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The Twin Peaks Boulevard gates were closed early in the pandemic to reduce crowding at Christmas Tree Point lookout parking lot. Since then, Twin Peaks Park use has increased significantly among people walking, rolling, hiking, jogging and bicycling, with an average of over 800 visiting each weekday and over 1,100 on weekend days.
While the new park configuration received support, it also resulted in community concerns regarding accessibility for people with disabilities and negative neighborhood impacts. In an attempt to address concerns, local roadway access is now available via the Portola Drive south gate daily between 6:00 p.m. and midnight.
The SFMTA is working with the community and other city departments including Recreation and Parks, the Police Department and Public Works, on new ideas to ensure access that balances the needs on Twin Peaks.
SFMTA is seeking feedback on five alternative designs for Twin Peaks. Please explore the designs and provide input below with our survey. The survey will close November 3. Community feedback will be analyzed and final proposals shared with the community.
For more information on Twin Peaks please visit our Twin Peaks For All project page.
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This blog is co-authored by SFMTA Director of Transportation Jeffrey Tumlin and San Francisco Public Works Acting Director Alaric Degrafinried.
Less than a year after car-free Market Street closed the area to private vehicles to improve safety and transit performance and set the stage for construction of Better Market Street, city agencies involved in the project must adjust plans for the first phase of project construction from 5th to 8th streets.
Our plans for the project need to change not only because of the impact on the local economy and our department budgets due to COVID-19, but also because of the greater-than-anticipated success of car-free Market Street. When private vehicles were removed from Market Street, transit became up to 12% faster and the number of people biking increased by 25% – over 800 people per hour at peak. The original designs for a new sidewalk-level bikeway would not have enough capacity to keep up with the updated demand of people biking on Market Street.
The COVID-19 pandemic also required us to revise our plans because it is not only a health crisis but is also devastating the economy, including local businesses and the capital funds of all city agencies involved in this project. As local businesses work to recover, we need to minimize construction disruptions – especially on the sidewalks in front of their stores.
Given the economic challenges and changing demands we now face in San Francisco, our departments came together and made the tough decision to adjust the design for Better Market Street in order to move the project forward. As a city, we remain committed to working with our community partners and delivering the Better Market Street project to make this vital corridor safer, more resilient and more inviting for all.
The full project from Octavia Boulevard to Steuart Street was estimated to cost over $600M when the project was approved. By the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the city had secured only approximately $200M to plan, design and construct the full project. The funding gap was going to be a challenge even before the current financial crisis decimated our department budgets. By postponing major changes to the sidewalks and limiting certain infrastructure upgrades, we expect to save over$60M for Phase 1 between 5th and 8th streets alone.
Construction must start in early 2021 due to the requirements of a federal BUILD Grant providing key funding for building the project. These grant funds are needed now more than ever so we must proceed as quickly and thoughtfully as possible to get started.
The project goals remain to improve safety, transportation, accessibility, infrastructure and revitalize Market as the city’s preeminent civic space and ceremonial street. The first phase of construction between 5th and 8th streets is focused on four key components:
The original sidewalk-level bikeway design is too expensive and won’t have enough capacity. It was designed to accommodate 2015 levels of people biking – half the people biking in 2020 pre-COVID, let alone the increases we expect to see in the future. As in our original plans, we remain committed to reducing conflicts between Muni and people on bikes.
Our new plan is to move all Muni buses to the center lane, reserving the curb lane for bikes to share with paratransit, taxis and commercial vehicles (note: Uber/Lyft are considered private vehicles and are not allowed on Market Street). By removing curbside transit stops we will also eliminate conflicts between buses and people on bikes.
The curb lane will have updated bike priority markings on the pavement, speed tables to discourage speeding and a raised buffer between lanes to discourage vehicles from changing lanes. Loading restrictions in the morning and evening peak commute hours continue to limit delivery vehicles and conflicts during the busiest times on Market Street.
Graphic: The first phase of Better Market Street includes a bike-priority curb lane and center Muni-only lane. San Francisco Public Works
All Muni routes on Market Street between 5th and 8th streets will shift to the center in a Muni-only lane – taxis and other buses are not allowed. To reduce crowding for customers waiting, we plan to build new boarding islands that are twice as big as the current islands. The new islands at UN Plaza and at 6th Street will have new shelters with seating, be fully accessible, and include wheelchair ramps for F-line service.
New wider sidewalk curb ramps at intersections and across from boarding islands will also make the sidewalk more accessible.
Graphic: Accessible center boarding island at UN Plaza. San Francisco Public Works
Better Market Street will replace the worn-down rails, BART grates in the street, and traffic signals, and fully repave the road. The project team plans to replace some water and sewer pipes that have reached end of life and reline others to extend their life. Lastly, some transit infrastructure is worn out and in need of replacing, including the traction power systems that provide electricity to vehicles, overhead lines and switches.
Plans for Better Market Street also still include construction of the F-Loop, which will improve Muni service with new rail along McAllister Street and Charles J. Brenham Place allowing the F Market & Wharves streetcars to return to the waterfront for faster service without limiting access to the Castro.
By not widening the sidewalk, replacing light and overhead cable system poles and other utilities, or the red brick, we can significantly reduce immediate costs as well as disruptions to businesses along the street. We plan to revisit this segment between 5th and 8th streets further down the line when conditions improve and work with building developers to make sidewalk upgrades part of their work.
