SF MUNI: San Francisco Municipal Railway

[Animo]

The San Francisco Municipal Railway (SF Muni or Muni) is the public transit system for the city and county of San Francisco, California. In 2006, it served 46.7 square miles (121 km2) with an operating budget of about $700 million.[4] In ridership Muni is the seventh largest transit system in the United States, with 210,848,310 rides in 2006[5] and the second largest in California behind Metro in Los Angeles. With a fleet average of 7-8.1 mph, it is also the slowest major transit system in America.[6]

Muni is an integral part of public transit in the city of San Francisco, operating 365 days a year and connecting with regional transportation services, such as Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), SamTrans, and AC Transit. Its network consists of 54 bus lines, 17 trolley bus lines, 7 light rail lines that operate above ground and in the City's lone subway tube (called Muni Metro), 3 cable car lines, and a heritage streetcar line known as the F Market & Wharves. Many weekday riders are commuters, as the daytime weekday population in San Francisco exceeds its normal residential population. Muni shares four metro stations with BART, which can lead to confusion amongst visitors. Travelers can connect to San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport via BART.

Muni routes operate on a schedule, and the frequency of service varies at various times of day. Trip planning has been made easier by the implementation of GPS monitoring for most routes through NextBus, allowing for easier predictions of arrival times. Several routes operate 24 hours a day.

[Animo]

Muni planning to ramp up 8 routes



Muni plans to significantly speed up eight of its most heavily used lines as part of a long-delayed service improvement plan.

Through a combination of traffic-signal upgrades, stop consolidations, lane modifications and parking restrictions, Muni has projected travel times on the eight lines could be reduced by up to 28 percent. Routes include the N-Judah, 14-Mission, 30-Stockton and 5-Fulton.

[Cal_Escapee]

Muni's busiest routes:


Source: http://www.sfcityscape.com/

Red = Light rail
Yellow = Trolley (historic streetcar)
Thick blue = BART rail
Thin blue = Bus

Muni Cable Cars

Source: http://www.sfcablecar.com/routes.html

[Cal_Escapee]

Source: http://www.sfcityscape.com/

[Cal_Escapee]

Cable Cars of the California Street Line

Source: http://www.sfcityscape.com/

[Cal_Escapee]

Muni fares still cheap compared to other U.S. systems
By: Will Reisman | 03/27/12 6:43 PM
SF Examiner Staff Writer

The cost of a monthly Muni pass with BART access inside The City is once again poised to increase, but frustrated riders can take solace: Public transit in San Francisco is still much cheaper than other major U.S. cities.

Next year, that Muni pass is expected to cost $76, marking nearly a 70 percent increase since 2009. At its current $72 rate, the pass costs less than all but one of 10 U.S. cities with comparable transit service. And without BART access, it’s $62 -- a deal only bested by Boston’s $59 rate.

New York City’s monthly pass costs $104, Chicago’s is $86 and in Philadelphia it ranges from $83 to $191.

Muni’s proposed monthly fare increases -- $2 hikes are slated for the next two Julys -- would generate about $3.5 million annually for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which is facing a two-year shortfall of $53.2 million.

Gabe Metcalf, executive director of the local think tank San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, said there is room for Muni’s monthly pass to go up, especially when comparing the cost with the SFMTA’s peers. But he said the single-trip cash fare, $2, has likely reached its peak . . . .

At about 22 percent, Muni’s fare-recovery ratio is much lower than agencies in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., according to the Federal Transit Administration . . . .

79 percent of U.S. transit agencies increased fares or reduced service in 2011.

Source: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/tran...her-us-systems

[Cal_Escapee]

I was leaving SF State to head home. I saw the train at 19th and Holloway picking up passengers. My light to cross 19th was about to change, so I decided to run for the train.

You know that really lame thing that happens, where sometimes when you’re walking and your ankle randomly buckles under the weight of your body? Yeah, that happened to me. While I was running as fast as I could. Across 19th Avenue.

I bit it hard. Bit it for all the students and people in cars to see. And the Muni operator had the best view.

I got up and hobbled my way up the platform, jeans torn, one ankle out of commission. And, big shock, the Muni operator took off without me.

It was that day that I decided never to run for another bus, streetcar, or LRV ever again . . . .

More and "Do You Run For Muni?" Poll @ http://www.munidiaries.com/2012/03/2...u-run-for-muni

[Cal_Escapee]

San Francisco Central Subway station bids sought
By: Will Reisman | 04/18/12 7:43 PM
SF Examiner Staff Writer

The next phase of The City’s $1.6 billion Central Subway project is set to begin.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is now taking bids for a $210 million project to build the Union Square station, a depot that will be a key connecting point for passengers.

Construction companies have until July 11 to submit a bid, with a decision on the winner coming soon after. Work is expected to begin in 2013 and be completed by 2017 . . . .

The SFMTA’s board of directors approved a $233 million pact last year for tunneling work, and bids for the $235 million construction contract for the Chinatown station are due May 8 . . . .

