A Decade of Rolling out the Red Carpet for Riders

A Decade of Rolling out the Red Carpet for Riders
By Cassie Halls

An animated map showing the expansion of red transit lanes in San Francisco. View as a PDF. Accessible version of the expansion of red transit lanes:

Red Transit Lanes Over Time in San Francisco from 2013 to 2023 

There is nothing quite like looking out the window at gridlock traffic while your bus coasts down a red transit lane. This may feel like an “only in San Francisco” pleasure – after all, San Francisco was one of the first U.S. cities to “roll out the red carpet” by painting bus lanes red. But red transit lanes have now become a popular way to keep buses out of traffic in more than 25 cities across the country.

The SFMTA is celebrating a decade since the installation of San Francisco’s first red transit lane on Church Street on March 23, 2013. You can help us celebrate by riding that first red transit lane between Duboce and 16th Streets on Muni’s 22 Fillmore and J Church along with thousands of other weekday riders. As you whiz past traffic, you may feel the estimated 14% time savings afforded by the red color.

If you drive, help us celebrate by keeping transit lanes clear. Remember, double parking in transit lanes is camera enforced. Transit lanes are an essential tool to keep Muni moving on San Francisco’s busy streets.

Dedicated transit lanes started popping up in the city as early as the 1970s following the adoption of the city’s Transit-First Policy (which happens to be turning 50 this month). As of 2023, over 20 lane miles of transit lanes now also have the red treatment, in addition to 55 miles of transit and bus/HOV lanes without red paint.

J Church using red transit lanes and picking up passengers on a boarding island on Church at Market Street.

J Church train using red transit lanes on Church at Market Street.

Although often the most visible, transit lanes are one of more than 20 tools in our toolbox to improve transit reliability and reduce delays. With Muni Forward, we’ve built more than 80 miles of transit corridor reliability improvements to keep Muni moving — with upgrades like bus bulbs for faster boarding and traffic signals that stay green for transit.

As an early adopter of red transit lanes, the SFMTA helped lay the groundwork to change federal guidelines to make it easier to paint lanes red. This is because red colorization has led to a 55% improvement in motorist compliance and is a cost-effective way to reduce delays. We have to say they’re looking great for their age!

We know that despite our best efforts, Muni buses and trains are sometimes stuck in traffic and transit lanes are occasionally blocked. That is why we continue to innovate to bring improvements to our riders. Last year we colorized six miles of transit lanes in the Van Ness Improvement Project, Geary Boulevard Improvement Project, and along Mission Street in SoMa, 4th Street and Stockton Street. We also continue to install Muni Forward transit priority projects across the city and push for further compliance improvements through an education campaign for motorists. The SFMTA was also recently awarded a state grant to deploy new next-generation camera technology as a part of the transit lane enforcement program.

Stay tuned for more red transit lanes and other reliability improvements in the year ahead.

Published March 22, 2023 at 02:05AM
https://ift.tt/lvaPJp4

Comments

New top story from Time: ‘It’s a Catastrophe.’ Iranians Turn to Black Market for Vaccines as COVID-19 Deaths Hit New Highs

https://ift.tt/3AODY94 In January, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the sudden announcement that American and British-made COVID-19 vaccines would be “forbidden” as they were “completely untrustworthy.” Almost nine months later, Iran is facing its worst surge in the virus to date — a record number of deaths and infections per day with nearly 4.2 million COVID-19 patients across the country , and a healthcare system near collapse. “It’s a catastrophe; and there is nothing we can do,” said an anesthesiology resident in one of Tehran’s public hospitals who due to the current surge is tasked to oversee the ICU ward for COVID-19 patients. “We can’t treat them nor help them; so all I can ask people to do is to stay home and do whatever it takes to not get exposed.” The doctor requested anonymity in order to speak freely; others interviewed by TIME asked to be identified only by their first name. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The scale of the crisis is such ...

New top story from Time: Myanmar Security Forces Open Fire on Protesters, Killing Several and Marking Deadliest Day of Protests

https://ift.tt/3uFmav3 YANGON, Myanmar — Security forces in Myanmar opened fire and made mass arrests Sunday as they sought to break up protests against the military’s seizure of power, and a U.N. human rights official said it had “credible information” that 18 people were killed and 30 were wounded. That would be the highest single-day death toll among protesters who are demanding that the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi be restored to power after being ousted by a Feb. 1 coup. “Deaths reportedly occurred as a result of live ammunition fired into crowds in Yangon, Dawei, Mandalay, Myeik, Bago and Pokokku,” the U.N. Human Rights Office said in a statement referring to several cities, adding that the forces also used tear gas, flash-bang grenades and stun grenades. “We strongly condemn the escalating violence against protests in Myanmar and call on the military to immediately halt the use of force against peaceful protesters,” its spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani was...

New top story from Time: Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran Says His Stores Can Vaccinate More Americans. He Just Needs the Doses

https://ift.tt/2YsAwju (Miss this week’s Leadership Brief? This interview below was delivered to the inbox of Leadership Brief subscribers on Sunday morning, Jan. 31; to receive weekly emails of conversations with the world’s top CEOs and business decisionmakers, click here .) While President Joe Biden’s Cabinet and other senior-level appointments have generally received high marks for their overall competence and experience, there is one notable empty seat at the table. At a moment when the health of the nation, and the nation’s economy, is dependent on production and distribution issues , one can’t help but wish there were at least one private-sector business ninja in the Cabinet, ideally a person with manufacturing, logistics and supply-chain experience. Social media is atwitter with facetious calls for Amazon Prime to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine and take care of the problem in two days. My own half-facetious daydream is to put Walmart —which has 150 million people pass...

