New stops on the 29 Sunset now have enough space for its many student riders to get on and off comfortably.
During San Francisco Climate Week – and every day – riding Muni is one of the most sustainable ways to get around.
In San Francisco, transportation remains the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions: 44% of city emissions. Public transit only accounts for 2% of city emissions (see SFMTA Climate Roadmap). That’s despite carrying half a million riders every day on Muni - and more on BART, ferries and other bus services in the city.
We’re proud to play a significant role reducing emissions. But our work never stops. We're always finding ways to make your green trips on Muni faster and more reliable. This way, it will be easier for everyone to choose sustainable travel year-round.
That’s something we’re doing right now on the 29 Sunset. Learn about the recent upgrades we’ve made to help riders enjoy smoother, more accessible Muni rides. They’re part of a series of improvements that we expect could reduce evening peak travel times by around 10% on part of this busy route.
Making trips shorter and stops more accessible
Over 18,000 riders depend on the 29 Sunset route every day. That includes students at the 35-plus schools along its route – from elementary schools to SF State University. It’s also families shopping at Stonestown and seniors running errands or attending events at nearby community centers.
To make their trips quicker, more reliable and accessible, we launched the 29 Sunset Improvement Project. Phase One of the project was approved by the SFMTA Board in 2023.
We’ve been working ever since to improve the green trips riders take on this busy route. Recently, we completed a series of upgrades on Sunset Boulevard.
To minimize disruption for local communities, we completed this work while SF Public Works began its Sunset Boulevard Pavement Restoration. This saved money and prevented local residents and others from experiencing multiple projects along busy roadways.
As a result, it’s not just drivers who are enjoying a smoother ride. Crews built 13 new bus stops for the 29 Sunset. These stops make the route better for westside riders:
- It’s more reliable, with shorter travel times. These new bus stops are located after the traffic signal. Previously, the bus would stop to let riders on and off but then have to wait at a red light. Now, as soon as riders get on and off, the bus can continue on its way. That means fewer delays and a quicker ride. Improvements like these also help make service less expensive to run.
- It’s more accessible. Previously stops had a small, paved area near the front door of the bus. Now, the new stops include a paved area for the full length of the bus, with smoother concrete paving at all stops. Now, riders who use wheelchairs, strollers, canes or carts have an easier and safer way on and off the bus. With over 35 schools along the route, bus stops get busy during school commute times. At these stops, there’s now more space for students to wait. And no passengers are stepping off into dirt or mud.
- It ‘paves the way’ for potential, future Rapid bus service. While new funding would be required to add a 29R Sunset Rapid, we’ve heard interest in this service from many riders. We’ve made some of these new stops long enough for two buses, which would allow for local and rapid buses to serve the stop at the same time.
Longer stops on the 29 Sunset make it easy for people of all ages and abilities to get on and off the bus.
More improvements coming nearby
In the coming months, we’ll be adding transit shelters and benches at some of these new 29 Sunset stops. These updates will help riders avoid the rain and improve accessibility for seniors and others as they wait at stops. Following that, we’ll add better route signage.
In future years, we will add transit signal priority to traffic signals on Sunset Boulevard. These smart signals keep the traffic lights ‘green’ longer for buses. That further improves the route's travel times and reliability.
In the coming years, we’ll be making similar improvements to the route on the north side of Lincoln Way, along the edge of Golden Gate Park. Those improvements will also improve the bus stops and decrease delays on the route.
These improvements are all part of the 29 Sunset Improvement Project – Phase One.
Once all the changes are complete, we expect they will reduce evening peak travel times by around 10% on this part of the route.
Working with communities on southern route improvements
Last fall, we launched Phase Two of the project. This phase focuses on improving the southern section of the route between Junipero Serra Boulevard and the Bayview. In a listening tour last fall, community members shared with us their priorities for improving the route. Soon, we’ll be sharing proposals for improvements based on this feedback. Sign up for project updates to be the first to hear about these proposals and how you can share your feedback.
Muni Forward gets results
This work on the 29 Sunset is part of Muni Forward. Launched in 2014, Muni Forward is our program that aims to make public transit in the city faster, more frequent and reliable and safer. Through this project, we’ve built 100 miles of reliability improvements to keep Muni moving—with upgrades like red transit lanes, bus bulbs for faster boarding and traffic signals that stay green for transit. An in-depth report shows these investments are paying off. Muni Forward projects have reduced travel times by up to 35% and resulted in up to 51% more reliable transit service.
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