Photo of New Bus Route 55 16th Street attached: 
Full page photo.pdf
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which manages all surface transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), is launching a new bus route: the 55 16th Street, on Saturday, January 31, as part of a round of Muni Forward service changes aimed at increasing service frequency and improving reliability.
“San Francisco is a growing City, and this new 55 bus route is another great example of how we are improving connectivity between our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Ed Lee. “New bus lines improve the overall effectiveness of our entire Muni system and make it easier for our residents to choose public transportation as they move around our City.”
“New routes, like the 55 16th Street, an upgraded fleet, and transit-priority investments are some of the cornerstones of Muni Forward,” said Ed Reiskin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “This new route not only eases crowding on one of our busiest routes but the new 55 16th Street offers newfound access that connects the community from the 16th Street Mission BART and the downtown core to the Mission Bay neighborhood and the new University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center at Mission Bay.”
The route will provide local stops on 16th Street at all current 22 Fillmore stops east of Mission Street while offering new stops along 16th Street at Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Missouri, and 4th streets. Service will operate seven days a week from approximately 6:00 a.m. to midnight every 15 minutes on weekdays during the day and every 20 minutes on weekday evenings and on weekends.
This new route will be a temporary connection to Mission Bay. The longer-term Muni Forward vision, approved by the SFMTA Board in March 2014, will modify the alignment of the 22 Fillmore to eventually replace the 55 16th Street. This realignment requires extending the overhead wire system into Mission Bay, and is part a larger project aimed at improving pedestrian safety and transit reliability along 16th Street.
A service increase for the 44 O’Shaughnessy is another significant improvement customers will notice. Part of Muni Forward and starting on Monday, February 2, weekday Line 44 service will operate every 7-8 minutes during AM peak, and every 8 minutes during PM peak, as opposed to the current 10 minute peak headways.
Other service changes occurring Saturday, January 31st are as follows:
9L San Bruno Limited:
- A new Limited stop will be added at Potrero Ave at 20th Street
38 Geary Shortline:
- Terminal moved to Geary at 32nd Avenue inbound to improve service reliability by providing better restroom access for operators. Geary at 32nd Avenue inbound will no longer be an active customer bus stop.
44 O’Shaughnessy:
- Terminal moved from Evans at Third Street to Hudson Avenue at Newhall Street to improve service reliability by improving restroom access for operators.
54 Felton:
- The 54 Felton terminal will be adjusted from Hudson at Third Street to Newhall Street at Hudson Avenue to accommodate the 44 O’Shaughnessy.
91 Owl:
- Minor reroute due to Central Subway construction near the Caltrain Station.
Schedule adjustments on the 9 San Bruno, 9L San Bruno Limited, 14 Mission, 24 Divisadero, 33 Stanyan, 35 Eureka 49 Van Ness/Mission, 52 Excelsior, and 56 Rutland to improve service reliability.
The 55th 16th Street and Saturday service changes join several Muni Forward projects that are already underway, like transit signal priority and red transit-only lanes. Paired with an entirely new fleet and enhanced maintenance practices, these combined efforts will improve Muni reliability system-wide, while enhancing the customer experience on and off the bus.