The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all surface transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), today announced the successful continuation of targeted, robust Muni service improvements. Over the past weekend the Agency began implementing additional service and schedule adjustments on the F Market & Wharves historic streetcar line and the N Judah and J Church Muni Metro lines as well as a focused improvement plan for the 28 19th Avenue and 28L 19th Avenue Limited routes. The changes will address customer concerns and incorporate Operator input along with rigorous data analysis. Later this month the F Market & Wharves historic streetcar line will add seven overhauled streetcars back into service.
"San Franciscans deserve a world-class transportation system," said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. "We must take aggressive action to review every current management practice to ensure that efficiencies and improvements can be made to provide that world-class service today and for generations to come."
"The SFMTA greatly appreciates the assistance and diligence of thec ity family, Muni customers and frontline Muni staff," said Tom Nolan, chairman of the SFMTA Board of Directors. "The collaboration that led to these improvements will help us make Muni work better for San Francisco."
"We are continually looking for opportunities to improve the Muni system," said Edward D. Reiskin, SFMTA director of transportation. "While large capital investments are certainly required, many improvements can be made through more aggressive management and by simply trying new solutions."
"We are excited that both our visitors and employees will have improved service between regional transit connections and Fisherman's Wharf," said Kevin Carroll, executive director of the Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District. "I appreciate the efforts of the SFMTA staff who listened to our concerns and worked with us to find solutions."
Due to anticipated cost savings associated with the usage of part-time operators and scheduling efficiencies, these improvements will be covered in the existing service budget.
Muni Metro Improvements
This summer, the SFMTA worked with the Board of Supervisors to identify ways to improve the J Church Line. The new schedule that began Saturday includes improvements identified from that process. The running times were adjusted and the peak period schedules were set at nine-minute intervals to reduce crowding.
In addition to the continued supplemental Nx Judah Express Bus Pilot service on weekdays that was established in June to reduce crowding, the N Judah Line this weekend began once again providing service to Caltrain on weekends. This will better serve Caltrain, AT&T Park and Mission Bay.
F Market & Wharves Improvements
Beginning last weekend the F Line increased service by operating every five minutes instead of every 10 minutes between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. This new schedule will reduce crowding and pass ups. Muni Operations began improving line management by assigning additional inspectors to the route. In addition to the improved schedule and line management, historic streetcar vehicle rehabilitation continues and operator training is underway. As many as seven overhauled vehicles are expected on the line by the end of the month. Buses will be used on the route until operator training is complete.
28 19th Avenue Improvements
The changes beginning this week on 28 19th Avenue and 28L 19th Avenue Limited Muni routes are part of a new SFMTA performance audit program that concentrates on poor performing routes based on customer feedback and on-time performance data. The 28 and 28L route improvements include:
* Extending the 28L to Ft. Mason express via California Street (no stop at the Golden Gate Bridge)
* New stops at key transfer points: Lombard and Fillmore, Laguna and Chestnut and Ft. Mason
* Reducing stops on 28L only - eliminating Eucalyptus, Noriega, Balboa stops (no change to 28)
* Adjusting the time segments within each scheduled run on both the 28 and 28L to improve reliability.
This is expected to help address the impact of congestion on 19th Avenue and through the Doyle Drive construction.
SFMTA Ambassadors were deployed Monday during peak commute hours to assist customers with the route changes for the 28L 19th Avenue Limited. Alert messages and directions were posted at 28L stops informing customers of stop changes and new service options.
The next route undergoing a performance audit is the 29 Sunset, Muni's longest cross-town route. More information on the 28L 19th Avenue Limited route changes can be found at sfmta.com.
