Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting - 51

2010 Annual Meeting

In San Francisco, We’re Building as We Go . . .
BY NATHANIEL P. FORD SR. Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency San Francisco, CA

and a crossover—in addition to redesigning San Francisco’s busiest intersection. Second, Muni’s new smart card fare gates and ticket vending machines (TVM) replaced a 30-year-old turnstile system n the last two months, the that often made accessing the San Francisco Municipal nine Muni Metro subway staNathaniel P. Ford, Sr. Transportation Agency tions frustrating for customers. (SFMTA), which oversees all surface And finally, the agency received an transportation in San Francisco includexciting windfall in the form of a court ing the Municipal Railway (Muni), has decision that allowed us to proceed experienced dramatic changes in three with the full implementation of San projects that represent our key priorities Francisco’s Bike Plan. The plan builds and aspirations. on the work of our Livable Streets Bike The first project, the St. Francis Program that has overseen, even during Circle Rail Replacement Project, the four-year-long court injunction, a included replacing 3,000 track feet of dramatic 53 percent increase in rail, corresponding overhead wires, bicycling.

These three projects represent only a fraction of the projects currently underway as we continue to build upon our infrastructure to provide a much-needed service to our residents, commuters, and tourists alike. The aforementioned projects exemplify the agency’s focus on the state of good repair; further promote excellent transit and customer service; and provide attractive sustainable transportation options that further the city’s Transit First policy and propel us toward meeting the city’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.

commuter rail services. The Central Subway has a total commitment over the life of the project of $948.4 million in federal New Starts funding and is slated to open in 2018.

Safe and Reliable Service
Muni moves nearly the equivalent of San Francisco’s population every day, and the SFMTA constantly seeks to improve the riding experience for each customer by making our system even more efficient and easier to use. Improved service is the common thread between the various projects to which the SFMTA has allocated its more than $90 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. The $30.1 million smart card fare gates and TVM project is supported by $11 million in ARRA funds along with additional funds from federal, state, and regional sources. It includes 81 standard fare gates (24.5 inches wide), 19 accessible fare gates (42.5 inches wide), and 40 TVMs. The $16 million in ARRA funding directed toward the Motor Coach Component Life Cycle project and the $9 million allocated toward refurbishment of our light rail vehicles improves vehicle availability, service reliability, and performance by rehabilitating 35 standard buses, 27 articulated buses, and 147 light rail vehicles. Additionally, Muni customers on the bus routes are welcomed aboard vehicles that have been renovated externally to create a more pleasing customer experience.

State of Good Repair
The St. Francis Circle Project was part of an aggressive $141 million Rail Renewal Program consisting of 10 projects that covered major track work on all six Muni Metro lines. Upgrading these rail lines will ensure safe, reliable Muni service for generations to come. Additional improvements planned for the near future include bus rapid transit (BRT) routes and the Central Subway. The two BRT routes, one on Geary Boulevard and one on Van Ness Avenue, will serve routes that currently see a total average weekday ridership of more than 96,000. The Central Subway will provide rail service into Chinatown, one of the most densely populated areas of the country not currently served by modern rail transportation. The new, 1.7-mile light rail line will serve key regional destinations and connect to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District and Caltrain, the bay area’s two largest regional

SFMTA recently replaced its turnstiles with smart card fare gates.

SAN FRANCISCO CONTINUED ON PAGE 49

September 27, 2010 | 47

Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting

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