Muni’s Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit Finally Opens April 1
The new Van Ness Avenue is here. The grand opening of Muni’s brand new Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit will be held on April 1, 2022.
Major upgrades have been made on Van Ness Avenue and Muni is excited to introduce you to its eye-catching red lanes, new landscaping and other improvements to Van Ness Avenue.
This massive civic improvement project has not only brought San Francisco its first Bus Rapid Transit system, a much-needed and globally-proven solution to improve transit service and address traffic congestion on Van Ness Avenue, but also some much-needed work underground. Project improvements include bus-only lanes, rapid bus service, signal prioritization for buses, and a suite of safety improvements such as sidewalk extensions, high-visibility crosswalks, audible countdown signals, and more.
The Van Ness Improvement Project brings a major overhaul to Van Ness Avenue, including physically-separated center-running transit lanes that speed up Muni and Golden Gate Transit buses, as well as extensive utility maintenance, civic improvements and safety improvements. The Bus Rapid Transit corridor on Van Ness Avenue, part of Muni’s Rapid Network, prioritizes frequency and reliability to improve Muni service across San Francisco.
Bus Rapid Transit on Van Ness will be a part of Muni’s Rapid Network, prioritizing frequency and reliability for customers. The planned improvements are expected to cut travel times for Golden Gate Transit and the 47, 49 and 90 Muni routes by 32 percent.
Some features of Bus Rapid Transit on Van Ness will include:
- Dedicated transit-only lanes that are physically separated from the other traffic lanes, for use by Muni and Golden Gate Transit buses only.
- Enhanced traffic signals optimized for north-south travel with Transit Signal Priority, which gives buses the green light as they approach an intersection.
- Low-floor vehicles and all-door boarding, which will make it quicker and easier for passengers to load and unload at each stop.
- Safety enhancements for people walking like sidewalk extensions, median refuges, high visibility crosswalks and audible countdown signals.
- Fully furnished boarding platforms that include shelters, seating and NextMuni prediction displays located at key transfer points.
The new Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit corridor will feature nine northbound and nine southbound boarding islands along the red, center-running transit-only lanes. These locations for station platforms are key transfer points in Muni’s Rapid Network.
Ribbon-Cutting and Celebration
Friday, April 1, 2022
9:15 am: Ceremony, followed by community celebration and rides on the new Van Ness BRT Corridor
Outside of the San Francisco War Memorial
RSVPStick around after the ceremony for a special post-ceremony celebration featuring performances by local community groups
Lighting Sculpture Ceremony
Thursday, March 31, 2022
7:30 pm: Ceremony, streamed live on Instagram and TwitterPlease also join us for a special online ceremony as we illuminate the new lighting sculpture on Van Ness Avenue boarding platforms between Geary and O’Farrell streets.
Read more at Van Ness Improvement Project.
