Muni Adding 10% More Bus Service in Early 2022
Over the past couple of months, SFMTA staff have been reaching out for feedback on three alternatives for adding 10% more bus service in early 2022. And we heard you! SFMTA needs to focus on restoring service to provide key connections for people with disabilities and seniors, and that’s what we plan to do. We also heard that there is demand for improving the frequency of high-ridership Muni lines to address crowding and wait times, which we’ll do with any additional funds.
While we plan for Muni service in early 2022, the city mandate that employees show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment will go into effect on November 1. We are proud that 82% of SFMTA employees are now fully vaccinated. But if hundreds of our employees are still unvaccinated as of November 1 and are put on leave or terminated, it will significantly impact Muni operations and parking control in San Francisco. This means unexpected gaps in Muni service and lower-than-scheduled frequencies.
While we work on contingency planning for this upcoming challenge, SFMTA staff are taking the feedback we heard about the three alternatives for Muni service additions in early 2022 and developing a proposal that takes into account San Francisco’s priorities for Muni service as well as the potential impacts the vaccine mandate could have on service over the next months. An early 2022 Muni Service Network proposal is expected in early November.
In our survey about expanding Muni service, we presented three alternatives. Each of these options would go into effect in early 2022.
What should Muni service be like in 2022?
Over the past months, we have shared three alternatives for how service could be increased. We received public input through dozens of meetings and popups, hundreds of phone calls and emails and thousands of survey responses.
Now our transit planners have used this input, paired with data that shows which lines are being used most and where ridership is highest, to develop a proposal for increasing Muni service in early 2022. We will also share details about how the survey results and other public feedback influenced the proposal.
There are some changes to Muni service that we expect to make in 2022 no matter what. In 2022 Muni will…
- Retain all-day service within two to three blocks of all Muni stops that had all-day service before the pandemic.
- Bring back the 28R 19th Avenue Rapid every 10 minutes.
- Extend the 43 Masonic .
- Bring back the 10 Townsend.
We continue to seek feedback on changes that have been made to Muni service since April 2020:
- Provide feedback on the shortened J Church route. You can also visit the J Church Transfer Improvements webpage for more information about changes at Church and Market streets to support the transfer experience for J Church riders
- Provide specific feedback on the following Muni routes where we made major modifications during the pandemic:
Please contact TellMuni@SFMTA.com or 415.646.2005 to provide specific feedback.
Staff used this input to refine the proposal for Muni service additions and modifications in early 2022. The SFMTA Board will use it to make a decision that reflects the values of San Francisco.
After we release our proposal for early 2022 Muni service additions and changes, we will seek public feedback and refine the proposal in the fall. Feedback may be provided by contacting TellMuni@SFMTA.com or 415.646.2005. The proposal for Muni service in early 2022 will be brought to the SFMTA Board for its consideration in December 2021.
Find out about the feedback we heard for 2022 Muni service
- Attend one of 2 virtual open houses
Formal presentation plus Q&AFree interpretation available. Please request 48 hours in advance at TellMuni@SFMTA.com or 415.646.2005.
- Have your questions answered by SFMTA staff at virtual office hours
- Thursday, October 21, 2021 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. **Youth-centered Office Hours**
Free interpretation available. Please request 48 hours in advance at TellMuni@SFMTA.com or 415.646.2005.
Youth-centered Office hours
Young people are encouraged to join our Virtual Office Hours with SFMTA staff on October 21 to find out how the proposal for Muni service would change how they get to school and to activities around San Francisco. Young people will be able to ask questions and get answers from SFMTA staff about what matters to them most about Muni service in 2022.
Why now?
The SFMTA initially reduced Muni service during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a Muni Core Service Network that would accommodate public health measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 and best serve essential workers and trips. Since April 2020, we have repeatedly increased service, restoring service that previously existed as well as adding service in busy corridors and creating new lines. These efforts focused on improvements in neighborhoods identified by the Muni Service Equity Strategy with higher numbers of low-income residents and people of color.
- We dramatically increased Muni service in busy corridors such as Mission and 16th Street, with buses running as often as every two minutes. We are now operating more Muni service along a number of corridors including the Mission and Potrero/San Bruno corridors than we did pre-pandemic.
- We introduced Muni’s new 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express bus route provides fast connections between local stops in the Bayview and major destinations along Third Street into the Financial District.
- We rerouted the 22 Fillmore to serve Mission Bay, including the UCSF campus, medical center and Chase Center. We worked with the community to determine stops for a new connection to the 16th Street corridor, replacing the 22 Fillmore on Potrero Hill and replacing the 55 16th Street with the new 55 Dogpatch.
- Muni’s new 58 Lake Merced replaced the 23 Monterey on Sloat Boulevard and the 57 Parkmerced on the west side of Lake Merced while providing new connections to the Westlake District in Daly City. The 23 Monterey now connects to West Portal Station.
At this time, seven all-day Muni bus routes have not been restored: 2 Clement, 3 Jackson, 6 Haight/Parnassus, 10 Townsend, 21 Hayes, 28R 19th Avenue Rapid, 47 Van Ness.
Why revisit the Muni network?
Muni connects communities in San Francisco. As the city recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the SFMTA is developing a proposal for how Muni service will be restored in 2022. Over the past several years, and throughout the pandemic, we have seen travel patterns and needs shift. When we add more service in early 2022, should we bring back the all-day Muni routes that have yet to be restored? Or should we increase service on high ridership Muni lines, improving reliability and connections to grocery stores, hospitals, schools and diverse workplaces while decreasing wait times and crowding, and not restore the seven all-day pre-pandemic bus routes that haven’t been yet?
To determine how best to use SFMTA resources, three scenarios were developed that would increase the level of Muni service in early 2022 at a level the SFMTA can sustain. In an alternative that doesn’t restore the seven remaining pre-pandemic Muni bus routes, we aim to make other Muni improvements that reduce wait times and crowding in the same general neighborhoods.
We will keep customers and the public updated about changes to Muni’s service over the next months. For information about plans for service in early 2022, please visit the 2022 Muni Service Network webpage.
