2022 Muni Service Network Approved Plan

In fall 2021, we asked San Franciscans what we should prioritize when we’re able to add more Muni service in early 2022. We received hundreds of comments via meetings, email and phone, and more than 4,500 survey responses. With this feedback, we developed a plan that focused on restoring connections for people with disabilities and seniors. We also heard a call for increased frequency to reduce crowding and wait times on high ridership Muni lines, so we looked for these opportunities where resources allow.

By evaluating our service and working with the public we also developed ideas for new connections to take more people to more places.

Service changes will address the overwhelming public priorities we heard during outreach:

• Restore key pre-pandemic connections, preserve or restore Muni access in hilly areas and focus on access for people with disabilities and seniors
• Provide new direct connections from the Western Addition, Tenderloin, and Richmond District to Caltrain, Oracle Park (Giants’ stadium) and SoMa
• Provide new through-service between North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf, Russian Hill and the Marina through all the western neighborhoods

2022 Muni Service Approved Plan Details

Five of the seven remaining temporarily suspended pre-pandemic routes will be restored, with some changes. Other transit improvements will provide service to areas previously served by the two routes that will not be restored at this time.

See a summary of the approved changes in the following table and read more details below.

Restore in Full

• 6 Haight/Parnassus: Restore route in full, with frequency of every 20 rather than pre-pandemic 12 minutes frequency.
  • The 52 Excelsior and 66 Quintara, which were extended during the pandemic to serve segments of the 6 Haight-Parnassus, would return to their former alignments terminating at West Portal and the Inner Sunset, respectively.
• 8AX Bayshore A Express: Restore route in full with 8 minute frequency.
• 8BX Bayshore B Express: Restore route in full with 8 minute frequency. 
• 28R 19th Avenue Rapid: Restore in full to improve travel times and increase frequency, reducing crowding and wait times along the route including 19th Avenue.
• 43 Masonic: Restore in full north of Presidio Avenue and California Street to the Presidio, the Marina and Fort Mason.

Remain Temporarily Suspended

Two all-day routes, the 3 Jackson and 47 Van Ness, will remain temporarily suspended. These routes largely overlap other routes that are or will be in service. Instead, we’ll make improvements to reduce crowding and wait times on high ridership Muni lines in the same neighborhoods.

Restore with Changes

• 2 Clement: Restore west to Presidio Avenue and California Street, by the Jewish Community Center, and no longer serve Clement Street in the Richmond. Operate every 15 minutes rather than every 20 minutes pre-pandemic, to offset the lack of service on the 3 Jackson.
• 10 Townsend: Restore north to Sansome and Montgomery streets in the Financial District instead of Van Ness and Jackson. Realign in Potrero Hill to operate on 16th Street rather than 17th Street, using the new transit lanes.
• 21 Hayes: Restore from St. Mary’s Hospital to Grove and Hayes streets, by Civic Center Station and the Main Library, no longer continuing downtown on Market Street. Operate every 15 minutes rather than every 12 minutes pre-pandemic.
• 31 Balboa: Reroute from its former alignment on Market Street downtown to 5th Street, Townsend Street, 3rd Street and Harrison Street, with a terminal at the 4th and King Caltrain Station. Maintain current 20-minute frequency. This would provide Muni service to people with disabilities and seniors living on 5th Street north of Harrison that don’t currently have a connection. This would provide new service along 5th Street (between Market and Townsend streets, replacing some segments once serviced by the 27 Bryant) and new direct connections from the Western Addition, Tenderloin and Richmond District with:
  • Caltrain Depot
  • Oracle Park (Giants’ Stadium)
  • SoMa
  • Mission Bay & Potrero Hill

Additional Changes

• 5 Fulton: Improve frequency to every 8 minutes rather than every 10 minutes pre-pandemic, providing a 20% increase in capacity, more frequent direct connections to downtown and reducing wait times and crowding.
• 12 Folsom/Pacific Short: Extend from Main and Howard streets to the 16th Street Mission BART Station via the existing 12 Folsom/Pacific alignment and 16th Street to offset changes to the 10 Townsend and lack of service on the 47 Van Ness. This would provide a new direct connection from SoMa and Rincon Hill to:
  • Mission Street’s commercial core
  • 16th Street BART
  • 14R Mission Rapid
• 12 Folsom/Pacific Long: Extend from Jackson Street at Van Ness Avenue to Jackson and Fillmore streets to offset the reduction of the 10 Townsend during the day on weekdays. This would provide new, all-day service from eastern San Francisco.
• 23 Monterey: Restore to its previous alignment on Sloat Boulevard to the San Francisco Zoo, rather than serving West Portal Station. This would provide a continuous connection between the Monterey and Sloat corridors.
• 28 19th Avenue: Extend from Van Ness Avenue and North Point Street to Powell and Beach streets in Fisherman’s Wharf to offset the lack of service on the 47 Van Ness. This would provide new through-service between North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf, Russian Hill and the Marina through all the western neighborhoods, and serve multiple large public middle and high schools.
• 30 Stockton Short: Restore to its pre-pandemic frequency, every six rather than every 8 minutes, reducing crowding and wait times through Chinatown.
• 38R Geary Rapid: Operate every six minutes rather than every eight to offset the reduction in service on 2 Clement and lack of service on the 3 Jackson. This would increase capacity on the route by 25%, reducing crowding and wait times.
• 49 Van Ness/Mission: Continue to operate every six minutes to further offset the lack of service on the 47 Van Ness, rather than returning to eight to nine-minute pre-pandemic frequency.
• 57 Parkmerced: Extend from Eucalyptus Drive and Junipero Serra Boulevard to West Portal Station, restoring the previous connection.

Decisions Made

Changes will also be made to some routes that were temporarily changed during the pandemic.

The proposal included three options for the J Church. The SFMTA Board of Directors voted for Option 2 where the J Church will return to the subway at a 15-minute frequency, with a caveat that SFMTA staff will monitor subway performance as usage increases and return to the SFMTA Board if delay thresholds to be determined are reached. In the meantime, the J Church Transfer Improvements Project will begin implementation to make accessibility and safety improvements at the Market and Church streets intersection. Transit planners will also study the use of historic streetcars on the J Church, running on the surface of Market.

The proposal also included three options for the 35 Eureka and 48 Quintara/24th Street. Both bus lines will remain unchanged and stay on their current alignment. The 48 Quintara/24th Street will eventually reroute from Castro Street to Douglass Street once intersection regrades are made at Douglass and 25th Street.

Beyond Winter 2022: Service Expansion

We will continue community outreach and planning for additional service changes throughout 2022 as we resume a more regular cadence of Muni service changes.

We will continue to seek additional funding, which we will need to make any further changes.

We will continue our hiring plans to make sure staffing is not a constraint to adding service if we get additional funding.

We will also continue to work with the community and officials to develop an expansion of our Rapid network, express routes and other frequency improvements to address crowding and reduce wait times as the system continues to recover.