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Geneva Corridor
|
City Transit Corridors Ranked by Score |
Level and Need |
Project Readiness |
Land Use Compatibility |
Cost Effectiveness |
Geographic Equity |
Total Score |
Outer Geary |
110 |
10 |
20 |
35 |
0 |
175 |
Market Street |
102 |
10 |
15 |
35 |
0 |
162 |
Van Ness Ave. |
95 |
10 |
10 |
35 |
10 |
160 |
Mission St. S. of VN |
94 |
10 |
15 |
30 |
0 |
149 |
Geneva Avenue |
97 |
5 |
10 |
25 |
10 |
147 |
Stockton Street |
96 |
5 |
0 |
35 |
0 |
136 |
Inner Geary |
94 |
10 |
10 |
20 |
0 |
134 |
Carl/Irving/Judah |
108 |
0 |
0 |
15 |
0 |
123 |
Taraval Street |
90 |
5 |
5 |
20 |
0 |
120 |
Randolph-Broad-SJ |
94 |
0 |
5 |
20 |
0 |
119 |
Embarcadero |
103 |
5 |
n/a |
5 |
0 |
113 |
Potrero Avenue |
61 |
5 |
n/a |
35 |
10 |
111 |
Fillmore Street |
75 |
0 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
105 |
Columbus Avenue |
80 |
0 |
0 |
25 |
0 |
105 |
19th/Ppresidio |
55 |
0 |
5 |
30 |
10 |
100 |
Masonic |
58 |
0 |
10 |
15 |
10 |
93 |
San Bruno |
62 |
5 |
5 |
10 |
10 |
92 |
Divisadero |
61 |
0 |
5 |
15 |
10 |
91 |
Evans/Innes HP |
60 |
0 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
90 |
Ocean (K-Line) |
62 |
0 |
10 |
15 |
0 |
87 |
16th |
47 |
0 |
15 |
25 |
0 |
87 |
Church |
64 |
0 |
5 |
15 |
0 |
84 |
Folsom |
48 |
0 |
15 |
15 |
0 |
78 |
Haight |
56 |
0 |
n/a |
10 |
10 |
76 |
Sunset |
53 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
73 |

Work plan and Project Refinement; spring of 2008
Stakeholder Notification and Outreach; spring 2008
Identification of Project Goals; summer 2008
Data Collection; spring-summer 2008
Opportunities and Constraints Report; autumn 2008
First Open House; autumn 2008
Alternatives Development and Evaluation Measures; autumn 2008
Alternatives Analysis; winter-spring 2009
Draft Report; spring 2009
Second and Final Open House - Presentation of Findings; spring 2009
Final Report; summer 2009
Implementation Plan; summer 2009
Why is the City doing this?
In November of 2003, San Francisco voters voted for Proposition K, which set aside $110M for transit improvements citywide over the next 30 years. The Geneva Corridor ranks fifth on the prioritized list of transit corridor projects.

