Tuesday 31 December 2019

Car-Free Market Street starts January 29

Car-Free Market Street starts January 29
By Phillip Pierce

Better Market Street is set to transform our city’s busiest street for people walking, biking and riding transit over the next few years, but we don’t need to wait for construction to make it safer and improve Muni.

Starting on January 29th through our Quick-build program, Market Street will become car-free eastbound from 10th to Main and westbound from Steuart to Van Ness. In addition to restricting private vehicles, the quick-build includes extending Muni only lanes, new loading zones and much-needed intersection safety improvements.

Map of changes coming late January 2020. Figure 4: Rendering including Better Market Street’s sidewalk level bike lane, new trees and improved streetscape elements.
Figure 1: Map of changes coming late January 2020. Figure 4: Rendering including Better Market Street’s sidewalk level bike lane, new trees and improved streetscape elements.
 
These changes can’t come soon enough because unfortunately, Market Street is home to half of the top 10 intersections for pedestrian and bicycle collisions. In fact, each year since 2014 the area-averaged over 100 injury collisions per year -- 75 percent of them involving people walking or biking. By reducing conflicts with proven safety measures like turn restrictions, painted safety zones and safe-hit posts, we can get closer to our city’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries on San Francisco roads.
Pie chart showing share of injury collisions by travel mode on Market Street since 2014
Figure 2: Share of injury collisions by travel mode on Market Street since 2014

In addition to safety benefits, going car-free on Market will prioritize transit on a street that sees upwards of 200 buses per hour during peak times. With bus lines branching throughout San Francisco, boosting Muni's reliability on Market street will positively affect the whole city!

Map showing all surface Muni routes that use Market Street for a portion of their route. Improving the functionality of Market will help enhance transit to many parts of the City.
Figure 3: Map showing all surface Muni routes that use Market Street for a portion of their route. Improving the functionality of Market will help enhance transit to many parts of the City.

Quick-build Elements starting in January: Full Details

While Market Street officially becomes car-free on January 29th, other changes listed below are set to be implemented over the first few months of 2020.

Vehicle Changes

  • No private vehicles allowed on Market Street eastbound from 10th to Main and westbound from Steuart to Van Ness -- including app-based ride hail companies like Uber/Lyft.  
  • All traffic can continue to cross Market street at intersections.
  • Vehicles with commercial plates, taxis, emergency vehicles and paratransit will still be able to use Market Street. 
  • Vehicle direction changes for sections of Ellis, Jones, Second and Steuart streets to improve safety and vehicle circulation (see map in Figure 1 for details).
  • Right turns onto Valencia from eastbound Market Street will no longer be allowed, Page Street will become a bike-only connection to and from Market Street.

Transit Enhancements

  • Extending existing transit-only lane east from Third to Main Street, the segment of Market with the most transit service, and making it Muni-only (taxis and non-Muni buses will no longer be allowed in center lane)
  • Converting the existing red transit-only lane to Muni-only between 9th and Third streets
  • Converting the existing red transit-only lane to Muni & taxi only between 12th and 9th streets
  • Buses in the curb lane will benefit from the car-free restrictions as well

Loading Changes

  • 100 new cross-street passenger and commercial loading zones to accommodate safe loading
  • Peak hour loading restrictions on Market Street to reduce conflicts between people on bicycles, transit and commercial vehicles:
    • No southside loading in the eastbound direction (towards the Ferry Building) on weekdays 6:00 am to 9:30 am.
    • No northside loading in the westbound direction (towards Twin Peaks) on weekdays between 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm. 

Additional Safety Improvements

  • Installing painted safety zones at eight intersections to make crossing the street safer and shorter
  • New bicycle intersection improvements at Eighth, Page, Battery, and Valencia streets.

Project Information

Quick-build is just the first step in implementing Better Market Street, the City’s multi-agency project to transform 2.2 miles of Market Street from Octavia Boulevard to Steuart Street. The project’s goal is to enhance safety and accessibility, improve transit performance, replace aging infrastructure, and revitalize the corridor’s streetscape.

Construction on the full project will be managed by Public Works and is expected to start in late 2020 or early 2021. For project details, please visit bettermarketstreetSF.org

Rendering including Better Market Street’s sidewalk level bike lane, new trees and improved streetscape elements.
Figure 4: Rendering including Better Market Street’s sidewalk level bike lane, new trees and improved streetscape elements.



