The First Step to Battery Electric Muni Buses

The First Step to Battery Electric Muni Buses
By Bradley Dunn

Starting in early October, the SFMTA will take a big leap forward in implementing its Sustainability and Climate Action Program by installing nine new charging stations at Muni Woods Division to power the agency’s first battery electric buses after significant progress in battery technology in recent years. The project will kick off the pilot program to determine the SFMTA’s future charging methods for new zero-emission e-buses.

A battery-electric bus turns from Mission on to South Van Ness

To find out if battery electric bus technology is ready for San Francisco, the SFMTA is implementing an 18-month battery-electric bus pilot program. The SFMTA will procure three 40-foot buses each from three different manufacturers to test their performance in revenue service for 18 months. The first three battery electric buses are expected to arrive in spring 2021 as part of the pilot program.

Questions remain about whether battery electric buses can handle San Francisco’s heavy transit ridership and hilly routes. Before deploying battery-electric buses, they must deliver the same reliability and service as our current hybrid-electric and electric trolley bus fleets.

As of 2018, 45 percent of San Francisco’s greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the transportation sector which is heavily reliant on carbon-intensive fossil fuels. This reliance on harmful fossil fuels is changing the earth’s climate and contributes to extreme weather events, increased fire risk and sea level rise. The SFMTA is a leader in providing safe and sustainable transportation options as it continues to implement its Sustainability and Climate Action Program.

The SFMTA’s energy-efficient Muni fleet contributes less than two percent of the transportation sector’s emissions and moves approximately 700,000 people every day. Today, the SFMTA operates the greenest transit system of any major city in North America.

The Woods Bus Yard where the new charging infrastructure will be installed.

Electric Bus Pilot Program

The installation of the new chargers will take approximately nine months to complete. In addition to the battery-electric bus chargers, the updated infrastructure includes electrical support equipment, such as switchgear, switchboard, transformers, power cabinets and conduit.

• Construction hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Bus operation at Woods will operate as usual without interruption.
• Work will be contained in the bus yard and will not impact traffic or transit service to the public.
• Measures will be taken to control noise and dust during work hours. 

Installing these chargers is the first step in making the greenest transit fleet in North America even more environmentally sustainable. Battery electric buses will further reduce harmful emissions and air pollution.

For more information on electric mobility, please visit SFMTA Electric Mobility Page

Published September 29, 2020 at 11:14PM
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The First Step to Battery Electric Muni Buses

The First Step to Battery Electric Muni Buses
By Jay Lu

Starting in early October, the SFMTA will take a big leap forward in implementing its Sustainability and Climate Action Program by installing nine new charging stations at Muni Woods Division to power the agency’s first battery electric buses after significant progress in battery technology in recent years. The project will kick off the pilot program to determine the SFMTA’s future charging methods for new zero-emission e-buses.

A battery-electric bus turns from Mission on to South Van Ness

To find out if battery electric bus technology is ready for San Francisco, the SFMTA is implementing an 18-month battery-electric bus pilot program. The SFMTA will procure three 40-foot buses each from three different manufacturers to test their performance in revenue service for 18 months. The first three battery electric buses are expected to arrive in spring 2021 as part of the pilot program.

Questions remain about whether battery electric buses can handle San Francisco’s heavy transit ridership and hilly routes. Before deploying battery-electric buses, they must deliver the same reliability and service as our current hybrid-electric and electric trolley bus fleets.

As of 2018, 45 percent of San Francisco’s greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the transportation sector which is heavily reliant on carbon-intensive fossil fuels. This reliance on harmful fossil fuels is changing the earth’s climate and contributes to extreme weather events, increased fire risk and sea level rise. The SFMTA is a leader in providing safe and sustainable transportation options as it continues to implement its Sustainability and Climate Action Program.

The SFMTA’s energy-efficient Muni fleet contributes less than two percent of the transportation sector’s emissions and moves approximately 700,000 people every day. Today, the SFMTA operates the greenest transit system of any major city in North America.

The Woods Bus Yard where the new charging infrastructure will be installed.

Electric Bus Pilot Program

The installation of the new chargers will take approximately nine months to complete. In addition to the battery-electric bus chargers, the updated infrastructure includes electrical support equipment, such as switchgear, switchboard, transformers, power cabinets and conduit.

• Construction hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Bus operation at Woods will operate as usual without interruption.
• Work will be contained in the bus yard and will not impact traffic or transit service to the public.
• Measures will be taken to control noise and dust during work hours. 

