From filling sandbags to having water pumps and backup generators ready to go for El Niño, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is preparing for a very wet and rainy winter season, which may include flooding on city streets and in the Muni Metro subway.
Last Friday, the Voice, along with several other media outlets, toured a SFMTA maintenance facility located in Dogpatch. This facility contains high-powered water pumps and backup generators, and track crews were busy filling dozens of sandbags. John Becker, the acting chief infrastructure officer for SFMTA, said preparing for El Niño is an “agency-wide effort” that involves many different elements.
Becker said the agency will be looking at keeping its Muni buses and light rail vehicles well maintained, planning for which parts of the transit system could be affected by the weather, and how it will cover costs impacted by El Niño.
From the infrastructure perspective, the SFMTA will examine its maintenance facilities to ensure “we’re protecting the assets that we have, but two that we also are capable of [are] deploying troops and maintaining a good, even, well-measured response to situations as they arise.”
One of the transportation agency’s highest priorities is maintaining subway service for riders, especially at shared stations with BART.
“It’s a huge regional impact that could have if we see any station issues,” Becker said. One of the biggest worries is the Ferry Portal, near the Embarcadero waterfront and leading to Muni’s Embarcadero station. Becker added that there could be “nuisance flooding” at subway stations, such as Church, Castro, and Van Ness.
“We’re looking at making sure that we can maintain the subway, that we have a subway that is functional, and as soon as the water does recede in the event of high tides and heavy rain, that we’re able to pump that water out,” Becker said.
The Embarcadero pathway has experienced flooding in recent weeks due to high tides. Becker noted that this flooding is a sign of what to expect this winter.
He added that the SFMTA is working with the port, which plans to put up temporary barricades around Rincon Park to keep water from intruding on the ferry portal. Last week at a Board of Supervisors committee hearing on the citywide effort preparing for El Niño, the port shared the type of barricades and walls it procured to prevent flooding. The SFMTA will also be ready to deploy its own barricades if needed.
If weather affects light rail service, the SFMTA said at the hearing that it will use bus shuttles as a substitute.
Becker said Muni bus service is more flexible in that buses can get around affected areas of the city.
As for who pays for the supplies and equipment needed, Becker said the transportation agency will look to see what type of funding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will offer. Mayor Daniel Lurie has declared a local emergency that will allow city departments to secure supplies and equipment more quickly. Gov. Gavin Newsom has also declared a state of emergency in preparation for El Niño.
Becker’s message to Muni riders is to stay informed about the weather conditions and changes to Muni service. The public can sign up for email and text alerts on the SFMTA’s website.
“There may be some inconveniences, but we really want people to stay informed on what’s going on,” he said.