Published December 31, 2019 at 10:24AM
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Monday 30 December 2019

Year-End Highlights from the SFMTA Photo Archive

Year-End Highlights from the SFMTA Photo Archive
By Jeremy Menzies

As we approach the close of 2019, here's a short "year in review" of our favorite history blog posts of the year. So climb aboard and have your ticket to the past ready, 'cause this trip back in time is about to depart!

First on this year's list is our celebration of the 80th anniversary of the 1939 Golden Gate International Exhibition on Treasure Island. We unveiled dozens of beautiful large-format photos of the GGIE in our February post.

night view of treasure island with GGIe fair and lights
A view of Treasure Island and the Golden Gate International Exposition from Yerba Buena Island circa 1939. The "Tower of the Sun" and other fairground buildings were transformed at night into canvases for intensely colorful light displays.

Following the GGIE up in March was our post on historic Muni women in celebration of Women's History Month.

muni inspector at bus stop with bus
Muni's first female inspector, Evelyn Wells, monitors a bus line in this 1979 shot.

April brought a big anniversary with the 100th birthday of the L Taraval Line, which opened on April 12, 1919.

streetcar on taraval street
An L Taraval streetcar ("magic carpet" car 1005) passes by 24th Avenue in this 1940 shot.

August marked a slightly smaller milestone of the 35th year of Muni's articulated buses-- extra long buses put into service on our heaviest lines for extra capacity.

articulated trolley coach on Divisadero street
One of Muni's first articulated trolley coaches is in testing on the 24 Divisadero route in this 1994 shot.

In September we announced the return of Sacramento-Clay Cable Car 19 ("Big 19") to passenger service, ending the cars 75-year hiatus from the hills of San Francisco.

cable car 19 side view
Cable Car 19, or "Big 19" to distinguish it from Powell Street car 19, heads down Washington Street on a test run in August 2019. Check out Archive photo U01684 for a 1908 view of the car at this same location.

And to wrap up October this year, we rolled out a spooky post on the long-buried history of San Francisco's funeral streetcar services.

streetcar inside cemetery
United Railroads Co. Funeral Car 3 rolls into Olivet Memorial Park in this 1905 shot.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this look back at the history we revealed in 2019, more photos and more history is on its way in 2020 and always plenty to look at on the SFMTA Photo Archive and Instagram. As you celebrate the close of 2019 and the start of a new decade, don't forget that all Muni lines are FREE on the night of New Years Eve, from 8pm to 5am New Years Day.



Published December 30, 2019 at 02:15PM
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Monday 23 December 2019

Season's Greetings and Schedule

Season's Greetings and Schedule
By

As the festive season is now upon us and the new year is fast approaching, we wish you and yours a festive and safe holiday.

Happy Holidays 2019

In 2019 we realized some significant milestones, from expanding our light-rail fleet to greatly improving our bicycle network. And we continue to work on implementing improvements to our service.

Our blog strives to help you get the information you need to be involved and to make your voices heard. Each year, we take this opportunity to thank our readers and commenters for their support. Thank you!

Over the next couple of weeks, Moving SF will publish on a lighter schedule. Muni will also adjust its schedule around the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Christmas and New Year's days are two of the three days of the year when meters are not enforced. (The third is Thanksgiving Day.) Note: parking meters and seven-day street sweeping restrictions will be enforced on Tuesday, Dec. 24 and Tuesday, Dec. 31. For further information on the holiday parking enforcement schedule, please check the SFMTA holiday parking enforcement page and the Port of San Francisco website.

Don’t forget, Muni wants to be your New Year’s Eve designated driver. Starting at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 31, Muni will be free to get you to or from your NYE revelry.



Published December 23, 2019 at 02:05PM
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Friday 20 December 2019

Shopping Downtown This Holiday Season?

Shopping Downtown This Holiday Season?
By Pamela Johnson

Night scenes at Union Square

To improve your shopping experience and enhance safety, the Ellis-O’Farrell and Union Square garages have recently completed significant operational upgrades…just in time for the holiday rush!

These garages are two of the 22 City-owned parking facilities slated to receive the Parking Access Revenue Control Systems (PARCS) upgrades.  This program is replacing 16-year old parking equipment with modern-day parking technology. The upgrades include new arms and barrier gates, with flashing lights and audible alarms, as vehicles exit the garage, and a license plate recognition system (LPR) that will resolve issues with lost tickets.