New top story from Time: ‘I Can Be Someone I Didn’t Have.’ Actor Simu Liu on Asian Representation and His Marvel Future

https://ift.tt/3ad9HoX A Chinese-Canadian actor as the face of a Marvel superhero franchise? That’s not the world Simu Liu grew up in. But that’s the world Liu is making this year. “ I can be someone I didn’t have as a kid ,” the actor tells TIME100 Talks He’s talking about the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings , the first Marvel Cinematic Universe movie starring a hero of Asian descent, due out in July. The Kim’s Convenience actor will play the titular character, Shang-Chi. And—as his comment suggests—it’s been a long time coming. “ I loved comics as a kid, I loved superheroes, but I really didn’t see myself represented in that space,” he says. “I really hope with this movie, kids who are like me, who grew up similarly, can have that. That’s really the power of representation: seeing yourself on screen and feeling like you’re a part of this world, which for Asian children who have grown up in the West hasn’t always been the case.” Liu’s leading-man s...

Celebrating LGBTQIA Diversity at the SFMTA

Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Diversity at the SFMTA By Enrique Aguilar Yves standing in front of a photo of his father at the SFMTA headquarters. This Pride Month, we are spotlighting some incredible people who work tirelessly behind the scenes at the SFMTA and are part of the agency's LGBTQIA+ community. Their dedication, passion and unique perspectives contribute to the success of our transportation system, making it a true reflection of the diverse customers we serve. Yves Michael C. Valdez is an HR Analyst for Employee and Labor Relations and is passionate about helping others. Outside of work, Yves is an avid gardener who has cultivated a collection of dwarf Japanese maples, succulents and orchids. Several key motivations led Yves to the SFMTA. He relied on public transit when he moved to San Francisco from the Philippines, and that left a lasting impression on him. The daily interactions and unique experiences of passengers, sometimes filled with drama, comedy and suspens...

Verdict in Babri mosque demolition case today; UP on high alert https://ift.tt/2SoefR3

A special court in Lucknow will deliver the much-awaited judgment on Wednesday in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case in which BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi are among the accused. CBI judge SK Yadav had on September 16 directed all the 32 surviving accused to remain present in the court on the day of the judgment. The accused include former deputy prime minister Advani, former Union ministers Joshi and Uma Bharti, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, besides Vinay Katiyar and Sadhvi Rithambara.

SFMTA Staffers Share their Favorite SF Bike Rides

SFMTA Staffers Share their Favorite SF Bike Rides By Eillie Anzilotti Happy Bike Month, San Francisco! To celebrate, we’re sharing some of SFMTA staffers’ favorite rides through the city. From protected bike lanes to quick-build projects to Slow Streets, the JFK Promenade, and the Great Highway, all of the routes roll through projects that the SFMTA has completed in the last several years to make biking through San Francisco easier, safer, and joyful. We hope you get some inspiration for your next ride--and share your favorite route with us! For easy trip planning, we’ve included each ride below on an interactive map . Jeffrey Tumlin, Director of Transportation: “I explore all of San Francisco by bike, but this is a standard trip: Starting from the Castro, I head up the Slow Street on Noe, where I like to admire the trees and people watch in Duboce Park. Then, I ride north on Scott to Fell Street along the Panhandle. When I reach the new JFK Promenade, it’s amazing how ...

Making Special Events Possible

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...

New top story from Time: Leaving Afghanistan Isn’t Enough to End America’s Forever Wars

https://ift.tt/3tMYNyC The Russian soldier, it was said, had suffered a concussion, then total memory loss. When he woke up in Kabul, in the waning days of the Soviet War in Afghanistan, he had trouble figuring out what was going on. As the journalist Artyom Borovik told the story, when his fellow soldiers tried to reorient him, he just kept asking the same question: “What are we doing in Afghanistan?” No one could give a definite answer. Even with America in charge, the answers to that question haven’t gotten much better since the 1980s. In 2001, we were conducting “comprehensive and relentless operations” to drive terrorists out of Afghanistan and bring them to justice. In 2009, we were surging 30,000 troops to “seize the initiative, while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.” In 2017, we were “ obliterating ISIS, crushing al-Qaeda, preventing the Taliban from taking over the country, and stopping mass ...

New top story from Time: Azerbaijan and Armenia Brush Off the Suggestion of Peace Talks

https://ift.tt/3cGqykK YEREVAN, Armenia — Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia brushed off the suggestion of peace talks Tuesday, accusing each other of obstructing negotiations over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, with dozens killed and injured in three days of heavy fighting. In the latest incident, Armenia said one of its warplanes was shot down by a fighter jet from Azerbaijan’s ally Turkey, killing the pilot, in what would be a major escalation of the violence. Both Turkey and Azerbaijan denied it. The international community is calling for talks to end the decades-old conflict between the two former Soviet republics in the Caucasus Mountains region following a flareup of violence this week. It centers on Nagorno-Karabakh, a region that lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian government since 1994 at the end of a separatist war. The U.N. Security Council called on Armenia and Azerbaijan Tuesd...

My precise view

Search This Blog