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1 California Temporary Emergency Transit Lanes Have Been Approved

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The SFMTA Board of Directors unanimously approved Muni’s 1 California Temporary Emergency Transit Lanes project as proposed at its April 20, 2021 meeting. Thank you to everyone who attended the hearing or provided valuable input that helped shape the final design. 

Some common themes that we heard before and during the meeting include: 

  • Support for transit lanes and request to make them permanent. 
  • Disappointment that transit lanes were removed on two blocks of Clay Street.
  • Requests to consider extending transit lane hours, including on the weekend.
  • Requests for more enforcement to improve compliance for transit lanes.
  • Opposition to reduction in parking availability during hours that transit lanes are in effect in Nob Hill. Concerns from residents who have paid for Residential Parking Permits.
  • Concern about the potential for the reduction in travel lanes in some parts of the corridor to contribute to increases in traffic congestion.

Missed the meeting? Watch the SFMTA Board of Directors hearing on SFGovTV. (Note: link will take you to the beginning of the 1 California calendar item.)

Muni’s 1 California has continued to serve thousands of riders every day throughout the pandemic. These transit lanes will help ensure that service is fast and reliable as traffic increases, especially for the 65 percent of Chinatown and Nob Hill households without a car.

Maps showing final approved 1 California Temporary Emergency Transit Lanes

Map of the western side of the approved 1 Cal TETL project, showing a new temporary bus lane between Presidio and Steiner

Map of project area. Top left corner legend: dark orange line equals "New Bus Lane and Parking Restrictions"; dotted dark orange line equals "New Bus Lane (No Parking Removed), orange line equals "Bus Lane Hours Added"; blue line equals "Existing Bus Lane (No Change). Clay Street from Van Ness to Larkin is dotted dark orange line with the caption "Existing: No Bus Lane. Proposed 24/7" Clay Street from Larkin to Leavenworth is dark orange line with the caption "Existing: No Bus Lane. Proposed: 7-10am, 3-7pm) Clay Street from Leavenworth to Jones is marked with "1" Clay Street from Jones to Taylor is dark orange line with the caption "Existing: No Bus Lane. Proposed: 7-10am, 3-7pm) Clay Street from Taylor to Mason is marked with "1" Clay Street from Mason to Powell is dark orange line with the caption "Existing: No Bus Lane. Proposed: 7-10am, 3-7pm) Clay Street from Powell to Grant is orange line market with "2" and the caption: Existing 7-9am. Proposed: begin strikethrough "7-10am" end strikethrough; 7-9am; begin strikethrough "3-7pm" end strikethrough; 3-6pm Clay Street from Grant to Montgomery is blue line with the caption "Existing 7-9am, 3-6pm. Proposed: begin strikethrough "7-10am" end strikethrough, begin strikethrough "3-7pm" end strikethrough, Keep existing" Clay Street from Montgomery to Leidesdorff is blue line with the caption "Existing 5-9am, 3-6pm. Proposed: begin strikethrough "5-10am" end strikethrough, begin strikethrough "3-7pm" end strikethrough, Keep existing" Clay Street from Leidesdorff to Front is blue line. Sacramento Street from Franklin to Larkin is dotted dark orange line with the caption "Existing: No Bus Lane. Proposed 24/7" Sacramento Street from Larkin to Leroy Place is orange line with the caption "Existing: 3:30-7pm. Proposed: 3-7pm" Sacramento Street from Leroy Place to Jones is orange line with the caption "Existing: 3:30-6pm. Proposed: 3-7pm" Sacramento Street from Jones to Mason is orange line with the caption "Existing: 3:30-7pm. Proposed 3-7pm" Sacramento Street from Mason to Powell is blue line Sacramento Street from Powell to Stockton is orange line with the caption "Existing: 3:30-7pm. Proposed 3-7pm" Sacramento Street from Stockton to Grant is orange line with the caption "Existing 3:30-7pm; Proposed begin strikethrough "7-10am" end strikethrough, 7-9am, 3-7pm" Sacramento from Grant to Kearny is orange line with the caption "Existing 7-9 am,3:30-7pm; Proposed begin strikethrough "7-10am" end strikethrough, 7-9am, 3-7pm" Sacramento from Kearny to Montgomery is blue line Sacramento from Montgomery to Front is orange line with the caption "Existing: 7am-7pm. Proposed: 24/7 Sacramento from Front to Drumm is blue line. Bottom right hand corner legend: (1) equals "The Leavenworth-Jones and Taylor-Mason blocks of Clay Street have been removed from the proposal"; (2) equals "loading zones at Chinatown Community Childcare Center and Clay Medical Center will be retained"

Next Steps: Implementation and Evaluation

When: The project will be implemented later this spring.

What to expect: Signs will be installed or updated and transit lane markings will be painted along sections of California, Sacramento and Clay streets. Parking or travel lanes may be briefly restricted around active work zones. Beginning in June after signs have been updated, towaway enforcement will resume on Clay and Sacramento streets; warnings will be issued the week prior.

Duration: It will take approximately one month to complete installation along the whole corridor; however, work on any individual block can typically be completed in about a day.

After implementation is complete, the SFMTA will evaluate the project, determine if any changes are needed and recommend whether to pursue permanent lanes. Evaluation will include a survey to collect input from residents and others who use the corridor.