Installing these chargers is the first step in making the greenest transit fleet in North America even more environmentally sustainable. Battery electric buses will further reduce harmful emissions and air pollution.

For more information on electric mobility, please visit SFMTA Electric Mobility Page

Published September 29, 2020 at 11:14PM
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Let's Hit the Beach!

Let's Hit the Beach!
By Benjamin Barnett

Last week, the Golden Gate Park Slow Streets Expansion opened to the public. People walking, biking, running and skating can now enjoy a nearly car-free route from the Panhandle all to the way to Ocean Beach.

Connecting the City 

Golden Gate Park Slow Streets are a collaboration between the SFMTA and the Recreation and Park Department. These new Slow Streets provide the last link in a route prioritized for people on bikes stretching from the Ferry Building to the ocean by connecting to the network of bikeways, Slow Streets, and streets previously closed during the health emergency. Starting from the Ferry Building you may now head down a Car-Free Market Street, then up the hill on the Page Slow Street connecting you to Golden Gate Park's newly expanded network.  

Golden Gate Park Slow Streets will begin at Stanyan Street and John F. Kennedy Drive East on the park’s eastern edge and connect with the stretch of JFK from Kezar Drive to Transverse Drive. The route then continues onto Overlook Drive, then Middle Drive and  Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to Ocean Beach, where it connects with The Great Highway. The Great Highway has also been closed due to the pandemic, and this connection creates a continuous, family-friendly path from the Panhandle to the San Francisco Zoo. 

Not Entirely Car-Free 

To keep nearby traffic moving and maintain access for those that need to access the park in a car, a few areas are not entirely car-free: 

• A 200-foot portion of the route on Transverse Drive, between JFK Drive and Overlook Drive 
• An approximately half-mile portion of the Metson/Middle Drive/MLK Drive loop near the south end of the Polo Field 
• The intersection at MLK Drive and Chain of Lakes Drive/41st Avenue 
• A 500-foot stretch of MLK Drive near Lincoln Way 

In addition, authorized vehicles intended for park maintenance and ranger patrols will use the roads along the route when necessary. Motorists can still drive through the park from north to south using Transverse Drive, Chain of Lakes Drive, and 25th Ave/Crossover Drive/19th Ave/Park Presidio, as usual. 

New Traffic Flows 

Drivers will be rerouted from some east and westbound roads during Golden Gate Park Slow Streets, including: 

• The west portion of MLK Drive west of Sunset Boulevard, specifically from the Middle Drive/MLK loop to Lincoln Way, is closed to regular traffic. This includes Bernice Rodgers Way, between MLK Drive and JFK Drive. 
• Overlook Drive and Middle Drive, between Transverse Drive and the Metson/Middle Drive/MLK loop, will be closed to traffic. However, Middle Drive between Transverse and Overlook will remain open and available for street parking. 
• JFK Drive, between Kezar Drive and Transverse Drive, will remain closed to traffic. This portion of the road had previously been closed during the City’s initial COVID-19 response. 

Golden Gate Park Slow Streets and the SFMTA Slow Streets initiative have the common goal of making San Francisco more welcoming and accessible for people who want to travel on foot, bicycle, wheelchair, scooter, skateboard or other forms of micromobility. Slow Streets are critical infrastructure that attracts users of the full array of neighborhood demographics—including children, older adults, people with disabilities and people of color. 

More information on Golden Gate Park including driving directions to your favorite spots, attractions or museums can be found here. 

Published September 25, 2020 at 03:56AM
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September 24th: Bike to Work Day is now Bike to Wherever Day

September 24th: Bike to Work Day is now Bike to Wherever Day
By Sophia Scherr

Many things are different in 2020, including Bike to Work Day. With fewer people going into work, September 24 is now Bike to Wherever Day reminding people that bicycle trips aren’t just for commuting. Thanks to our new Shared Spaces program you can go to even more places.

Riding your bike helps the environment, reduces traffic congestion and is a green way to see San Francisco. As Muni is still only for essential trips, adopting alternate modes of transportation as biking helps.

To get involved with this event, on September 24th, share why bike to wherever is special to you and reward yourself with a free Bike to Wherever tote bag at one of many curbside pickup locations.

