Board approves 12% San Francisco Muni service increase

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) board of directors unanimously approved a 12% increase in Muni service and route changes as part of the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP).

Through a significant community input gathering phase, the SFMTA was able to modify and improve several of the proposed network changes.

Along with the forthcoming capital investments, the proposed route and service changes will allow San Francisco to recalibrate the Muni network to meet existing customer demand as well as adapt to emerging travel patterns.

The TEP is expected to reduce travel times on rapid corridors by up to 20%, restructure the network and increase service up to 12%, and increase service between neighborhoods. A portion of the approved service increases, 10%, are being considered as part of the budget for the next two fiscal years.

The projects planned for in the TEP also include pedestrian and streetscape improvements, which support the agency’s Vision Zero objectives.

The board approved the full set of proposals presented, many of which were revised based on public input. Some proposed route changes were removed from today’s plan either because additional outreach is needed or because the proposals are not going forward.

The SFMTA budget for Fiscal Year 2014-15 and Fiscal Year 2015-16 will consider funding for a 10% service increase at a total two-year cost of $44.7 million. The 10% service increase would be phased in over the next two years. The remaining 2% of the increases approved will be considered in the following two-year budget cycle.

The full TEP plan for comprehensive transportation capital investments, also approved, will require new and stable funding. To this end, a $500 million General Obligation Bond is being proposed as one of three transportation funding measures for the November ballot. If approved by voters, the General Obligation Bond will be partially leveraged to improve the speed and reliability of Muni for riders by investing in the TEP without raising the City tax rate.