Whether you’re telecommuting, teaching or learning online, or staying home and riding Muni for essential trips only - do it in style with these Muni virtual backgrounds. Download, save and use them for any of your preferred video chatting platforms. For the latest COVID-19 related transit updates please visit SFMTA.com/COVID-19.
If you’re taking Muni for essential trips along Market Street you might see SFMTA’s yellow-vested Ambassadors wearing face masks or coverings and directing customers to maintain safe physical distance at curbside bus stops and boarding islands. What you can’t see are their smiles behind their masks as they work throughout the day to help San Francisco “flatten the curve.”
COVID-19 Ambassadors at a bus stop on Market Street.
Last week, the SFMTA launched our COVID-19 Ambassador Program. Although overall ridership is down, during peak times in certain areas we sometimes still see crowding at bus stops and on buses. If a bus is too crowded, our operators will stop picking up new passengers until there is enough room for more. We know that this and other changes are tough on everyone.
That’s where our Ambassadors come in. Their aim is to encourage customers to practice good public health behavior throughout the entire Muni experience – waiting, boarding, riding – as well as informing customers about alternatives to Muni like our new ETC discount taxi program for older adults and people with disabilities. They also have information on the temporarily modified routes or can explain why a bus may have just passed up riders.
In some places, we added markings on the ground at bus stops to signal where the customers can wait at an appropriate physical distance from one another, just like those at many area supermarkets and other essential businesses.
Signage and ground markings at Muni stops encourage physical distancing.
Graphic showing physical distancing at Muni stops
To encourage customers to give each other space on and off Muni, when buses arrive about half full or more, Ambassadors may ask customers to wait for the next bus. And, once a bus arrives the Ambassadors remind waiting customers to give space to those offloading, explain that customers are required to wear a cloth face covering or mask, and ask customers to maintain physical distance inside the bus throughout their ride.
Example of physical distancing on Muni buses: Wear a mask or face covering and give space for fellow riders.
We have also launched new onboard announcements and two social media campaigns encouraging customers to #stayhome and use Muni for #essentialtripsonly. New signs inside Muni buses and ads on the outside of buses are coming soon to remind customers to give space and wear face coverings or masks.
Now that wearing face coverings is a citywide order, customers are required to wear these when riding Muni. Operators may skip stops if those waiting don’t have face coverings. Operators have been instructed that they may also skip stops if the bus is already more than half full to maintain appropriate physical distancing on board.
Though ridership has decreased dramatically thanks to people staying home in observance of the shelter-in-place, Muni continues to serve approximately 100,000 customers daily. These customers are largely hospital workers, social service providers, grocery store workers and other essential workers. Any time you take another mode of transportation, you save a seat for those who rely on Muni. If you need to ride, be sure to wave hello to our Ambassadors.
Muni Ambassador looks on as customer wearing a mask waits to board through the back after taking an essential trip for groceries.
This is the fourth in a series of blogs exploring the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA’s) budget process and proposal for Fiscal Years 2021-2022. The first blog provided a high-level overview of the budget process, the second discussed our projected revenue and expenditures and how they inform budget development, and the third presented a deep-dive into our policy objectives and funding priorities. This post will discuss on overview of the outreach process for the Fiscal Years 2021-2022 Consolidated Budget. Please stay tuned for future posts in this series.
The SFMTA’s work impacts the lives of everyone that sets foot in San Francisco, connecting individuals to work, school, healthcare, and other essential services by foot, wheelchair, bike, paratransit, and public transit. Our policies, services, and projects affect the lives of workers, residents, and visitors throughout the city. The Consolidated Budget reflects our values and lays out the path the SFMTA will take towards fulfilling its mission to connect San Francisco through a safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation system. Engaging the public and incorporating their perspectives in the Budget, and all of our work, is necessary to fulfill this mission.
The development of the proposed FY 2021-22 Consolidated Budget included a public outreach and engagement process. We designed the outreach and engagement process to ensure that SFMTA’s stakeholders are fully informed and their feedback is carefully considered as the agency develops the Budget. The public outreach and engagement plan included meetings with elected officials, neighborhood groups, community organizations, citizens’ advisory councils, and partner agencies. A list of organizations that we met with is presented at the end of this blog.
