Muni’s Potrero Yard, located at 17th and Mariposa, is currently home to 138 trolley buses. It is also more than a century old and in need of a complete rebuild to make it seismically safe, create more space and support the maintenance needs of our growing fleet of newer, more modern buses.
As part of the planning effort for the reconstruction of the Potrero Yard, the SFMTA is holding two public workshops to engage the community about the potential for building housing units above the planned three-story bus yard.
The workshops will be held on Thursday, February 21 (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) and Saturday, February 23 (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) at the Mission Arts Center.
The project, which is part of the SFMTA’s larger Building Progress Program, is currently in the planning phase. These workshops are part of the agency’s ongoing commitment to meaningful community engagement. We look forward to receiving feedback on how we can make the modernized Potrero Yard a greater asset to the neighborhood while ensuring that it fits with the character of the neighborhood and adequately support the needs of residents and SFMTA employees.
The small-group discussion format will ensure that each attendee has an opportunity to share their feedback, while also hearing other viewpoints. SFMTA staff will also share community insights from previous events.
Originally constructed in 1915, and designed to serve 100 streetcars, Potrero Yard’s trolley buses currently serve 102,000 riders every day on some of Muni’s busiest lines, such as the 5 Fulton and 14 Mission. The facility’s low ceilings prevent the use of bus lifts that are necessary to effectively maintain new low-floor buses. Without bus lifts, rooftop maintenance is done outside. Slower maintenance leads to longer wait times for passengers, more crowded vehicles and less reliable service for our customers
The new Potrero Yard will include space for 213 buses and 24 bus maintenance bays and is necessary for the agency to complete its conversion to 100 percent battery-electric buses by 2035. The renovated facility will be an environmentally friendly LEED Gold Facility and built to modern seismic standards, helping prepare San Francisco’s transportation system for earthquakes.
The addition of housing would make Potrero Yard the first in the nation to include housing on top of an active bus maintenance facility. Options for other neighborhood amenities include a childcare center, community rooms, retails space and more.
In order to better serve the needs of our customers, our fleet continues to grow and modernize. By 2025, Muni will operate nearly 200 more vehicles than we do today.
A few years ago, Muni operated the oldest fleet in the nation. Today, we are in the process of replacing all of our buses, trolleys and light rail vehicles. San Francisco is now home to one of the newest and greenest transit fleet in North America.
The design process is anticipated to take place between 2021 and 2023, with construction expected between 2023 and 2026. Learn more about Potrero Yard Modernization Project at SFMTA.com/PotreroYard.
The workshop will be offered in English and Spanish, Translation in other languages is available by emailing Licinia Iberri at Licinia.iberri@sfmta.com.