As a transit-first city, the SFMTA always encourages people to ride public transit, walk or bike to their destination. However, we know that sometimes this isn’t practical and that some people will choose to drive. To accommodate this, we would like to remind holiday shoppers about their parking options in the downtown area.

The Union Square Garage (which sits under Union Square Plaza), and  Ellis O’Farrell Garage (located at 123 O’Farrell Street, between Powell and Stockton streets), are close to many of the San Francisco’s favorite holiday destinations and entertainment hotspots, including Westfield San Francisco Centre, the Apple Store; restaurants like the Cheesecake Factory and the Rotunda at Neiman Marcus; and entertainment hot spots such as the Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square and the Curran Theatre.

Parking in a city-owned garage may be the way to go. And parking rates City-owned garage is typically 50 to 60 percent less expensive than parking in privately-owned garages. The SFMTA’s dynamic pricing strategy encourages drivers to use garage spaces first and reserve on street parking for shorter stays. This is how we keep parking rates in city-owned garages more affordable.

Here is a complete list of city-owned garages and lots.

To learn more about PARCS visit the PARCS Project Webpage.

Happy Holidays from the SFMTA



Published December 20, 2019 at 09:30AM
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Thursday 19 December 2019

Ride Muni Free on New Year’s Eve

Ride Muni Free on New Year’s Eve
By

Holiday Cable Car lights

2019 marks the 20th consecutive year that we will offer free rides on New Year’s Eve. Starting at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31 and going through 5 a.m. on Wednesday, January 1 all trips on Muni are free.

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. All information, including schedules and stops, will be posted on our webpage. 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.

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

New Year’s Eve Muni Service:

  • Complimentary Muni service from 8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31 to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, January 1.
  • Owl service frequency is doubled on the 5 Fulton, 14 Mission, 22 Fillmore, 24 Divisadero, 25 Treasure Island, 38 Geary, 44 O’Shaughnessy, 48 Quintara-24th, 90 Owl, 91 Owl, L Owl and N Owl routes.
  • Extra LRV Metro shuttles will run from West Portal to 4th and King until 2:15 a.m.
  • Extra LRV Metro service between Embarcadero and West Portal will run until 5 a.m.
  • Service on cable cars will be provided by buses after approximately 6 p.m.
  • Service on the F Market & Wharves will be provided by buses all day.

At midnight on New Year’s Eve, a city-sponsored fireworks show from a barge off of 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. No closures or re-routes are planned. SFPD and SFMTA will monitor for any necessary re-routes. For details, please visit our webpage.

BART will provide additional service until approximately 3 a.m., January 1. After 8 p.m. BART service to and from the East Bay will be split between Embarcadero and Montgomery stations. Antioch and Richmond line trains heading into San Francisco will not stop at Embarcadero Station. Exit at Montgomery Street Station for the fireworks show. Dublin/Pleasanton and So. Fremont/Warm Springs line trains will not stop at Montgomery Street Station. After the fireworks, Dublin/Pleasanton and So. Fremont/Warm Springs trains will not stop at West Oakland. The first East Bay stop is Lake Merritt Station. Millbrae and Daly City passengers should use Montgomery Street Station. Full fare pricing will be in effect. For more details, please visit www.bart.gov.

Caltrain service will be free after 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and continue until 5 a.m. For more details, please visit www.caltrain.com.

SamTrans will offer free rides on all buses beginning at 8 p.m. on December 31 until 5 a.m. on January 1. For more details, please visit http://www.samtrans.com



Published December 19, 2019 at 11:52AM
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Wednesday 18 December 2019

Holiday Weekend: Russian Bells and Salesforce Winterfest

Holiday Weekend: Russian Bells and Salesforce Winterfest
By Schad Dalton

Holiday Parking and Street Sweeping Enforcement Schedule Reminder:
Parking Enforcement will not be issuing parking tickets for hour limits in residential permit areas, M-F daytime and 7-day night street sweeping or tow cars in commuter tow-away zones on Christmas Day or on New Year's Day. Christmas and New Year's Day begin on midnight of December 25 and January 1 respectively.