Here are the details:

• Grab a FREE canvas tote bag via curbside pickup: pedal by the Bike to Wherever Day curbside pickup or stop by a participating bike shop to grab the classic #BTWD tote bag. 
• Volunteer to flyer your neighborhood: help distribute bicycle safety tips to residents across San Francisco. 
• Compete in the Bike to Wherever Days virtual challenge: throughout the month of September, as you bike to run errands, recreation, or for whatever, log the miles you ride. Compete individually or create a team among friends or coworkers for some friendly competition. Every time you pedal, you earn points and the chance to win cool prizes.

Are you new to bicycling or could you use a refresher on the rules of the road? The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is a great resource for new and seasoned bike riders of all ages, as they offer a variety of free educational workshops, including how to ride and navigate safely on San Francisco streets. We’re excited to continue our partnership with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and celebrate biking as a healthy, environmentally friendly way to get around.

Published September 24, 2020 at 02:53AM
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Fare Inspection Reimagined

Fare Inspection Reimagined
By Kimberly Burrus

As Muni’s Transit Fare Inspectors return to service, the SFMTA is excited to share a new approach that we have for how we will check for fare payment and interact with our customers. Rather than focusing solely on enforcement, the priority will shift to helping customers comply with fare policies. To support this new approach, our Transit Fare Inspectors will be returning over multiple phases this fall and they will have a new look.

At the beginning of the public health emergency, Muni fare inspectors took on disaster service worker duties, but Muni never stopped collecting fares. Muni customer fares provide approximately 20% of our revenue and we depend on fares to provide transit service.

A Transit Fare Inspector models their new uniform.

Phased-in Return

This week Muni fare inspectors have joined SFMTA’s larger ambassador program to provide customer assistance throughout the system. This is the start of the phased-in process for Muni to resume fare inspection.

• The first phase includes providing Muni customers with service information, fare programs, kiosk location, physical distancing assistance and mask distribution when needed at stops and stations throughout the system.
   
• For the second phase, fare inspectors will return to being on Muni vehicles to continue providing customer assistance of phase one and conducting fare inspections without issuing citations. This is expected to begin in the latter part of October.
   
• The third and ultimate phase will see the inspectors continuing to provide the customer service assistance of phase one and with a return to full fare inspections, including issuing citations as needed later this year.

Inspectors have always been part of our incident response when direct customer service was needed, either during an emergency or a large public event, like a parade. Now, that customer service approach will be integrated into our inspectors’ daily work.

Fare inspectors will work to ensure quality customer service, a safe experience and support for our customers. In light of the COVID-19 public health emergency, inspectors will remind customers that masks are required while customers are waiting to board and to maintain physical distance.

We will be:

1. Leveraging our innovative community-based Muni Transit Assistance Program as a model for our system-wide inspectors

2. Reorganizing the Proof of Payment unit. The new approach will allow inspectors to:
   
   • Support and coordinate better with each other and Muni operators
   • Spend more time on vehicles
   • Cover more of the city

Muni’s Proof of Payment system means that if you are onboard a vehicle or on a station platform, you are expected to have a tagged Clipper Card®, a transfer, a subway ticket or an active MuniMobile ticket – proof that you have paid your fare.

The changes we’re making to the Proof of Payment program will allow for larger reach and presence on the system. It will help us ensure that when there are inspections, they apply to all customers and that we prioritize visibility and compliance over enforcement.

Compliance Instead of Enforcement

As the Transit Fare Inspectors return, our inspectors’ priority will be helping customers comply with fare policies. They will eventually issue citations again, but the focus will be on service and compliance. The compliance model will help support our operators while helping to ensure that all our customers have financial access to Muni.

Here’s a summary of our new fare compliance approach:

• Data will inform fare inspector deployment. Inspectors will be deployed on routes with high ridership across the city—both those with few incidents of fare evasion and those with higher incidents. So, if you see Muni inspectors in the Mission, you will also see them in the Presidio. If they are on the 14 Mission, they will also be on a line like the 1 California.
   
• Inspectors will enter the vehicle in groups of three at the beginning of the line, or at a rest stop, and ride a segment of the line. One inspector will check on the operator while the other two will be in the passenger area for customer support and fare compliance reminders.
   
• Inspectors will remind customers to tag or show fare media as they enter the vehicle. This replaces the past practice of fare inspectors making an announcement, inspecting everyone onboard and removing customers that don’t have proof of payment. Inspectors will also have handouts to provide to customers about our discounted fare programs.
   
• We will be conducting periodic full inspections of all customers onboard a vehicle, including inspection announcements. This style of inspection will occur on a random schedule at most transfer points.