We recognize that these are big changes. We are actively meeting with project stakeholders and city partners. We will hold a virtual open house from November 2 – 13 that will be available online for the public to visit. We will also hold virtual public meetings on November 4th at noon and November 9th at 4:30pm to share project details and hear feedback. For details please visit the Better Market Street project website.
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As part of the 19th Avenue Combined City Project, the SFMTA will implement transit priority and safety improvements for people walking along the route of the 28 19th Avenue. The improvements will make it safer to walk, remove stops to make transit service more reliable, and enhance customers’ experiences—on and off the bus.
As part of the project, seven Muni stops were removed between Irving Street and Ocean Avenue on the 28 19th Avenue bus line to improve transit reliability. Removing closely spaced stops will help to reduce delays for the 28 19th Avenue line while preserving bus stops within a block of each removal to minimize impacts to people with limited mobility. Please visit our website for more details about these stop changes, which took effect on October 17.
The project includes transit bulbs that allow Muni vehicles to stop for passengers without having to pull out of traffic. It will also widen the sidewalk at corners by installing pedestrian bulbs along 19th Avenue and modify traffic and pedestrian signals to give people who walk more time to cross the street.
The SFMTA Board approved the project, including these stop changes, after community engagement and feedback in 2015.
Diagram of 28th the 19th Avenue Rapid Project improvements (note: stop removal on 19th at Irving is still under review)
The transit improvements are just one part of the combined project that will also include water main and sewer replacement and rehabilitation and Auxiliary Water Supply Service for emergency fire fighting. This project will be followed by Caltrans repaving of 19th Avenue from Holloway Avenue to Lincoln Way.
San Francisco Public Works will lead construction, beginning in Fall 2020 and be completed in 2023. Project work will be completed in four segments to minimize construction impacts during its 27-month duration. The first construction segment from Lincoln Way to Noriega Street on 19th Avenue is anticipated to begin in November.
In preparation for stop changes this month, project staff has mailed over 10,000 postcards to residents near the project area, posted multilingual signs at every intersection, and briefed district supervisors for District Three, Four and Seven. Transit Information Program (TIP) staff along 19th Avenue were present during the first six days of these stop changes taking effect to help customers find alternative stops, provide project information and answer questions.
TIP staff helping 28 19th Avenue customers find alternative stops
Find additional information about the transit reliability and pedestrian safety components of the project at SFMTA.com/28Rapid. For the overall project information, please visit sfpublicworks.org/19th-Avenue.
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More than 1,800 individual operators and counting are making the Shared Spaces Program a successful part of San Francisco’s economic recovery. Permits originally set to expire at the end of December may now be extended through June 30 and new applications are welcome. Mayor Breed has called for this extension as well as for exploring ways to make the program permanent.
Shared Spaces allow merchants to use sidewalks, full or partial streets, and other nearby outdoor spaces like parks, parking lots and plazas for restaurant pick-up and other neighborhood retail activities allowed under San Francisco’s Public Health Orders. The program is a multiagency collaboration born out of the city’s Economic Recovery Task Force.
White Cap’s Shared Space in the Outer Sunset.
The process for renewing permits to June 30, 2021 depends on the type of Shared Space. Merchants may use the following guide to understand how to renew a permit:
During these difficult times, the city is working to help small businesses. If you are a business owner or operator, please take the short survey below to help evaluate the Shared Spaces Program. Please fill out a separate survey for each business that you operate.
Survey: ENGLISH / ESPANOL / ä¸æ–‡ / PILIPINO / TIẾNG VIỆT
The Castro area on 18th Street is open for people each Sunday. Check out our website for a full list of Shared Space street closures.
To learn more about the program, track applications or apply, please visit our website or email SharedSpaces@sfgov.org
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SFMTA staff were honored for their work to keep the city moving during the San Francisco Transit Riders’ Rider First Awards last Friday. The nonprofit organization that aims to better transit in San Francisco gave awards to several members of the SFMTA’s hard-working staff who put Muni customers first.
“It's as important as ever that we come together to show our appreciation for all those people working hard to make Muni better every day for riders, despite all the challenges,” the San Francisco Transit Riders said of the awards.
The San Francisco Transit Riders present awards to Perry Poole, Johnny Siu, Celso Abueg at West Portal Station.
The Transit Riders presented awards to:
Myra Phillips and the Car Cleaner team for developing and instituting new cleaning protocols and systems in a quick and effective response to the pandemic,
Dickson Yee and the Personal Protective Equipment team for tireless work making sure our Muni operators and staff have personal protective equipment,
Cable car operators Perry Poole, Johnny Siu, Celso Abueg and Sam Eversly for stepping up in a new role as ambassadors and using their customer service skills out to the streets to help direct people during all the service changes,
Public Information Officer Enrique Aguilar for visual communications that helped the public understand service changes and the importance of transit lanes,
Jason Lee for ushering the biggest improvement in customer information in two decades through design and the SFMTA Board serving as the Program Manager for the Next Generation Customer Information System,
Felix Castillo for being a voice for his fellow Muni Operators during the pandemic,
Shaun Reeves, a Muni Operator, who helped transport homeless San Franciscans under investigation for COVID-19 infection in the early days of the shelter-in-place.
You can watch the SF Transit Riders’ Rider First Awards ceremony here. “This year has shown once again that Muni is the critical transportation link for our essential workforce. People who are riding Muni throughout this crisis are the critical workers doing the essential tasks we depend on during these difficult times,” the organization said. “They're also the people who depend on Muni to access services We have always known #TransitIsEssential.”
The SFMTA congratulates the staff who won awards for their dedication to our customers.
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