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/tran...on-bids-sought

[Cal_Escapee]

Extension of F-Line Streetcar Service to Fort Mason Center
Golden Gate National Recreation Area » Extension of F-Line Streetcar Service to Fort Mason Center » Document List

February 17, 2012: The National Park Service (NPS) is pleased to announce the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for the Extension of F-Line Streetcar Service to Fort Mason Center. The project would lengthen the historic streetcar F-line from Fisherman's Wharf to the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (SF Maritime NHP) and on to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), ending at the Fort Mason Center . . . .

Preferred Alternative:
The Preferred Alternative would extend the existing F-Line from Fisherman's Wharf to Fort Mason Center. The track extension would include a street-running segment along Beach Street, a transition zone between the street-running segment and the Fort Mason Tunnel, a tunnel segment and a turnaround segment with two options for locations, Alternative 2A: North Loop (Fort Mason parking lot) and 2B: South Loop (Great Meadow). Project elements would include the construction of streetcar track for approximately 0.85 miles, construction of 8-9 station platforms, upgrades to the existing Fort Mason Tunnel, and installation of signals, crossings, wires and poles.

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectH...rojectId=15547


http://www.socketsite.com/archives/2...the_fline.html

[Cal_Escapee]

the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit line, a plan to bring a subway-like service to the one of the city’s busiest streets. The MTA Board of Directors approved the plan to run down the center of the street, between Mission and Lombard streets, staggering stations on opposite sides of most cross streets to preserve trees installed as part of a recent landscaping effort.

Bus Rapid Transit lines run in dedicated lanes using low-floor buses and stop at small stations with boarding platforms and ticket machines. Proponents say they’re a relatively inexpensive way to provide rapid transit service without building a pricey rail line.

“We can’t tunnel through everything,” said MTA director Malcolm Heinicke. “This is the closest thing we can get to an above-ground subway.”

The rapid bus line is expected to cost $125 million to $130 million with about $80 million expected to come from a federal program, another $20 million from the Prop. K transportation sales tax and the rest from state and regional funds. According to the MTA, they still need to come up with another $15-$20 million.

Of course, they’ll have some time to round up the needed cash. Environmental studies and design are still in progress, and construction isn’t scheduled to start until spring of 2015. It’s expected to take about a year.

Source: http://blog.sfgate.com/cityinsider/2...ice-is-coming/

[Cal_Escapee]

Muni Central Subway Stations

[Cal_Escapee]

Another day on Muni (as filmed from the line to buy some over-priced sneakers):

[The-E-Vid]

MUNI sucks! ...ok No..LOL the routes and coverage in the city are good..but they have serious problems keeping the system on time with the schedule

[Cal_Escapee]

True Muni experience--today:

I get on the bus. Driver has a paper plate of food in left hand, driving with right hand. I sit down behind him but when seat with more room opens up across the aisle I move there--with good sight line to driver who glares at me. I say to him, "What?" He says, "You saw me eating." I say, "I saw you eating when I got on." We both laugh.

[Cal_Escapee]

SFMTA Gets $21 Million Grant For New Muni Buses
by Bay City News
July 24, 2012 1:53 AM

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency plans to upgrade its aging bus fleet with the help of more than $21 million in federal grants, city officials announced Monday.

The grants, awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration, will be distributed to 255 projects around the country, including others in the Bay Area.
. . . new 40-foot buses will replace 18 20-year-old buses, reducing toxic emissions from the vehicles, according to agency officials. The first of the new buses is expected to arrive in early 2013 . . . .

BART is receiving nearly $3.2 million to install more signage with real-time bus and rail arrival times at some of its intermodal stations, while AC Transit is receiving $7.5 million to purchase new fareboxes . . . .

http://sfappeal.com/news/2012/07/sfm...muni-buses.php

[bayviews]

Originally Posted by Cal_Escapee

More and "Do You Run For Muni?" Poll @ http://www.munidiaries.com/2012/03/2...u-run-for-muni

You'd think that MUNI would have much more frequent service to serve a campus as large as SF State University. Yet the M light rail service to the southern end of the city is very poor & unreliable.

[nigel20]

Nice thread!

[612bv3]

Source: http://transit.511.org/

[fieldsofdreams]

Did you know that I have a dedicated photo collection of all things Muni, plus a comprehensive site that focuses on it too? Well, here's what I have:

Muni photos (caution: this is in Beta mode; if link doesn't work, use alternate link below)
http://s78.beta.photobucket.com/user...ancisco%20Muni

Alternate link:
http://photobucket.com/anthonynachor (search on Library: SF Transport > San Francisco Muni) -- also of note: Muni pics are also on my main gallery page too... have a look!

Muni profiles: (includes buses, cable car, and Muni Metro; streetcar page under development)
http://www.anthonynachor.com/san-francisco-muni.html

[612bv3]

Source: http://www.sfgate.com

Transit strategy bodes well for '13 Cup
Michael Cabanatuan
Updated 9:24 a.m., Monday, October 8, 2012

The buses were crowded and the streets were full of revelers, but gridlock did not suffocate San Francisco on a frenzied weekend of big crowds at events spread across the city.

Muni managed to haul hundreds of thousands of extra passengers, and while some buses and streetcars were packed full or moved slowly, the transit agency's strategy of flooding key lines with extra service seemed to work.

The mostly smooth operation was seen as a good sign leading into next year's America's Cup races, which some have estimated will bring 3 million spectators to the city.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/articl...#ixzz28k3ntBpZ