Please Tag!

Once fare inspectors are on vehicles and assisting customers to ensure compliance, you will see the same dedicated professionals in less formal uniforms. They will still ask to see proof of fare such as paper transfers, MuniMobile tickets and other types of Muni fares. They will also be looking for customers to tag their Clipper(R) cards as they board. Although you won’t get a citation for simply forgetting to tag your Clipper Card with your Muni Pass on it, tagging gives fare inspectors a less disruptive way to determine if you have paid your fare.

Perhaps even more important is the fact that tagging helps us make Muni better. We use the data from Clipper tagging to better understand the changing travel patterns in the city and the changing needs of Muni customers.

 

Published September 23, 2020 at 04:15AM
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Need help riding Muni? We’ve got TIPs!

Need help riding Muni? We’ve got TIPs!
By Mariana Maguire

In April 2020, as part of our emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched the COVID-19 SFMTA Ambassador program along Market Street – one of the city’s busiest Muni corridors where multiple core transit routes overlap and connect. As we have restored more Muni service and increased frequency on routes, demand has grown for ambassadors to serve additional high ridership locations and support ongoing Muni public health and customer information needs. To meet this public need, we are expanding the program beyond Market Street and are renaming it the Transit Information Program (TIP).

Photo: Former COVID-19 Ambassadors, now known as Transit Information Program staff (TIPs)

TIP staff (TIPs) come from many of our existing customer facing programs and staff divisions whose jobs changed because of the shifts to our system due to COVID-19. For example, you might meet a cable car or historic streetcar operator handing out masks to customers without face coverings. One of our Crossing Guards might encourage you to keep physical distance while waiting at a stop or as you board a vehicle. A Muni Transit Assistance Program staff member might hop on a vehicle to thank you for keeping your face covering on throughout your trip. Or a Transit Fare Inspector may help you find the correct bus stop.

These staff share a combined wealth of skills and understanding of the customer experience. Through their efforts as TIPs we aim to deepen the culture of customer service at the SFMTA.

The goal of this expanded effort is to provide a higher level and broader reach of direct customer engagement and support at key Muni stops to promote public health guidelines, support Muni operators, answer customer questions, and help monitor customer loads on trains when Muni Metro eventually reopens. We recognize that our fast-paced and ongoing Muni service changes have been challenging for all of us as a community, and we need to be even more available for our customers to offer support.

Our TIPs are here to help. Over the next few weeks, you will start to see them more often around town as we test different locations. They will provide rider reminders, hand out masks to customers who want to ride Muni but do not have a face covering and provide basic transit service information.

Photo: Transit Information Program staff (TIPs) helping customers during August service changes.

TIPs will be posted initially at about 45 locations, mainly along high-ridership routes like the 8 Bayshore, 9 San Bruno, 14 Mission, 38 Geary, 49 Van Ness, and Metro bus stops. These locations include key intersections where multiple routes cross, like Mission and 4th, Mission and 24th, Mission and Ocean, San Bruno and Silver, and Stockton and Pacific. The program is designed to be flexible to changing needs, so these locations may change day to day or over time, depending on where TIPs can be of most service to our customers. Air quality issues and civic events may also impact TIPs deployment.

Map: Initial test locations for the expanded Transit Information Program

While we continue to take steps to improve capacity, we still sometimes still see crowding at bus stops and on buses, especially along our high ridership corridors like Geary, Market, Van Ness, and Mission streets. If a bus is about half full or more, our operators will stop picking up additional customers until there is enough room for more. Operators will indicate this to customers by placing a “Drop-Off Only” sign in their windshield and TIPs may recommend that customers wait for the next bus. We know that this continues to be tough on everyone, and we need your help to make physical distancing work.

Graphic showing physical distancing at Muni stops

We also continue to see some customers who are not wearing face coverings. For our customers’ and operators’ well-being, operators may skip stops if customers are not wearing face coverings. It is vital that every customer do their part by wearing a face covering on Muni.

Example of physical distancing on Muni buses: Wear face coverings and give space for fellow riders.

Muni has been hit especially hard by COVID-19. The immediate health and financial impacts have cost SFMTA 30-40% of its service hours and about 80% of our capacity. It’s also put a $200M hole in our operating budget. Though ridership is far lower that pre-COVID levels, Muni continues to serve approximately 150,000 customers daily. Despite many challenges, our staff are working hard to provide essential trips and hopefully our TIPs will improve your experience on Muni.

