A bus travels on San Francisco’s Van Ness BRT, which just received an international certification!
Our work to make your trips more reliable and safer along Van Ness Avenue has just received international certification.
Today, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) announced our Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project earned “Silver” certification.
We’re one of just three projects in the United States to get this award for offering a “world class customer experience.” We’re also the only project in California to achieve this honor!
As we celebrate, we're excited to share more about how bus rapid transit service works – and how our work on Van Ness is improving your trips.
Low-floor vehicles and all-door boarding help improve your trips along Van Ness.
How Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service works
“Bus Rapid Transit” service, or BRT for short, is a globally proven solution to improve transit service and address traffic congestion. ITDP maintains the “BRT Standard.” It’s a framework for understanding BRT and an evaluation tool. This way, transit agencies around the world share a common definition of BRT.
The standard also ensures that BRT corridors consistently deliver a world-class passenger experience and positive environmental effects. The Van Ness BRT’s Silver Certification is based on an exhaustive review grounded in the ITDP’s BRT Standard scorecard.
We launched Bus Rapid Transit service along Van Ness Avenue in April 2022 by introducing:
- Dedicated, center-running transit lanes. This means buses don’t get slowed down by parking or turning vehicles.
- Transit signal priority. This gives buses the green light as they approach an intersection.
- Low-floor vehicles and all-door boarding. These tactics made it quicker and easier for passengers to load and unload at each stop. Service is more reliable as a result.
Safety improvements like pedestrian bulbs, pedestrian countdown signals and left-turn restrictions also make walking on Van Ness a more enjoyable experience.
As Bus Rapid Transit has become a familiar concept for cities and the public, over 153 BRT corridors have opened in 91 cities in 24 countries in the past decade.
This recognition just makes us even more proud of the work we have done to improve your trips on Muni.
In October, we plan to release a full report about the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit Project.
How the Van Ness BRT is improving your trips
We’ve been carrying out a study of the Van Ness BRT corridor, and it’s expected to be released mid-October.
Early results confirm:
- Bus travel is now 36% faster.
- Injury traffic collisions are down by 54%.
- Transit is 45% more reliable.
As a city, we will continue to be a global leader in sustainable and efficient transportation with this recognition from ITDP.