The 29 Sunset Improvement Project is the first holistic effort to invest in the route for current and future users. The project aims to deliver transportation improvements to southern and western San Francisco. The 29 Sunset is one of the longest bus routes in the Muni system. It serves the Bayview, Excelsior, OMI, Parkmerced, Sunset and Richmond neighborhoods.
The project includes two phases:
Phase One focuses on the route’s western section between Baker Beach and the intersection of Junipero Serra Boulevard and Holloway Avenue. This allows us to complete some improvements during the repaving of Sunset Boulevard, which is taking place during 2024 and 2025.
Phase Two includes the southern section of the route between the intersection of Junipero Serra Boulevard and Holloway Avenue and the Bayview.
The 29 Sunset also serves many schools and colleges. This includes several high schools, the main campus of City College of San Francisco and San Francisco State University. Nearly 12% of all passengers on the 29 Sunset identify as students compared to 9% systemwide. Pre-pandemic, this route served 17,400 daily riders. By spring 2024, ridership recovered to an average of 16,400 daily riders.
To address systemic racism, the SFMTA prioritizes improvements to Muni routes in neighborhoods identified by our Muni Service Equity Strategy. These nine neighborhoods have a high percentage of people of color and low-income residents. The 29 Sunset provides service to four of these. This project will further SFMTA’s commitment to equitable transit service and performance.
We have heard from many Muni customers about their experiences on the 29 Sunset. Students who rely on this route to get to school are particularly vocal that we need to better serve all those who wish to ride. A key goal of this project is to reduce delays that result in long wait times. Another goal is to reduce “pass ups,” when people waiting for the bus are not able to board because the bus is too crowded.
Phase One Improvements
Phase One of the project was approved by the SFMTA Board at its June 6, 2023 meeting. We estimate that these changes will eventually reduce travel times by as much as 15 minutes round-trip. Improvements include:
Stop consolidation – Many stops on the western half of the 29 Sunset were closer than the 800-foot minimum distance recommended by the SFMTA’s stop spacing guidelines, reducing efficiency. Removing select stops that aren’t near major destinations or transit connections is making the 29 Sunset more reliable.
Stop relocation – Prior to the project, many stops were located before the intersection, known as the “near side.” If there are traffic signals, this delays buses, as the bus will often have to stop twice—once to board customers and a second time for the traffic signal. By moving stops to the far side, we can use “transit signal priority.” This is a feature that extends the green light to allow buses to pass through the intersection, avoiding delay and shortening travel time.
Bus bulbs – Bus bulbs extend sidewalks at bus stops into the curbside parking and loading lane. This allows buses to avoid having to pull back into traffic, which improves reliability and travel time. It also allows buses to pull closer to the curb, making loading and unloading more accessible.
Bus stop amenities – Wide concrete sidewalks extending to the back door of buses will improve bus stops and would provide space for amenities like bus shelters and seating.
Phase One History
Outreach for this project began in 2019. SFMTA staff met with students from Lowell High School who had been advocating for improvements to the 29 Sunset. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, outreach for the 29 Sunset Improvement Project halted. In mid-2021, we resumed our outreach efforts. We gathered more feedback on the types of improvements 29 Sunset riders wanted to see.
At stops along the route, posters promoted a community survey online and by text message. More than 400 people participated in the survey with 50% of responses coming from students. Survey results showed the highest priority for improvement is “reduced wait times.” The second priority is "reduced travel time." The third priority is "reduced crowding-related pass-ups."
In Spring 2022, we conducted a "listening tour" of key stakeholders on the west side. In those meetings, we heard similar concerns about these priorities. We also heard a desire for new 29R Sunset Rapid service. We also heard requests for reduced delays for transit at traffic signals and, concerns about potential removal of stops.
Based on this outreach and on technical analysis, we shared updated proposals in early 2023, including through an interactive StoryMap. Following community engagement on these proposals, we made some modifications before bringing a final project proposal to the SFMTA Board at its June 6, 2023 meeting, where it was approved unanimously.
We started quick-build implementation in August 2023, which included stop changes and a new late-night terminal.
- Detailed Design
