The Messenger for July 2018

Transportation Authority staff are working to improve street safety at 10 intersections in the South of Market neighborhood where freeway on- or off-ramps meet city streets.

Our project team spent the past few months gathering feedback by meeting with the community and collecting more than 800 surveys. The team is now conducting an in-depth analysis of each intersection. The team will share their draft improvements this month at an open house at Bayanihan Center, 1010 Mission St. on Tuesday, July 31st from 5:30-7:30 p.m.→​ Learn more about this project.
→​ More information about all freeway ramp intersections in SoMa.

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SFMTA planners are exploring opportunities to upgrade the Valencia Street bike lanes given the high volume of cyclists on the street, history of bicycle-motor vehicle crashes, and frequency of illegal parking and loading within the bike lane. 

This month, the agency is holding workshops to gather community feedback on potential design alternatives, associated tradeoffs, and near-term curb management improvements.

→ Join the SFMTA at a workshop this Saturday from 4-6 p.m.

The SFMTA will finalize plans and present them to the Transportation Authority board later this year. The Transportation Authority Board allocated $145,000 in half-cent sales tax funds for this project at the request of Commissioners Hillary Ronen and Jeff Sheehy, with support from the Transportation Authority’s Neighborhood Transportation Improvement Program.

→ Learn more about Valencia Bikeway Improvements from the SFMTA.

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The SF Paratransit program is run by the SFMTA and provides about 775,000 trips to 13,000 riders with disabilities each year. The Transportation Authority provides more than $10 million in funding for the program annually. This funding comes from San Francisco’s half-cent sales tax for transportation and covers over one third of the operating costs for the program’s group vans, shuttles, accessible taxis, and more.

This month, the Transportation Authority board committed more than $300,000 to help the SFMTA to increase the supply of wheelchair accessible taxis available through SF Paratransit. Through this program, transportation service providers can receive financial incentives to help with the capital cost of purchasing or converting a wheelchair accessible vehicle and for the associated increase in fuel and maintenance costs. The accessible taxis will also be in general circulation, increasing mobility options citywide for people who use wheelchairs.

→ Learn more about the SF Paratransit program.

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In November 2016, voters in San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties voted to pass Measure RR, a $3.5 billion regional bond measure to help improve BART’s transit infrastructure. Measure RR improvements include replacing 90 miles of track, modernizing BART’s electrical infrastructure, enhancing the system’s ability to withstand an earthquake, replacing train control systems to prevent breakdowns and delays, increasing the number of riders the system can carry, and more.

To date, BART has spent nearly $70 million from the bond measure. BART’s on-time performance rate has increased to 93.6 percent, which BART anticipates to continue to improve as the agency rolls out more projects. In the coming year BART will be launching new escalator and station modernization projects in San Francisco using Measure RR funds, and will continue to work on infrastructure upgrades to further boost reliability. We look forward to seeing these investments continue to pay off.→ Watch the video: Measure RR improves one of the busiest and bumpiest sections of BART trackway.
→ Learn more: Measure RR bond funded projects are on time, on budget and paying off.

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This summer, the Transportation Authority hosted hands-on, collaborative workshops in District 10 to brainstorm ideas with the community about how we can improve transportation options in areas like the Bayview, Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, and Visitacion Valley. 

At the workshops, participants discussed the possibility of a shared community van, neighborhood carpool system, or other community programs that could help people get around. These community-based ideas would enhance the Muni improvements that are already coming to District 10. We’ll take these ideas back to the community in September to develop pilot concepts which will be presented to the Transportation Authority board in winter 2018.

→​ Just announced: September 29 pilot concept workshop.

The District 10 transportation design labs are part of the District 10 Mobility Study, initiated by Commissioner Malia Cohen as part of the Neighborhood Transportation Improvement Program.

→​ Learn more about the District 10 Mobility Study and related SFMTA projects.

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Are there are better ways to help the public and private sectors cooperate when it comes to emerging mobility? Join Transportation Authority Senior Planner Warren Logan, along with other civic and tech mobility leaders for a discussion about these issues.

Event details 
Tuesday, August 7, 2018 | 6 p.m. | SPUR Urban Center, 654 Mission Street
Learn more and register.

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Join a neighborhood block party to experience San Francisco’s new 21st-century transit hub and rooftop park. This  free event will include live performances, historic Bay Area buses, family-friendly activities, and more.

Event details 
Saturday, August 11, 2018 | 12 – 4 p.m.
425 Mission St. at Fremont St.
Learn more.The Salesforce Transit Center’s opening date is August 12, the day after the block party. The terminal will include: easy connections Muni and regional bus service, along with future Caltrain and High Speed Rail extensions. View the project timeline here. The Transportation Authority allocated over $139 million in half-cent sales tax funds to the first phase of this project.

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Sunday Streets reclaims car-congested streets for community health, transforming them into car-free spaces for all to enjoy on select Sundays each year.

Routes are 1-4 miles in length, with fun, free activities provided by local nonprofits, community groups, and small businesses.

→ Coming up: Sunday Streets in SoMa on August 19.

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The Transportation Authority’s governing board consists of the 11 members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Our board meets twice monthly to receive updates on transportation projects, allocate funding, and make decisions on project planning and delivery.

Note: The Board of Supervisors goes on recess from August 1 through September 3. The Transportation Authority Board will reconvene in September.

SF to expand street safety program to more than 100 schools: A program intended to encourage children and families to walk and take public transit to school is expanding its reach from 36 San Francisco schools to 103, nearly tripling its reach. [SF Examiner]

California hit its climate goal early — but its biggest source of pollution keeps rising: Data released by the state Air Resources Board shows that while emissions from electricity generation in California have plunged, other key industries are flat and transportation pollution is increasing. [LA Times]

Muni to improve transit for communities of color, low-income riders: The City is set to make improvements to service on Muni routes specifically aimed at helping low-income riders and communities of color. [SF Examiner]

Carpool lanes could be coming to San Francisco freeways: Carpool lanes could be coming to Highway 101 and Interstate 280 in San Francisco. [ABC 7] [Learn more]

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority plans, funds, and delivers transportation projects in San Francisco. The agency collaborates with transit providers like Muni, BART, and Caltrain, as well as with other government agencies and the public to enhance the safety, sustainability, and economic competitiveness of the city and region.

ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO’S HALF-CENT SALES TAX FOR TRANSPORTATION
The Transportation Authority administers the Prop K half-cent local transportation sales tax, which San Francisco voters approved in November 2003. The local transportation sales tax funds everything from signals to streetcars, bicycles to boulevards, and pedestrian safety improvements to paving.

To find out more about the Transportation Authority, visit our website. For information on projects in your neighborhood, visit our interactive project mapMyStreetSF.

HAVE FEEDBACK FOR THE MESSENGER?
We hope you find this newsletter informative. Let us know if you have ideas for future editions. Questions, comments, or suggestions can be sent to Eric Young, Senior Communications Officer, at eric.young@sfcta.org.