The Consolidated Budget outreach planning and implementation began in January and ends April 21st when the SFMTA Board is presented with the final budget. It’s important to note that SFMTA staff learns about community needs in the years between budget cycles through surveys, SFMTA committees, advocacy and community groups, and project-specific outreach. These learnings informed budget proposals and decisions. Below are the highlights of the outreach schedule:
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Activities/Tasks |
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1/28/2020 |
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Feb/Mar 2020 |
Reached out to and met with District stakeholders and Supervisors. |
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2/12/2020 |
Posting of notices in SFMTA vehicles |
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2/14/2020 |
Posting of Facebook events and related advertisements |
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2/18/2020 |
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Feb/Mar 2020 |
Publication of advertisements in citywide and neighborhood newspapers |
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3/3/2020 |
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3/17/2020 |
SFMTA Board of Directors Presentation – Updated Consolidated Budget |
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4/2/2020 |
Online Conversation with Jeff Tumlin, SFMTA Director of Transportation |
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4/7/2020 |
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4/21/2020 |
SFMTA Board of Directors Presentation and Vote on the Consolidated Budget |
In January 2020, SFMTA staff hosted an all-day budget workshop for the SFMTA Board of Directors which outlined the budget landscape and proposed a roadmap to achieving a balanced and sustainable budget. At the budget workshop staff presented possible funding priorities (i.e. additional Transit Operators, ect.), and policy objectives (i.e. fare policy, ect.). This workshop was also the first opportunity for public comment on budget proposals.
Following the workshop, the Agency launched a series of public workshops and online discussions to share proposed budget decisions and gather valuable feedback to further refine the budget. We emailed 1,024 community stakeholders in each district to offer the opportunity to meet with SFMTA staff and ask questions or offer feedback on the balanced budget proposals presented at the Board of Directors workshop. We met with every group that responded, and a complete list of participating community partners can be found at the end of this blog.
As the community engagement process continued to shape the budget, COVID-19 emerged as a serious threat to public health and major disruption to the way of life in San Francisco. The financial impacts of the first weeks of the public health emergency drastically reshaped the Agency’s understanding of and projections for the budget.
Despite the challenges created by COVID-19, we were committed to continuing our dialogue with the public. The SFMTA moved the series of planned public meetings and workshops to a virtual space. Members of the public could participate in live conversations via social media accounts (twitter, Facebook, YouTube), via email, and via telephone. Recordings of both the Virtual Budget Open House (3/19) and the Online Conversation with SFMTA Director of Transportation (4/2) are available on the SFMTA YouTube page.
During our outreach and engagement process, we received hundreds of postcards, voicemail messages, emails, and mentions on our social media accounts with valuable feedback on our consolidated budget proposal. The issues that we heard the most about included fare policy (28.2%), advocating against increasing towing and fees (18.2%), support for more Muni service (15.9%), support for extended meters (15.6%), and support for taxis (3.6%); see pie chart below. The Agency put together a FAQ to answer many of the questions that we heard most throughout the outreach process.
Accessible text version of graphic #1
This feedback informed several key decisions in the proposed budget including addressing equity concerns related to the fare proposal and the tow fees, providing support for the taxi industry, proposing extending parking meter hours, allocating funds to Vision Zero projects in the Tenderloin, increasing fines on safety violations such as parking in a bike lane, etc.. Stakeholder input and discussion informed many of the final Consolidated Budget decisions.
The table below provides a short summary of how the Agency addressed community feedback. More detailed feedback and also be found in the FAQ.
Accessible text for graphic #2
We at the SFMTA want to thank you all for your invaluable input. You truly helped to shape the budget we will bring to our Board of Directors on April 21st. The Agency recognizes that we must work to continuously improve our outreach process. We will assess the success of the budget outreach process and welcome your feedback, which you can submit to sfmtabudget@sfmta.com.
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SFMTA Citizens Advisory Council |
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Small Business Commission |
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San Francisco Youth Commission |
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San Francisco Transit Riders |
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Budget Digital Town Hall |
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Paratransit Coordinating Committee |
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South of Market Community Action Network (SOMCAN) |
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Market and Octavia Citizens Advisory Council |
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Chinatown Community Development Corp TRIP |
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SF Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) |
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SF Chamber of Commerce |
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SF Council of District Merchants |
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SF Travel |
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Young Women’s Freedom Center |
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Community Housing Partnership |
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SF Rising |
With Muni service temporarily reduced during the COVID-19 health crisis, many San Francisco residents need to walk and take other modes of transportation to make essential trips. However, sometimes it is difficult to maintain 6’ of social distance on many sidewalks, park paths, and bikeways. This can be especially true when passing lines outside grocery stores and other essential services. Because of this, many pedestrians are choosing to walk in the street, exposing themselves to swiftly moving vehicle traffic. The SFMTA is implementing a new program, Slow Streets, to close some streets to through traffic and allow roadways to be used more as a shared space for foot and bicycle traffic.
Throughout the city, corridors have been identified for Phase 1 Slow Streets. Beginning this week, some of these streets will be closed to through vehicle traffic to prioritize walking/biking and to provide more space for social distancing during essential travel by those modes.
What will Slow Streets look like?
Streets will not be closed completely, and local vehicle access is permitted. There will be no changes to parking or driveway access for residents. Slow Streets will not create any legal change in the right of way. People walking/running in the street will not have the right-of-way over motor vehicles but will be allowed to be in the street (as the Calif. Vehicle Code currently permits). The goal is to take advantage of low vehicle numbers on certain travel corridors and allow people to maximize our resources while maintaining social distancing. Slow Streets will be in effect 24/7, given the limited staff resources to deploy/re-deploy equipment daily.
