Reconnecting San Francisco Across Streets and Freeways

Reconnecting San Francisco Across Streets and Freeways
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With limited space on San Francisco city streets, how can we ensure that current and future transportation options remain accessible and affordable to all?

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA), the SFMTA and the San Francisco Planning Department are collaborating through ConnectSF in creating a template for an equitable, sustainable and effective future. Their Streets and Freeways Strategy examines approaches that support San Francisco’s Transit-First, Vision Zero, climate action, and equity goals.  The strategy complements the Transit Investment Strategy released in April 2021.

SFMTA staff provided expertise in developing the strategy and is leading the Active Transportation component, exploring ways to build a connected network of bike and pedestrian routes across the city that make biking and walking safe and enjoyable. SFMTA staff from across the agency also developed strategies to manage our limited street space effectively, focusing on moving the most people with space-efficient and low-polluting modes, and prioritizing people who have the fewest choices..

To learn about ConnectSF’s strategy for connecting neighborhoods, supporting the economy and creating a more welcoming environment, join their virtual town hall on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at 5:30 pm-6:30 pm . That event will give participants insight into investing in San Francisco’s streets, prioritizing transit and carpooling, building out a complete walking and biking network, targeting safety, and repairing historical harms to communities.

To read more and provide feedback, visit the Strategy and complete the survey by July 31, 2021.

Published July 14, 2021 at 03:45PM
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Good People, Tough Job

Good People, Tough Job
By Pamela Johnson

Parking Control Officer Larrell Dean directing traffic in 2019

You may not know always know their names or faces, but dedicated employees of the SFMTA are out on the street every day empowering our mission to keep San Francisco on the move. As part of a Good People, Tough Jobs series, we will be highlighting those key SFMTA staff who are crucial to accomplishing this goal. Today we take a look at the experiences of our parking enforcement group.

It isn't easy being a parking control officer (PCO) in San Francisco. PCOs are often met with anger and antagonism while enforcing parking regulations. Yet the work of PCOs is a critical tool in keeping our city moving, as they ensure that streets and critical pathways are kept clear for transit, vehicles, pedestrians, and other modes of transportation.

Unfortunately, the day-to-day work of a PCO can involve aggressive and, at times, unsafe situations. There are cases of parking officers being attacked on the job as they are issuing a fine. From yelling, spitting to physically assaulting the officer, their safety is sometimes jeopardized. 

For instance, between 2015 to July 2019 there were 9 assaults on officers reported and 27 Workers’ Compensation assault claims filed.

When asked about the nature of his job, PCO Larrell Dean replied “The most important thing is to be aware of my surroundings and make sure I’m safe and the people around me are safe, and treat the public with the utmost respect and professionalism."

While none of us likes to get a parking ticket, we know that taking it out on the city worker is wrong. Instead, remember to respond in a way that fosters a safer and more considerate work environment for them. PCOs are good people with demanding jobs. Of course, if you disagree with your citation, you can appeal it online or by mail rather expressing hostility toward the enforcement officer for administering the law.

The Importance of PCOs and What they Do

When enforcing parking regulations, the role of the PCO includes responding to residents' complaints (such as keeping driveways clear), managing residential parking permit time limits and arranging tow away for illegally parked vehicles. PCOs also support San Francisco's commercial corridors and small businesses by keeping spaces open and available to authorized parking and loading. Another critical job of the PCO is to provide street safety by directing vehicular and pedestrian traffic, particularly during special events and emergencies. While on the job, PCOs help monitor and manage hazards, traffic obstructions, accidents, stolen cars and property damage.

We’re asking for your help in spreading the word about being respectful to and creating a safe workspace for SF’s parking control officers—and please share this blog and safety campaign.

To help reduce frustration on all sides, please see the tips and available resources below. And remember, if you disagree with a citation you’ve received, contest it. Attacking a PCO is never the right choice.

How to Park Legally In San Francisco

For more information, including five things you should know to avoid a parking ticket, visit How To Park Legally in San Francisco and the Streets of San Francisco Parking Guide.

