SFMTA Says Van Ness Will Be Ready “Early 2022”
After years of planning and construction, SFMTA gave an update yesterday saying that work on the Van Ness Improvement Project is progressing rapidly and the “end is in sight.”
Construction is projected to be finished by the end of this year, with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service running on Van Ness Avenue from Mission to Lombard beginning in early 2022.
The $309 million project has been in the works for almost 20 years.
In 2003, 75 percent of voters approved the sales tax to plan rapid transit service on Van Ness Avenue. In September 2013, the Board of Supervisors, acting as the San Francisco County Transportation Authority Commission, unanimously approved the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit Project, the core of the Van Ness Improvement Project.
Van Ness Avenue is one of the busiest north-south corridors in the city, serving over 16,000 Muni customers daily on the 47 Van Ness, 49 Mission/Van Ness and 90 San Bruno Owl bus routes as well as Golden Gate Transit customers.
New Red Lanes and Dedicated Bus Lanes Coming
Crews have been busy on Van Ness Avenue. You may have noticed them building new medians and sidewalks, paving the roadway and installing poles that provide lighting and power to the BRT system. Most recently they have installed the red lanes that will allow buses to move Muni and Golden Gate Transit riders quickly along the corridor, without getting stuck in traffic. To ensure durability and reduce fading, these red transit lanes are made from poured red concrete, as opposed to red paint or thermoplastic on top of concrete.
Hundreds of New Trees Being Planted
We are also planting hundreds of trees along Van Ness Boulevard as a part of the project, with more on the way. These trees replace those that were removed during construction at a ratio of more than 2-to-1. There are four species of trees being planted: Lemon-Scented Gum in the median and London Plane, Brisbane Box and Palm in sidewalk tree wells where similar species were planted previously. These species were selected for their suitability to the neighborhood and growing environment along a state highway.
