Key Takeaway: Collaborations between the SFMTA and riders with disabilities have led to new accessibility features on buses and trains, such as improved ramps, braille/raised letter numbers for easy bus identification, and extra flip-up seats for strollers to avoid conflicts with wheelchair users. Ongoing engagement is essential to maintain and enhance accessibility across the entire fleet.
Our Fleet
The SFMTA operates several types of vehicles in the Muni fleet including:
- Light Rail vehicles (LRVs).
- Historic streetcars.
- “Rubber tire” hybrid/diesel buses.
- Electric trolley buses.
- The world-famous cable cars.
All vehicles in Muni's public transportation fleet are wheelchair accessible, except the historic cable cars. As a National Landmark, the cable cars have an exemption from providing wheelchair accessible service.
In 2021, the SFMTA’s Board of Directors adopted a plan to roll out Zero Emissions buses (ZEB) in accordance with the California Air Resource Board’s (CARB) Innovative Clean Transit regulations. The SFMTA is testing battery-electric buses and plans to transition our facilities to support a battery-electric fleet, which will also be completely accessible.
Accessible Features of our Fleet
The vehicles in our fleet feature many accessibility features, described in detail in the Muni Access Guide. Accessibility features you may be familiar with include:
- Ramps that deploy from the front door.
- Kneelers that lowers the bus for easier boarding.
- Priority seating for people with disabilities is designated on all vehicles.
- Wheelchair seating areas with a three-point securement system and seat belts.
- Audio and visual automated stop announcement systems to alert customers to up-coming stops.
- Frequently-placed handholds and vertical stanchions, usually yellow in color for easier visibility.
- Ramp-deployment request buttons on the bottom of flip-up seats near the wheelchair seating area.
Community Input Improves Fleet Accessibility
The SFMTA has worked closely with disabled community members to create vehicles that not only comply with ADA but exceed the requirements for easier use by people with disabilities and older adults. Many accessibility features of the Muni fleet were informed by community outreach. Along with the community, we have designed seating layouts to maximize maneuverability for wheelchair users, secure handholds, and expanded priority seating on the entire lower level of smaller buses (a three-fold increase from the previous layout).
With expert advice from SFMTA’s Multimodal Accessibility Advisory Committee (MAAC) members, the agency was also able to collaborate with bus manufacturers to design better ramps with less of a slope to make boarding at the curb or the street easier. At the advice of low vision passengers all vehicles include braille/raised letter numbers behind the operator for easy identification of the bus number. The SFMTA also installed a separate flip-up seat for strollers and grocery carts toward the rear of the bus to help ensure that the wheelchair securement areas are kept available for passengers traveling with mobility devices.
Recently, based on feedback from people with disabilities and older adults, we updated the seating layout on our light rail vehicles to include forward-facing seats to help prevent motion sickness. We also added more stanchions and handholds to improve stability for standing riders.