How to Appeal Your Citation

If you find that you have received a citation and disagree with it, you can appeal it online or call 311 (within San Francisco) or 415-701-2311.

Community Service In-Lieu of Payment Program

The SFMTA’s Community Service Program provides customers the option to perform community service in San Francisco in lieu of parking ticket and transit citation payment. Visit the agency’s website to learn more about the community service program.

 

 

Published July 13, 2021 at 08:37AM
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Young People to Ride Muni for Free

Young People to Ride Muni for Free
By Stephen Chun

Mayor London N. Breed, Supervisor Myrna Melgar and the SFMTA have announced the expansion of our Free Muni for Youth Program to include all youth starting August 15, 2021. This is scheduled to coincide with the full in-person return of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) 2021-2022 school year.

This one-year program will eliminate the application process for all youth under the age of 19 to ride Muni, regardless of financial status and without proof of payment.

There are currently 39,350 active users of the Free Muni for Youth program, representing approximately 72% of those eligible.  Existing participants will no longer need to carry their Clipper Card with the pass or tap the reader when boarding vehicles.

While Muni Transit Fare Inspectors will not request proof of payment from youth who appear to be under the age of 19, youth above the age of 16 are encouraged to carry a student ID or other form of ID for age verification. Youth (San Francisco residents only) who utilize Cable Car service for regular travel can apply for a pass for unlimited travel. Cable car rides for non-resident youth are not covered in the program.

The SFMTA implemented the “Free Muni for Youth” pilot program in 2013 providing free transit service to all low and moderate-income youth in San Francisco aged 5 through 17 years old, and made the program permanent in January 2015. In April 2020, the program was expanded to 18- year-olds and students enrolled in Special Education and English Learner programs through age 22. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the SFMTA lacked the financial resources to continue funding this program moving forward. By allocating $2 million in the upcoming budget, Mayor Breed is ensuring that Muni is accessible to more than 100,000 young people across San Francisco.

Numerous studies have established that exposure to riding transit at an early age leads to continued use in adult years, along with a decrease in auto-ownership. Additional program goals in line with the SFMTA Strategic Plan include creating a safer transportation experience for everyone by improving the safety of the transit system, improving the quality of life and environment in San Francisco and the region by using programs and policies to advance San Francisco’s commitment to equity and finally, ensuring quality of life and economic health in San Francisco that the transportation system is a safe and efficient movement of people and goods.

Free Muni has also been made available for seniors and persons with disabilities. Program eligibility is set at an annual income at or below 100 percent of the Bay Area median. The SFMTA Board of Directors expanded this program in 2020 to persons experiencing homelessness.

For more information about Free Muni for Youth and how to sign up for Cable Car service please visit http://www.sfmta.com.

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Published July 12, 2021 at 12:38PM
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L Taraval Improvement Project Reaches Key Milestone

L Taraval Improvement Project Reaches Key Milestone
By Jay Lu

While the past 18 months have been full of challenges and anxiety because of the pandemic, today we have good news to share. With community support and collaboration from our city partners, the SFMTA has successfully completed the first of two segments of the L Taraval Improvement Project. Construction of Segment A started in September 2019 and was completed in July 2021 on schedule and within budget.

This project was made possible in part by Proposition K Sales Tax dollars provided by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. Our work on this first phase improved transit and infrastructure between Sunset Boulevard and SF Zoo, with close collaboration between the SFMTA, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC), and San Francisco Public Works. Upgrades to this vital corridor that help the community thrive include: 

• Rail track and overhead line replacement
• Water and sewer line replacement
• Surface repaving
• Curb ramp upgrades
• Concrete boarding islands and pedestrian bulbs
• Traffic signals
• New trees and landscaping

These improvements have made pedestrian crossing safer, increased accessibility and improved transit reliability for our customers while rehabilitating water & sewer infrastructure and enhancing landscaping to make Taraval Street more enjoyable for everyone.

We would like to thank Supervisor Mar, Sunset neighbors, local businesses and People of Parkside, Sunset (POPS) for their partnership in shaping and completing this project. We are especially grateful to the residents who live along the Lower Great Highway where the traffic and parking patterns had to change due to the lane closures for staging of construction materials and equipment.