Muni Holiday Schedule Change Reminder:
Beginning December 24th through the 29th, with the exception of the 8AX-Bayshore Express, 8BX-Bayshore Express, and 76X Marin Headlands Express routes there will be no Express service. Muni will operate on a Sunday schedule Wednesday, December 25th and Wednesday, January 1, 2020.

Salesforce Center Opening
Head over to Salesforce Park atop the eponymous Transit Center this weekend for a holiday celebration. Photo: SFMTA Archive

Russian Holiday Bells

Saturday, 12 to 2 p.m.
Civic Center/SF Public Library Main Branch

Ring in the holidays with the annual Russian bells performance by San Francisco Symphony's guest percussionist Victor Avdienko. Mr. Avdienko will play a peal of six Russian bells in a concert program that will include several traditional chimes, a handful of contemporary pieces and some improvisational works. This event, like all others at the library, is free to the public.


How to Get There on Muni: Riders may take any Muni Metro line to Civic Center Station, the F Market and Wharves Line, as well as the 5 Fulton, 6 Haight/Parnassus, 7 Haight/Noriega, 9 San Bruno, 14 Mission/14R Mission Rapid, 19 Polk, or 21 Hayes routes to the event.

Muni Service Notes: There are no planned service changes for this event, though there could be minor delays and some crowding on those Muni routes listed above due to possible increased ridership.

Salesforce Winterfest

Thursday through Saturday, various times
Salesforce Park

Live music, holiday carolers, photos with Santa and a silent disco are just some of the festive activities planned for Salesforce Park's three-day Winterfest this Thursday, December 19, through Saturday. This event is free and open to the public and will also feature arts and crafts, face painting, and a performance by the Velocity Arts & Entertainment circus troupe.

How to Get There on Muni: Riders may take the 5 Fulton, 7 Haight/Noriega, 14 Mission, 14R Mission Rapid, 25 Treasure Island, 38 Geary or the 38R Geary Rapid routes to or near the Salesforce Transit Center.

Muni Service Notes: There are no planned service changes for this event, though there could be minor delays and some crowding on those Muni routes listed above due to possible increased ridership.

Remember that you can take Muni for the entire day for a single $5 fare. The new $5 Day Pass, available on MuniMobile®, is part of Muni’s recent fare changes. The pass is intended to encourage a safe, convenient way to pay your fare and quickly board Muni vehicles, which reduces overall travel time for everyone. The $5 Day Pass is Muni bus, rail and historic streetcars only.

“On Tap” gives you a heads up about the big events in town and what Muni routes and lines will get you to the party. Look for this feature to be posted usually on Thursdays for a look ahead to the weekend. Check out our Weekend Traffic & Transit Advisory for more details.



Published December 18, 2019 at 03:14PM
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Tuesday 17 December 2019

Tips For Parking In San Francisco This Holiday Season

Tips For Parking In San Francisco This Holiday Season
By Pamela Johnson

Christmas tree in Union Square

Whether you are a long-time resident or visitor coming to San Francisco for the holidays, we encourage you to take the train, bus, walk, ride a bike or take a taxi.  If you need to drive, the SFMTA would like for you to have a great parking experience.

Here are tips for parking on the street at one of our meters or in one of our city-owned parking garages.

Parking on the Street

  1. Park Smart! If you love it, don’t leave it. To avoid having your vehicle broken into, keep all items/valuables out of plain view; better yet, take them with you upon exiting your vehicle.
  2. Visit the SFMTA webpage so you know the parking meter rates.
  3. Download the Pay-by-Phone App so you can pay for your parking online.
  4. You can extend your parking time at a parking meter with the  Pay-by-Phone App so you don’t have to return to the meter to pay. You can pay by credit card, with Google or Apple Pay.
  5. Do not park on the sidewalk—this blocks the path of people walking or using wheelchairs or strollers, and isn’t safe. Your vehicle may be ticketed and/or towed.

Parking Off-Street in Garages & Lots

  1. Reminder: Avoid having your vehicle broken into, keep all valuables out of sight or take them with you when you exit your vehicle.
  2. Park in one of our city-owned garages or lots. Ours are typically 50 to 60 percent less expensive than parking in a privately-owned garage or at a meter. Visit the SFMTA webpage so you know the rates.
  3. If you are concerned about your surroundings and would like an escort to your car, please feel free to use the Ambassador Service in our city-owned garages.
  4. Take notice of your surroundings. If you see something suspicious, please report it.
  5. Look both ways for pedestrians when driving into or out of a garage or lot.