Customer Reminders

Remember, we still need your help. Help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission by:

• Staying home, except for essential trips. 
• Shopping locally and supporting your neighborhood businesses.
• Wearing a face mask or covering over your mouth and nose and maintaining physical distance such as leaving a seat open between you and anyone who is not in your household.

Use alternate transportation whenever possible – walk, bike or take a taxi – to save a seat on Muni for those who don’t have other options.

• Our Essential Trips Card program is a cost-effective way for seniors and people with disabilities to use taxis instead of Muni.
• Our Lifeline Program provides monthly unlimited access at a 50% discount for customers with limited income.
• Carshares and micromobility options are also available. Visit our COVID-19 Developments and Response page for more information.

If you do need to travel on Muni:

• Please respect your Muni operator. They are working hard for you.
• Face coverings are required on Muni. To avoid getting passed up, cover your nose and mouth with face cover or mask while you are waiting for Muni and on Muni.
• Board by the back door unless you require assistance.
• Give yourself extra time just in case. Your fare is good for two hours across multiple routes. 

Visit our COVID-19 Developments and Response page for the latest information about Muni routes in service or to explore alternate ways to get around the city. To provide feedback on any Muni service changes please use our Muni Feedback Form.

 

Published September 18, 2020 at 04:11AM
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Muni Transit Recovery and Measuring the Transportation Recovery Plan’s Progress

Muni Transit Recovery and Measuring the Transportation Recovery Plan’s Progress
By Bradley Dunn

As the economy takes further steps to reopen this month, the SFMTA remains committed to transparency. Today, we are releasing our Muni: Transit Recovery (Recuperación de Muni Transit, 恢復公交服務, and Pagbawi ng Muni Transit) report along with new data dashboards that help us evaluate the SFMTA’s overall response during COVID-19. Taken together, these reports give a window into what we are doing and how we plan to move forward.

Muni: Transit Recovery Report (Recuperación de Muni Transit, 恢復公交服務, and Pagbawi ng Muni Transit)

This report explains how we are adapting to meet San Francisco’s changing transportation needs and what our customers and the public can expect from Muni. It also reminds our customers of both what they need to do to ride Muni and what we’re doing to minimize the risk of transmission while getting essential workers where they need to go. 

Examples include:

• What we are doing to minimize transmission risk for our staff, especially operators and other frontline workers
• How we’ve stepped up sanitizing our vehicles
• How we’re providing service with the agency’s COVID-driven budget crisis
• How we are delivering service to people who need it the most
• What we are doing to be transparent, share data and conduct outreach to the public

Our Muni Transit Recovery (Recuperación de Muni Transit, 恢復公交服務, and Pagbawi ng Muni Transit) report represents key customer-facing initiatives associated with our Transportation Recovery Plan (TRP).  The TRP is guided by the following goals: 

• Protect the health and safety of SFMTA employees and the public.
• Support a strong economic recovery
• Promote sustainable alternatives such as walking and bicycling.
• Advance the SFMTA’s equity, environmental sustainability and customer service goals;
• Adapt transportation infrastructure and services to best serve San Francisco in the long term.

Transportation Recovery Plan Dashboards: See the Data Driving Recovery

We have designed an evaluation framework for the TRP that is nimble and representative of the recovery goals above. Today we’ve published our TRP Evaluation Dashboards so that you can track our progress.

These dashboards provide a holistic view across the programs within the TRP so anyone can track our progress toward our goals. Our evaluation framework identifies high-level objectives aligned with the goals of the TRP and trackable metrics. These allow us to monitor progress on the TRP’s most prominent strategies including COVID-19 Muni Core Service, Temporary Emergency Transit Lanes, Slow Streets, and the multiagency Shared Spaces program.

SFMTA relies upon pre-pandemic data and along with data made available by the implementation of our recovery solutions and programs to make strategic decisions and address trade-offs. Individual dashboards will be updated either weekly or monthly, based on data availability. Additionally, as our recovery efforts are ongoing, additional data will be made available as we refine and expand our evaluation efforts.

We are working hard to meet San Franciscans' changing transportation needs during this pandemic. New programs and initiatives require that the public trust us as we act quickly to try new approaches and work to refine and improve our efforts. Publishing this data helps members of the public see much of the same data that we use to make our decisions.

Published September 16, 2020 at 02:17AM
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