The project couldn’t be a success without the close partnership between community stakeholders, sister city agencies, the contractor and SFMTA staff.

By partnering with PUC, we were able to identify potential utility conflicts early on. This led to our decision to split the project into Segment A and Segment B, which provide both PG&E and PUC the time needed to relocate underground utilities.

In collaboration with our contractor, NTK Construction, a comprehensive communications plan was implemented to provide clear, transparent information to local businesses and residents on staging areas, the construction approach and sequencing, things to expect, service interruptions and service support planning. To support local businesses and residents, special accommodations were made to minimize construction impacts.

To ensure successful project delivery, the project team reflected on the lessons learned from previous projects as important ways of gathering and sharing project knowledge among internal partners. Special acknowledgements to Construction Management team, Street Division, Communications and Outreach, Transit Planners and Maintenance of Way.

While celebrating the completion of Segment A, we are now gearing up for Segment B, which will make the same improvements from Sunset Boulevard to West Portal. Construction on this next phase is anticipated to start in early 2022 and last through the end of 2024.

Once completed, the nearly five-mile long corridor from West Portal to the Zoo will boast new transit priority traffic signals, bulbouts to make pedestrian crossing safer, new trees, high visibility cross-walks, safety boarding islands and increased accessibility. All of these changes will make Taraval more inviting for everyone that lives or travels there.

To follow the progress of this project as we move into the next phase, you can visit our webpage and sign up for updates.

Check out the photos below on construction work and achievements obtained in Segment A:

Published July 09, 2021 at 12:38PM
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Beat the traffic and celebrate July 4th with Muni!

Beat the traffic and celebrate July 4th with Muni! 
By Jonathan Streeter

The Fourth of July fireworks are back this year, thanks to COVID-19 vaccines and the city’s ongoing reopening! The show will start at 9:30pm over San Francisco’s historic waterfront.

Muni wants to get you to the festivities and back, quickly and safely, on Independence Day. The State of California strongly recommends that anyone planning to attend the Fourth of July fireworks be fully vaccinated, obtain a negative COVID-19 test prior to attending the event, or wear a face covering. Customers must wear face masks while riding transit or using transit facilities, per federal mandate.

Getting There

Before the show, from 3 to 9 p.m., Muni will provide extra service to connect people from the Muni Metro Subway, BART, Ferries and Caltrain to the fireworks viewing area. Along the Embarcadero, Muni will have two shuttle routes to Pier 39.

• From the Ferry Building, board at Steuart & Mission and at historic streetcar stops along the Embarcadero.
• From the Caltrain Depot, board at the 47 stop on Townsend Street west of 4th Street and from the Ferry Terminal onward, board at historic streetcar stops along the Embarcadero.

Getting Back

After the show, from 9 to 11:30 p.m., Muni will have two express shuttles providing express service from Pier 39 to the Ferry Building and Caltrain. These buses will use transit-only lanes to avoid traffic wherever possible.

For details, please visit our Fourth of July extra service webpage.

Published July 02, 2021 at 06:24AM
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Public Participation Improves the J Church Transfer

Public Participation Improves the J Church Transfer
By Jonathan Streeter

As a part of the SFMTA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented a number of temporary emergency projects designed to maximize Muni service in light of newly constrained resources. For example, we brought back the J Church in December 2020 as a surface only rail route between Balboa Park and Duboce Avenue as the first train service to be re-started since shelter in place began in March 2020. Throughout these efforts, we have worked with the public to modify and improve their design.

A 22 Fillmore bus and J Church light rail vehicle travel northbound on Church Street at Market

To provide better connectivity between the J Church and other Muni Metro lines, we created a temporary boarding island and ramp on Church Street south of Market, and added a temporary ramp to the island on Church Street just south of Duboce Avenue. This now serves customers transferring to the re-opened subway.  We implemented this change after a public outreach process that included contacting every merchant in the project area, as well as neighborhood groups, elected officials and other stakeholders. The public was able to review our design and provide feedback regarding their questions and concerns.

