My fellow San Franciscans,
This week, we opened the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit system. The project, which includes red center-running transit-only lanes, upgraded pedestrian crossing signals and utilities, and new landscaping along Van Ness Avenue, will significantly improve transit service and address traffic congestion along the corridor.
This opening of the Van Ness BRT is also a significant step forward to our efforts to transform transit safety and efficiency along one of the busiest corridors in the City.
The planned transit improvements are expected to cut travel times for Muni and Golden Gate Transit by a third. In addition to other improvements, highlights of BRT on Van Ness Avenue include:
‧ Dedicated transit-only lanes physically separated from traffic for Muni, Golden Gate Transit, and emergency vehicle use.
‧ Enhanced traffic signals optimized for north-south travel with Transit Signal Priority, giving buses the green light as they approach an intersection.
‧ Low-floor vehicles and all-door boarding, making it quicker and easier for passengers to load and unload at each stop.
‧ Sidewalk extensions, median refuges, high visibility crosswalks, and audible countdown signals, enhancing pedestrian safety.
‧ Nine fully furnished northbound and southbound boarding platforms, which consist of seating and NextMuni prediction displays.
‧ Accessible Pedestrian Signals at crosswalks and the locations of boarding platforms.
Today, the Van Ness Avenue corridor serves as a vital connector of neighborhoods and a regional link for travel between Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties. Van Ness Avenue is one of the busiest north-south corridors in the City, serving over 16,000 Muni customers daily on the 49 Mission/Van Ness and 90 San Bruno Owl bus routes as well as
Golden Gate Transit customers. It is part of the California State Highway System and US Route 101, a primary artery connecting Interstate Highways 280 and 80 with the Golden Gate Bridge.
Not only does this project make Van Ness Avenue a more enjoyable place for residents and visitors to walk, bike, and take public transit, it also helps get people out of their cars. In order to have a San Francisco that is livable and healthy for our residents, we must reduce emissions from transportation and make it easier for people to get around in more sustainable ways.
Please add me on WeChat for updates and resources: londonbreed.
Sincerely,
London N. Breed
Mayor