More information about San Francisco parking rules can be found in the Drive & Park section of our webpage.

Happy holidays from the SFMTA.



Published December 17, 2019 at 02:19PM
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Monday 16 December 2019

Next Steps of the Scooter Program

Next Steps of the Scooter Program
By

A scooter chained up and a scooter being ridden on the bike path.

At the SFMTA, we are excited to expand the range of sustainable transportation options in San Francisco, including scooters, which provide a convenient, on-demand travel option for shorter trips and an alternative to driving.

Based on their positive performance to date, we recently increased the number of scooters permitted through the Powered Scooter Share Permit Pilot Program. This timing presents an opportunity to again share how we can keep scooter riders and pedestrians safe when it comes to scootering around San Francisco.

Since we launched the scooter program, we have taken steps to ensure public safety for both riders and others on the street. One of the most common community concerns is related to scooters riding on the sidewalk, which is against the law in California.

To ensure that our sidewalks are safe for everyone, we have taken proactive steps to address this issue with the four permitted scooter companies currently operating in San Francisco. Examples include requiring scooter companies to provide clear education about sidewalk riding laws, user incentives and penalties, and other safeguards to encourage safe riding and parking.

Maintaining an accessible path of travel is critical for pedestrians and others who use the sidewalk, particularly seniors and people with disabilities. To support this, we require all permittees to have a “lock-to” mechanism on their scooters that allow it be locked to a bike rack. As part of the permit fee, each company pays $75 per scooter to support the installation of new racks and, in return, we have already doubled the pace of installation as compared to prior months. We have developed detailed parking requirements for sidewalk and rack parking that meet all of the city’s accessibility guidelines.

Every day, our SFMTA enforcement team is out on the streets monitoring for compliance. Since the launch of the scooter permits on October 15th, they have been regularly issuing citations to both permitted and non-permitted scooter companies for improperly parked scooters.

If you see individuals or parked vehicles that are not complying with these expectations, we request you file a complaint with the company directly. You can find their contact information our webpage under the “Report Improper Riding or Parking” section.

When making a report, please be sure to provide the following information:

  • Date
  • Time
  • Location
  • Photo (if possible)

We also receive complaints via 311 and on the SFMTA website: here.

The SFMTA evaluates all complaints gathered from the permittees directly as well as through 311, and other sources on a monthly basis to track each permittee’s complaints resolution process and ensure that we are consistently reinforcing our safety goals.

We are committed to delivering a safe, equitable, and reliable transportation system to everyone in San Francisco. We look forward to a continued safe expansion of our scooter program and ask for your help in doing so.



Published December 16, 2019 at 03:00PM
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Friday 13 December 2019

This Weekend: Holiday Lighted Boat Parade and Parol Lantern Festival

This Weekend: Holiday Lighted Boat Parade and Parol Lantern Festival
By Schad Dalton

Events: A handful of fun events will be taking place around town this weekend beginning with the annual Holiday Lights Boat Parade along Fisherman's Wharf this Friday evening. Also beginning Friday with shows throughout the weekend, the Circus Center Winter Showcase will take audiences on a journey through dark and light with aerialists, acrobats and much more. Head over to the Yerba Buena Center in SoMa on Saturday for 17th annual Parol Lantern Festival and Parade. Read more about our featured events below.

Parol Lantern 2011
A parol lantern, one of many, that adorned the Parol Lantern Festival in 2011. Photo: Gary Stevens/Flickr

Holiday Lighted Boat Parade

Friday, 6 to 8 p.m.
Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39

A holiday tradition since 1994, the Lighted Boat Parade on the Bay has been ushering in the holidays in style for over two decades. Members of the St. Francis Yacht Club , Fisherman's Wharf Fishing Fleet, Golden Gate Yacht Club, Pier 39 Marina participate in the festive spectacle that showcases a parade of boats festooned with lights and holiday decorations. The parade route starts just off of Pier 39, heads west past Fisherman's Wharf, Fort Mason and the St. Francis Yacht Club then turns back at Crissy Field to return to Pier 39. 