The design for the new temporary transfer point for the J Church initially closed Church Street between Market and 15th streets to through traffic in both directions. In the southbound direction, closing Church Street to through traffic was necessary to accommodate the temporary boarding island and ramp, while in the northbound direction, the curb lane was closed to through traffic in collaboration with the citywide Shared Spaces program. This gave businesses on Church Street the opportunity to utilize the curbside lane to operate outdoors while indoor retail was either restricted or prohibited. We also provided commercial and passenger loading zones for residents, patrons, delivery vehicles and others to have continued local access to all of Church Street.

Since the project was implemented in August of 2020, we heard from a variety of businesses and residents that prohibiting northbound traffic across Market presented challenges. In addition to requiring alternate routes for reaching destinations north of Market Street, the lane closure also meant that any vehicle using a navigation app was unable to program pick-ups and drop offs on Church Street, despite the fact that it remained open to local traffic.

When the initial Shared Spaces permits expired on June 30 this year and businesses vacated parklets in the northbound curbside lane of Church Street, we canvassed merchants and other stakeholders and determined that the lane could now be reopened.  We have sent orders to our sign shop to have the signage changed and have communicated with the navigation companies our plans to have the lane reopened. Beginning in mid-July, northbound through traffic will once again be permitted in the curbside lane on Church Street.

As a temporary emergency project, the new transfer point for the J Church is authorized until the city’s emergency order is lifted, at which point the project must be removed within 120 days unless it receives permanent approval through additional outreach and legislation. We are now evaluating whether and how this transfer might be made permanent and welcome the public’s participation in our J Church Transfer Project Survey.

Published July 01, 2021 at 04:41PM
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Transit Lanes Keep Muni Moving on Mission Street in SoMa

Transit Lanes Keep Muni Moving on Mission Street in SoMa
By Erin McMillan

The full-time transit lanes on Mission Street downtown installed as a temporary emergency measure during the pandemic will be made permanent. The first of the city’s Temporary Emergency Transit Lanes to get permanent authorization, they were unanimously approved by the SFMTA Board of Directors at their June 15, 2021 meeting. This shows how a quick-build project can be installed, evaluated, and refined in a relatively short amount of time.  

Thousands of daily riders have already felt the impact of the full-time transit lanes since they were first temporarily installed last summer. Now, riders of the 14 Mission, 14R Mission Rapid, and many SamTrans and Golden Gate Transit customers will continue to benefit from the transit time savings we have seen with the implementation of these lanes. Mission Street in SoMa has been a major transit corridor for years, serving regional commuters, local residents and workers that support the downtown area. With the Bay Area reopening, the diverse group of transit riders that travel this corridor from all over the region will be able to get to their destination faster and more reliably thanks to keeping these full-time transit lanes in place.

So far, the lanes on Mission Street have achieved their goal–keeping transit moving even as traffic threatens to slow it down. Traffic has risen 20% since the summer of 2020, yet transit times are staying relatively consistent, demonstrating that the transit lanes are effective in protecting buses from getting caught in traffic.

In addition to our technical evaluation, we collected feedback from the community on the transit lanes, loading zones and parking. Outreach for this project was extensive, including a range of public engagement tactics from posters on the street to direct phone calls to businesses to collect their feedback. While the majority of public survey respondents supported making the transit lanes permanent, we did hear from businesses with significant concerns about loading zone and parking changes. As a result, many modifications were made after the initial temporary transit lanes were installed to help manage the tradeoffs that affected all folks along the corridor, from business owners to transit riders. The advantage of the quick-build approach is that we are able to make modifications like changes to commercial and passenger loading based on real-time feedback.

What’s next?

The temporary project restriped the roadway between 5th and 11th streets and made transit lanes full-time between 3rd and 11th streets. Modifications to the temporary project, including restriping and making transit lanes full-time between 1st and 3rd streets, and extension of bus zones are anticipated for fall 2021.  Additional changes, such as sidewalk widening, are being planned for future phases.

Published June 29, 2021 at 04:26PM
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