Is this a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) Study?
No, not quite. This is a transit preferential street (TPS) project. BRT projects are currently underway on the Geary and Van Ness Corridors. TPS projects have been undertaken in many locations around the City and are a hallmark of the City’s “Transit First” policy. TPS projects typically include a number of relatively low-cost measures designed to improve transit reliability, performance and service.
Is the City planning to reinstall streetcar tracks on Geneva?
A full engineering review of reinstalling the rails on Geneva Avenue is beyond the permitted scope and budget of the current project. The Proposition K funds supporting the current project are specifically for short-term and low cost “transit preferential streets” improvements that can be implemented quickly and with modest funding. It is anticipated that a more comprehensive study will be conducted between now and 2015 which will examine how Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) being developed as a component of the Candlestick Point Hunters Point Shipyard Project can interface with and connect to services on Geneva Avenue. In conjunction with this project, LRT would be raised as an option.
The above notwithstanding, it is our intent to consider “rail-ready” design principles in any TPS or BRT development in the Geneva Corridor as we focus on the corridor’s short term needs. Furthermore, we feel that this approach will allow us to better establish and frame the existing and longer term needs of the Geneva Corridor. We feel this initial step will ultimately prepare the corridor and the community for the more intensive and comprehensive transit improvement projects we expect in the future.
A key focus of this Geneva Avenue will be to help our agency achieve its System Performance Goal to “Get customers where they want to go when they want to be there.” We are seeking to upgrade transit service on Geneva in increments. As ridership builds and as funding becomes available we will move to the next step. We feel this fundable approach will help us provide improved service to the existing 16,000 daily Muni riders on Geneva Avenue in the near term, and also help us gauge the community’s response to more significant future structural improvements on Geneva which may indeed include both BRT and LRT technologies.
How can I participate?
Over the course of this two-year project, the SFMTA will be holding a series of work sessions and two open houses. Notices of these meetings and project updates will be provided here on the project web site and newsletters. We welcome comments and suggestions concerning the project.
How can I keep up to date on the Project?
Send an e-mail to SFMTA.Geneva@sfmta.com requesting to be placed on the e-mail distribution list.
How can I keep up to date if I don’t have an e-mail account or regular access to a computer?
Send a letter or e-mail to:
Kevin Keck, Planner
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
One South Van Ness Avenue, 7th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
SFMTA.Geneva@sfmta.com
Ask to have your name and address added to the project mailing list.
What measures are under consideration by the Plan?
How does this project relate to MUNI’s Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP)?
The TEP www.sftep.com is a City-wide effort to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the Muni transit system. The TEP is conducting a broad planning assessment which is identifying a revised hierarchy of transit service levels and developing proposals designed to realign transit service to locations and corridors where it is needed. The map below shows the initial proposed service changes on Geneva Avenue (TEP documents are available for review on the TEP Web site).

TEP Line Proposals on Geneva Avenue
How does this project relate to the Geneva Avenue’s designation as a dedicated bicycle route?
Muni planners are working closely with Bicycle Program staff to minimize conflicts and develop mutually beneficial measures.
Are there any plans to fix the timing on the Geneva signals between Mission and Santos?
Muni planners are in the process of obtaining a $400K grant to upgrade the signal system controllers on six minor intersections on Geneva Avenue. These improvements will install new wireless vehicle detectors and upgrade the controllers to allow for more efficient control of traffic flows on Geneva. These benefits will benefit all users of the Geneva Avenue corridor in the near term and will accommodate the integration of transit priority upgrades in the near future.
Will this project make Geneva safer for pedestrians?

Pedestrian safety is a key element of all street and signal projects in the City. On Geneva Avenue installing new traffic signals is one of the measures under consideration. Traffic signals allow better for better management of traffic flows and can also be used to create gaps that allow pedestrians to cross the street.
Will I still be able to make left turns from Geneva?
On a busy two-way arterial like Geneva Avenue, left turning traffic frequently causes delays. In some cases, left-turning vehicles waiting for gaps constrain thru traffic. These stopped vehicles create “turbulence” in the normal traffic flow as vehicles change lanes to avoid delays. In many locations in the City, the restriction or prohibition of left turns has been used to optimize traffic flows on major arterials. This project will likely consider such turn restrictions as a component of one or more of the alternatives.
How will this project affect Freeway Access?
The proximity of the I-280 Freeway ramps on Geneva Avenue contributes to many of the operational problems on Geneva Avenue. The signals at the I-280 on and off-ramps are designed to prevent vehicles from blocking the freeway mainline. During heavily congested periods, these signals will flush the traffic from the ramp at a faster rate than the other signals on Geneva Avenue .can handle.
Will there be fewer buses on Geneva?
The TEP will be making a set of final recommendations about a series of system wide revisions to Muni’s service. Other studies have proposed that the 29 Sunset buses be relocated off of Geneva Avenue and on to Ocean Avenue. It is expected that the final TEP proposal will recommend a reduction of some of Muni’s community service routes in order to bolster the amount of service on Muni’s busier trunk lines including Mission Street and Geneva Avenue.
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