My precise view

Enhancing Safety on Franklin Street By Mark Dreger We're excited to share an update on the Franklin Street Quick-Build Project, an effort to enhance traffic safety on Franklin Street between Broadway and Lombard Streets. This roadway stretch was the site of 38 collisions between 2017 and 2021, including the tragic loss of a Sherman Elementary School paraeducator in November 2021. Our data-driven approach focuses on several key safety improvements, and we are ready to share the evaluation results and the next steps to bring further safety changes to Franklin Street.  The project includes the implementation of a suite of safety measures focused on the intersections where neighborhood stakeholders expressed most concerns during the outreach process.  Painted safety zones (PSZs) have been installed to increase pedestrian visibility at crosswalks by keeping the corners of intersections clear. Slow-turn wedges have been added to encourage drivers to turn at safer speeds...

Transit Month is Taking Over the Bay Area By Guest Authors Rebecca Gibian and Reanne Lacosta, San Francisco Transit Riders Transit Month 2023 is a celebration of the role of public transportation in our communities and the Bay Area’s economic, social and cultural vibrancy. In the span of just eight years, it has grown from Transit Day into Transit Week and into the robust month it is now, thanks to our partnership with Seamless Bay Area and other transit-focused agencies and organizations. Together we have reached hundreds of riders through events held across the city.   We love seeing people get on transit and enjoy themselves, the ride and the experience. We appreciate that Transit Month encourages people to take a trip they never have or try a new line. We love seeing the shift that happens when people take the bus or train, realize how easy and affordable it is and then continue to do so (and tell their friends)!  Transit Month is a time to show our support for the p...

Taken with Transportation Podcast: Connecting Community to Transit By The Bayview Community Shuttle is intended to help residents connect more easily with transit lines that serve Bayview-Hunters Point, such as the 54 Felton and T-Third. Accessing public transit can be more difficult for people in one particular San Francisco neighborhood than it is in other parts of the city. So we are designing a supplemental transportation program for this area, the Bayview Community Shuttle. You can learn more in the latest episode of the SFMTA podcast, Taken with Transportation . Host Melissa Culross talks with SFMTA Transportation Planner Christopher Kidd, San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton, Bayview-Hunters Point Community Advocates Environmental Justice Director Dalila Adofo, SFMTA Planning Director Maia Small and neighborhood residents about the shuttle, which is expected to begin running in Bayview-Hunters Point in 2024.  Christopher Kidd is the planner in charge of the shuttle p...

MTA Board of Directors Welcomes Lydia So By Stephen Chun Lydia So, a championed public servant, advocate for the AAPI community and an accomplished urban planner, designer and architect, has joined the SFMTA’s Board of Directors. She was appointed in June 2023 and sworn in by Mayor London Breed on Aug. 23, 2023, at Central Subway’s Chinatown Rose Pak Station, in line with her personal connection with the Chinatown community.   So was born in Hong Kong and is fluent in Chinese (Cantonese). She is the founder of the architecture firm SOLYD Architecture, Management and Design. She is a former Historic Preservation Commissioner for the San Francisco Planning Department where she voted in favor of the Potrero Yard Modernization Project that is expected to bring hundreds of housing units to our city while maintaining the functions of the SFMTA. She was the first Chinese American Historic Preservation Commissioner, implemented the Planning Department’s Racial and Social Equity po...

New Muni Service Changes Start Saturday, August 19 By Clive Tsuma 28R 19th Avenue will run on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. starting Monday, August 21.  Back to School  With SFUSD students returning to school August 16, many families who rely on Muni to get to school will see service increase after school as part of the new schedule. Because Muni vehicles often become crowded during morning peak hours and sometimes pass up stops when there is not enough room for more riders, families are encouraged to plan their trips ahead of time and hop on Muni early to make sure students get to school on time.  With every public school in the San Francisco Unified School District being served by at least one Muni route , students can expect extra Muni service on the first day of the school this fall and continue providing service throughout the school year. While the Muni service changes won’t be implemented until August 19, school tripper service will be offered starting Au...

Track Replacement on the L Taraval Line By Sevilla Mann If you’ve traveled through the Sunset or Parkside neighborhoods recently, you may have seen a lot of construction activity on Taraval Street. Major construction projects are an inconvenience, and the impacts seem to be never ending. You may wonder, why does it take so long ?  We would like to thank everyone for your ongoing patience and understanding as the L Taraval Improvement Project to replace aging infrastructure continues. Since we announced the beginning of the second segment of improvements on Taraval Street in January 2022 , we’ve been busy wrapping up upgrades to the sewer and water lines, underground conduits and new pole foundations for the Overhead Contact System (OCS) that powers our Muni trains. We have also installed the necessary infrastructure to upgrade existing electrical for the trains, current and future streetlights and light poles. We’ve now begun work on some of the above-ground improvements that ...

Making Special Events Possible By Michael Delia   Outdoor festivals like Sunday Streets Phoenix Day celebrate the spirit of San Francisco. Such special events rely on the cooperation of many city departments.  San Francisco is a city that loves its outdoor events. Whether it’s a cultural heritage or holiday festival, farmers market, street fair, dance party, road race or even just a neighborhood block party, what often gets overlooked is the intricate collaboration and planning across city departments to make these events a success.  Nick Chapman is one of the people behind the scenes at the SFMTA who helps make them a reality. For seven years, he has worked to manage the permitting process that’s required for any special event . As a native San Franciscan who knows many corners of the city, Chapman has an appreciation for the public’s requests and finds the work to be fascinating.  “Every project is a little different. Every event, every location is a new situ...