide feedback about what you feel is important to evaluate for these temporary emergency transit lanes. Take a short survey about how we should evaluate temporary lanes.

Soon, we’ll invite you to help evaluate the transit lanes. Sign up for project updates to receive a link to the survey via email or text in the coming weeks.

For additional project information, visit www.SFMTA.com/TempLanes14. 

 

Published October 09, 2020 at 03:13AM
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Slow Streets are Full Steam Ahead

Slow Streets are Full Steam Ahead
By Benjamin Barnett

Last week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors ruled against four California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) appeals that have been delaying Slow Streets, temporary emergency transit-only lanes, bike lanes and emergency street closures. Within 12 hours of the Board’s decision, SFMTA crews were back out in full force to implement these critical initiatives that help keep San Francisco moving during the pandemic. 

The Board of Supervisors ruled unanimously that these temporary projects are deemed critical to the city’s emergency response efforts, preventing a further delay. 

Implementation of new Slow Streets was put on hold while we waited for the appeals hearings, giving crews the opportunity to focus on filling in the signage gaps and repairing existing Slow Streets to improve the network. 

Now, crews are bringing you more Slow Streets to connect our city. These improvements are needed to move about in these unusual times. The Slow Streets are welcoming, accessible, and allow for physical distance for people who want to travel on foot, bicycle, wheelchair, scooter, skateboard, or other forms of micro-mobility in San Francisco. Slow Streets attract users of the full array of neighborhood demographics—including children, older adults, people with disabilities and people of color. 

After the hearing, new Slow Streets were installed on Clay and Noe streets and Pacific and Tompkins avenues, bringing the current total to 20 Slow Streets corridors and 38 miles of Slow Streets: 

• 20th Avenue from Lincoln Boulevard to Ortega Street 
• 20th Street from Valencia Street to Potrero Avenue 
• 23rd Avenue from Lake to Cabrillo streets 
• 41st Avenue from Lincoln Way to Vicente Street 
• Clay Street from Arguello Boulevard to Steiner Street (New) 
• Chenery Street from Burnside Avenue to Lippard Avenue 
• Excelsior Avenue from London to Munich streets 
• Golden Gate Avenue from Masonic Avenue to Broderick Street 
• Kirkham Street from 7th Ave to Great Highway 
• Lake Street from 28th to Second avenues 
• Lombard between Mason and Powell streets 
• Mariposa Street from Kansas to Texas streets 
• Noe Street from 18th to Duboce streets (New) 
• Ortega Street from 47th to 15th avenues 
• Pacific Avenue from Steiner to Gough streets (New) 
• Page Street from Stanyan to Gough streets 
• Sanchez Street from 23rd to 30th streets 
• Shotwell Street from Cesar Chavez to 14th Street 
• Somerset Street from Silver Avenue to Woolsey Street 
• Tompkins Avenue from Andover to Putnam streets (New) 

Plans are underway to continue expanding the Slow Streets network, with new Slow Streets scheduled for implementation this week on 20th Street between San Bruno and Pennsylvania avenues, Arkansas between 23rd and 17th streets, Duncan between Guerrero and Sanchez streets, and Minnesota between Mariposa and 22nd streets. The full network of approved Slow Streets is expected to be built out by the end of October. Implementation of the additional Slow Streets corridors is currently being planned with input from neighborhoods, community groups, and elected officials.  

We’re also always taking suggestions for new Slow Streets. Want to suggest a street for Slow Streets Phase 4? Good candidates for Slow Streets are lower-traffic residential streets, without large hills, and that connect neighbors to essential services in the absence of Muni service. They will be vetted for feasibility and exclude Muni routes and major emergency traffic corridors. Please take our survey and help us plan out Phase Four.

Slow Streets are for essential trips,  not neighborhood gathering points. As required by the public health ordinance, everyone should bring their required  face covering and maintain proper physical distance from people outside their households.  To make sure Slow Streets are being used properly, staff are continuously monitoring this program for its effectiveness.  

For updates and additional information on the SFMTA’s Slow Street Program, visit the program webpage at SFMTA.com/SlowStreets. Please also visit our website for the latest agency updates about our COVID-19 response.  

Published October 06, 2020 at 05:31AM
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History In Motion: SFMTA Staffer Sheds Light on Muni Vehicles Past and Present in New Book

History In Motion: SFMTA Staffer Sheds Light on Muni Vehicles Past and Present in New Book
By Jeremy Menzies

In 2019, SFMTA Transit Planner Paul Bignardi completed a book that will provide hours of history exploration for the avid Muni fan. Bignardi’s A Fleet History of the San Francisco Municipal Railway is a great new addition to Muni history literature with a biography of every Muni vehicle extending back to the beginning of the railway in 1912.

Author Paul Bignardi poses with Sacramento-Clay Cable Car 19 “Big 19” after its restoration in 2019.

Bignardi says, “The biggest historic vehicle thrill I’ve had is being allowed to be a part of the return of Cable Car “Big 19” into service as the oldest publicly owned electric-powered transit vehicle in the world in summer 2019.”

The effort, a labor of love, began with the centennial of the SF Municipal Railway in 2012. Muni was celebrating its 100th birthday and a group of self-identified transit nerds banded together to start compiling and researching the most up-to-date information on Muni’s fleet past and present. The centennial had prompted them to realize that much of the data on the fleet had stagnated since the publication of Inside Muni in 1981.

As Bignardi mulled over the problem, he came up with a plan to create a more comprehensive volume on the subject. “I thought I should produce the list for internal use, and then I thought if I was going to do that work, I should go the final step and just produce a book. I thought it would take about six months to complete. I finished nearly three years later.”

Much more than just a list of old buses, the book includes a service history and statistics for every vehicle that has ever been in the Muni fleet, including those inherited from private transit companies merged with the Railway. Every type is included from cable to rail to rubber tire. As Paul himself notes, “the book contains the most detailed and accurate information on the San Francisco cable car fleet in the Muni era.”  On top of vehicle information, the book also includes facts and figures on transit facilities, ridership and fare trends over the last 100+ years, and even info on the various paint schemes and logos used by Muni since 1912.

A lineup of Muni vehicles and Muni Operator of the Month awardees in 1963.

On top of including plenty of raw information to soak up, the book is full of great photos both historic and modern, including many from the SFMTA Photo Archive.  No doubt, this volume of vehicles will prove invaluable to historians and transit fans alike. If you’re wondering where you might pick up a copy for your own perusal, our preservation partners at the SF Railway Museum have copies over in their online store (LINK). Proceeds will support the preservation of historic vehicles running on the 25-year-old F-Line.

Interested in learning more about San Francisco’s transportation history?  Check out our self-guided walking tour and kids history scavenger hunt at the SF History Days event, that had its virtual launch on September 25th.

 

Published October 02, 2020 at 10:53PM
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