How to Get There on Muni: The parade will pass along most of the north waterfront, so there numerous Muni options that will get riders a good view including the Mason and Hyde cable car lines, the E Embarcadero or F Market and Wharves lines as well as the 8 Bayshore, 19 Polk, 22 Fillmore, 28 19th Avenue, 30 Stockton, 43 Masonic, 47 Van Ness, and 49 Van Ness/Mission routes.

Muni Service Notes: There are no planned service changes for this event.

Parol Lantern Festival and Parade

Saturday, 4 to 8 p.m.
SoMa

Another holiday tradition, the Parol Lantern Festival and Parade returns to the Yerba Buena Gardens in SoMa this Saturday. The parol star lanterns that will decorate the Yerba Buena Gardens are a quintessential symbol of holiday hope, luck and peace in Filipino culture. The event will also offer up traditional Filipino foods, live music and performances, and a short parade that begins and ends at Jessie Square between Mission and Market streets.

How to Get There on Muni: Riders may take any Muni Metro line towards downtown to Powell Station, the F Market and Wharves Line, any Market Street bus route as well as the 8 Bayshore, 10 Townsend, 12 Folsom/Pacific, 14 Mission, 14R Mission Rapid, 27 Bryant, 30 Stockton, or the 45 Union/Stockton routes.

Muni Service Notes: There are no planned service changes for this event.

Remember that you can take Muni for the entire day for a single $5 fare. The new $5 Day Pass, available on MuniMobile®, is part of Muni’s recent fare changes. The pass is intended to encourage a safe, convenient way to pay your fare and quickly board Muni vehicles, which reduces overall travel time for everyone. The $5 Day Pass is Muni bus, rail and historic streetcars only.

“On Tap” gives you a heads up about the big events in town and what Muni routes and lines will get you to the party. Look for this feature to be posted usually on Thursdays for a look ahead to the weekend. Check out our Weekend Traffic & Transit Advisory for more details.



Published December 13, 2019 at 10:00AM
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Thursday 12 December 2019

Heads Up: Fix On The Way For Two-Car Trains

Heads Up: Fix On The Way For Two-Car Trains
By

N Judah LRV4 picking people up inside the subway

We want to inform our riders about a recent issue that arose on one of our new LRV4 Siemens vehicles. While Muni LRVs remain safe to operate, out of an abundance of caution, we will be limiting the number of two-car trains in service for the near future. We’re taking this opportunity to explain some of the history and what our plans are to fix the problem.

Last April, our two-car trains started to experience complications with their couplers. Couplers are a train component that allow multiple vehicles to operate under the control of one operator. Upon inspection, we found broken shear pins that were a symptom of a design flaw within the coupler. To fix this, we replaced the old pins and the couplers began working properly.

Since the April 2019 coupler issue on our LRV4 trains, Siemens has continued its investigation into the cause of those failures. On Monday, we received word from Siemens about ongoing and unexplained fatiguing, (meaning some pins are wearing out sooner than they should) and they proposed additional testing to identify the source of the fatigue.

Yesterday, we experienced a coupler failure, the first since April.

What Happened?

Wednesday morning, the coupler shear pins failed on one of our LRV4 trains while in revenue service. The cars did not separate. The operator reported the issue to her supervisor, the passengers disembarked and the train was taken out of service.

Why Did It Happen?

There does not appear to be a single event (collision, etc.) that caused the failure, but our investigation is ongoing. 

How Are We Responding to This?

In the short term, the plan is to replace the coupler shear pins on all LRV4 trains. The medium-term plan is to redesign the shear pin and look for a permanent solution. Siemens has agreed to provide an ongoing supply of shear pins while they work on the redesign and is activating their global resources to make this happen.

What Does This Mean for Service?

On a typical weekday, we have been running approximately 20 two-car trains in the system. Beginning yesterday, the operation of two-car trains was limited until new shear pins could be installed today. Tomorrow, we will operate three or more two-car trains. These are trains that have received the new shear pins. We are expecting a shipment of shear pins today (four per train) and expect to be able to run as many as seven two-car trains by Monday.

Who Will Pay for This?

These repairs are covered under warranty by Siemens and will be replaced at no cost to San Francisco taxpayers.

Is It Safe?

Yes, safety is our number one priority. Siemens has confirmed that with newly installed pins the couplers can safely operate and the new pins can be safely used for up to 120 days.



Published December 12, 2019 at 02:32PM
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