The purpose of Slow Streets is to manage traffic speeds and create a safe network for essential walk and bike travel while transit service levels are reduced. Our agency is committed to giving San Franciscans the necessary space to practice social distancing as they leave their homes for critical needs.
Slow Streets candidates
| Street | From | To | Muni Routes |
| 17th Street | Noe | Valencia | 22 Fillmore, 33 Stanyan |
| 20th Avenue | Lincoln | Ortega | 28 - 19th Ave |
| 22nd Street | Valencia | Chattanooga | 48 Quintara |
| 41st Avenue | Lincoln | Vicente | 18 - 46th Ave |
| Ellis | Polk | Leavenworth | 27 Bryant, 38 Geary |
| Holloway | J Serra | Harold | K Ingleside, 29 Sunset |
| Kirkham | Great Highway | 7th Avenue | N Judah |
| Phelps | Oakdale | Evans | 23 Monterey, 44 O'Shaughnessy |
| Ortega | Great Highway | 14th Avenue | 7 Haight |
| Page | Stanyan | Octavia | 7 Haight |
| Quesada | Lane | Fitch | 23 Monterey, 44 O'Shaughnessy |
| Scott | Eddy | Page | 24 Divisadero |
When will these streets be closed?
Beginning this week, we hope to install 2-3 Slow Streets corridors per week. The first round of Slow Streets implementation will consist of signage and traffic cones. We will continue to monitor the use of Slow Streets to minimize impacts on surrounding streets.
How were the Slow Streets corridors chosen?
The streets were chosen to supplement reduced or suspended Muni routes, while providing bicycle and pedestrian access to essential services. Many of these streets run parallel to other major streets and transit routes. The Slow Streets are intended to provide a network of streets that prioritize walking and biking for essential trips.
Slow Streets are one part of the city’s efforts to reduce sidewalk crowding. Other efforts include removing vehicle parking outside grocery stores and restaurants to create extra pedestrian queueing space and widening sidewalks by removing vehicle parking on select high-pedestrian-traffic corridors. Please visit sfmta.com/COVID19 for the latest agency updates.
The last month has brought about dramatic changes in virtually all aspects of our lives, including how we use our Muni transit system. When we implemented our Core Service Plan that focused our limited resources on 17 lines that were serving the majority of our customers, we also transitioned our service operation from a schedule-based system to a headway or frequency-based system. This means vehicles depart their terminals at regularly timed intervals instead of at specific times. In so doing, we also had to make adjustments on how this information was processed by NextMuni to generate reliable arrival time predictions.
Up until now, if a Muni vehicle departed the terminal before its scheduled departure time, it would register on NextMuni as being on break and would not generate predictions, even though it was on its regular route. When we transitioned to a headway-based system, and as the buses experienced fewer delays on their routes, we started to see a lot of these vehicles depart before their scheduled times. The stopgap solution has been for a small but dedicated team in our Transit division to manually reassign these early departure vehicles within NextMuni, thereby allowing this system to generate predictions. Recently this team has been making about 300 such reassignments per day. This was neither efficient nor sustainable.
Working with our NextMuni vendor, we were able to modify the prediction software to better handle this situation. When generating predictions, the software will now basically disregard any scheduled times and instead rely only on the vehicle’s location.
With this change, arrival time predictions will now only become available once a vehicle has left the terminal. What this means is that if you are waiting at a stop, especially stops near the beginning of the route, you may see “No Prediction Available” when you check either the bus shelter display (should one be available) or NextMuni’s online predictions. This will mean that a vehicle has not yet departed the terminal. In this case, please check either our website or that bus shelter’s display to see the frequency for that particular route. Our website also has a live map which will show the location of each bus on the route, including those at the terminals that are not yet generating predictions. Simply use www.sfmta.com/the letter or number of the Muni route you want to check (For example, www.sfmta.com/22 takes you the live map for the 22 Fillmore.
While this is not ideal, our other option was to make no change and have vehicles operating in service without generating predictions at all. The current changes will make sure most vehicles have predictions most of the time. Another benefit of this change will be that prediction times will now only reflect an actual vehicle that is in service, thus eliminating the dreaded “ghost bus,” which has been the bane of many transit riders.
Please note that our Core Service Plan operates daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. our Owl Service Plan is in operation. Frequency times on each of the 10 Owl routes in service will be about 30 minutes. Please visit our Owl Service Plan webpage for further details.
Our team continually reviews the performance of our prediction system and suggests changes when they believe it will result in more accurate information to our riders. In addition to that continuing effort, we are in the process of rolling out a Next Generation Customer Information System as the replacement to NextMuni. When deployed, this new system will allow us to provide more reliable information to our riders, including being able to generate more reliable predictions near the terminals.
For more updates on all SFMTA services during this public health crisis, please visit SFMTA.com/COVID19.
