San Francisco transportation officials are making changes to Muni service at the end of this month and the beginning of September, including restoring two morning rush-hour trips to downtown.
Jessica Garcia, the transit service planning manager at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, said last week at the SFMTA’s board meeting that the agency will restore two morning trips on the 1X-California Express route that takes passengers from the Richmond District to downtown. The agency will restore the 7:15 a.m. and the 7:45 a.m. trips that were originally cut in February as part of a cost-saving measure.
Garcia said the agency received feedback from passengers to restore the two morning trips, adding that the return of these trips will help alleviate crowding on the local 1-California route during the morning rush hour.
Additionally, the SFMTA will add an extra trip on the 30X-Marina Express at 8:15 a.m. as requested by passengers who wanted a later trip to downtown, Garcia said. The other two trips are at 7:15 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. The agency brought back the 30X in February.
On the 49-Van Ness/Mission, Garcia said the agency will increase the weekday frequency service in the inbound direction from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. due to what she described as “extreme crowding” during that hour of service.
The SFMTA is also adjusting weekday schedules on the 8-Bayshore and 29-Sunset during the afternoon to reduce pass-ups of students who rely heavily on the two routes, she said.
The express and weekday service changes will take place on Sept 2. Weekend service changes will take place on Aug. 30.
“With this change, we’re really trying to use some new service efficiency strategies to add service while staying cost-neutral and adding that service to address weekday crowding and reliability on routes heavily used by students, Garcia told directors, “and then also the opportunity to expand express service to support the downtown.”
The SFMTA is adding a new stop on the 6-Hayes/Parnassus in both directions at Oak Street and Masonic Avenue in response to passenger feedback on stop spacing, Garcia said. The 56-Rutland bus stop at Executive Park and Alana Way to better serve the Executive Park office building.
It’s the last of three Muni service changes that will be made this year by the agency. Earlier in February, the agency cut some services but is restoring some trips as part of the upcoming September changes. In June, the SFMTA further cut service to the downtown area to close a $50 million budget gap.