Built in 1915, Potrero Yard today maintains over 150 trolley coaches that serve neighborhoods across the city, including many communities that are heavily reliant on transit. Routes include the 5 Fulton, 5R Fulton Rapid, 6 Haight/Parnassus, 14 Mission, 22 Fillmore, 30 Stockton and 49 Van Ness/Mission. Pre-Covid, 102,000 Muni riders relied on routes from Potrero Yard every day.
Rebuilding and modernizing Potrero Yard is critical to providing the best quality transit service for all of San Francisco. Strong public transit is one of the most important tools we have to fight climate change. The Potrero Yard Modernization Project will replace an obsolete, over 100-year-old bus yard which is long past its lifespan with a LEED Gold facility that supports a zero-emission fleet.
A new bus yard will:
- Increase efficiency, allowing quicker bus repairs and improving Muni’s reliability
- Create sustainable infrastructure to support an all-electric fleet
- Allow for future growth with room to accommodate up to 213 electric trolley buses, a 54% increase
- Improve working conditions with various amenities and safe conditions for approximately 800 staff
PNC’s design includes demolishing the existing bus yard and developing a new fully enclosed four-level bus facility with integrated housing and retail opportunities.
Rendering showing the new bus yard and trolley bus entrance at Mariposa at Hampshire (Arcadis IBI Group)
The new bus facility is designed to maintain all bus movements within the yard to minimize interactions with pedestrians and bicycles to improve safety. Bus turning movements have been studied for 40-foot and 60-foot buses for safe, efficient travel paths. The new facility also improves employee wellness by providing more natural light in work areas and dedicated employee outdoor spaces.
- Ground floor: The ground floor level will enclose and centralize maintenance activities on the ground floor to insulate noise within building. Bus entrances and exits will be located on Mariposa street. This improves Muni’s efficiency and also improves safety by moving bus activity away from 17th street and the bicyclists and pedestrians there.
- Second floor: The second level will house Muni’s Training headquarters and offices for SFMTA staff. This level also features a room that can be reserved for eligible community meetings and events.
- Third and fourth floors: The third and fourth levels will contain bus parking, charging and bus wash areas.
To learn more about the details of each level of the bus facility, please review the informational boards from our September 2023 Community Open House or the Bus Yard fact sheet.
The bus facility includes a glass wall along 17th Street facing the park at Franklin Square. The glass street wall would allow for:
- Natural daylight to enter the bus yard’s interior
- Views into the facility so the public can continue to see Muni buses
- Public art to be integrated into the facility design on 17th Street (as one of three public art pieces on the bus facility)
During our public outreach we heard about the community’s appreciation for Muni’s long-time presence in the neighborhood. This glass wall will allow the public to see operators driving up and down the ramps and highlight public transit.
Rendering of bus facility and housing from 17th Street and Franklin Square at night showing the glass street wall and Muni buses on the ramps (Arcadis IBI Group)
The new Potrero Yard will continue to serve as an electric trolley bus division, and the facility will include an overhead catenary system. However, it will also be “future-proofed” with underlying infrastructure to support battery electric buses if fleet needs change. This project would allow Muni to continue as a national leader in delivering sustainable transit service.
Construction of the new bus facility will be Phase 1 of the project. The SFMTA is working to lock down funding for the Bus Yard Component and is pursuing various funding sources.