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Taximeter Rate Increase

Taximeter Rate Increase By Today , our new taxi meter rates go into effect, providing a much-needed increase for taxi drivers. After extensive outreach, the SFMTA board passed an 18% increase in the taximeter rates – the first increase in 11 years. During this time, the cost of living  in the Bay Area has risen considerably.  45% increase in the cost of everyday items 50% increase in the cost of transportation  82% peak increase in the cost of gasoline. The new rates listed below will support an industry that is an integral part of  our transportation system, especially for SF’s paratransit program. The new rates go into effect beginning Thursday, November 17: First one-fifth mile of flag rate is $4.15 Each additional one-fifth mile or fraction thereof is $0.65 Each minute of waiting or traffic time delay is $0.65 SFO pick-up fee is unchanged at $5.50 For more information on the current structure of taxi fares, please visit Taxi Fares . To get a sense of what this

New Muni Metro Station Opens in the Heart of Union Square

New Muni Metro Station Opens in the Heart of Union Square By Mariana Maguire Central Subway special weekend service will be running just in time for the holiday lights at Union Square The new Central Subway Union Square/Market Street Station puts Muni customers in the heart of historic San Francisco, beneath Union Square Plaza at Geary and Stockton streets – open just in time to enjoy Macy’s famous holiday window displays and ice skating on the plaza. Surrounding the Square, visitors can access world-class shopping from some of the most coveted names in fashion and jewelry. Travelers will be steps away from several big-name and boutique hotels. Quaint locally owned cafes, delis, restaurants and bars nearby offer a wide variety of cuisine from Asian to French to Irish, and beyond! Barbary Coast Trail markers on the sidewalk will lead you on an odyssey through old San Francisco. Maiden Lane – a polite reference to the activities that once took place in the early days of the city –

Five Years of Data Show: Our Street Safety Projects are Making a Difference

Five Years of Data Show: Our Street Safety Projects are Making a Difference By Julia Malmo Ever wonder about the effectiveness of projects after they go into the ground? Us, too!   That’s why, in 2017, we launched the Safe Streets Evaluation Program to help project teams understand whether a transportation safety project’s design is effective, and where there might be opportunities to adjust the design if not. Project evaluation data can also be combined across projects to help the SFMTA track the effectiveness of a certain type of safety improvement, which can in turn streamline the design of future projects. The Safe Streets Evaluation Program helps us work towards achieving Vision Zero , an initiative to prioritize street safety and eliminate traffic deaths in San Francisco.   This week, we’re looking back on five years of data gathered through our Safe Streets Evaluation Program with the “ 2022 Safe Streets Evaluation Summary ,” an interactive website summarizing the results o

The Good Times are Rolling on the Embarcadero Bikeway!

The Good Times are Rolling on the Embarcadero Bikeway! By Eillie Anzilotti If you build it, they will ride.  That’s the main takeaway from the new two-way bikeway along the Embarcadero, which opened earlier this year. The Embarcadero is one of the most vibrant and well-visited public spaces in San Francisco: people flock to the waterfront for Bay views, excellent food, and the popular farmers’ market. With more and more people traveling along the Embarcadero by bike and scooter, the shared-use promenade was, quite simply, getting too crowded. As part of the larger Embarcadero Enhancement Program to improve transportation along the waterfront, the SFMTA’s Vision Zero Quick-Build team recently extended the two-way bikeway between Mission and Howard all the way up to Broadway to provide more space for people traveling by bike and scooter.  Six months after the new bikeway was completed, the main question is: is it working? The answer is a resounding yes. After the bikeway was installe

Chinatown Connects to Muni Metro

Chinatown Connects to Muni Metro By Deanna Leo With the completion of Central Subway, customers will be able to ride the T Third Muni Metro all the way from Visitacion Valley to Chinatown. Starting November 19, when Muni Metro riders can first take Central Subway's special weekend service to Chinatown,  prepare to spend the day in Chinatown enjoying all its sights, sounds and flavors. There is so much to explore in the largest Chinatown outside Asia! Tourist attractions include the Dragon’s Gate, Old St. Mary’s Cathedral and Portsmouth Square, the site of San Francisco’s original customs house where today, members of the Chinese community spend the days singing or playing mahjong, a traditional and very popular tile-based game. Fans of Amy Tan’s novel, The Joy Luck Club, can meander the streets of Chinatown searching for the places where her story unfolds. On Wavery Place you can visit the First Baptist Church where the four mothers in the story meet to play mahjong. Muni M

Over Half Next Generation Muni Shelter Displays Installed with More Upgrades Coming

Over Half Next Generation Muni Shelter Displays Installed with More Upgrades Coming By Kharima Mohamed New Muni service information displays are going into Muni shelters throughout San Francisco with updated features as part of SFMTA’s Next Generation Customer Information System upgrades. As part of our Next Generation Customer Information System (CIS) project , we are installing over 800 new, larger Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) at Muni shelters and stations, replacing existing NextBus signs and expanding real-time information coverage. So far, we are over halfway to completion, with over 435 new displays installed in shelters . New screens show real-time multilingual information including graphics, maps and destinations. New LCD displays (left) are replacing the previous Muni information displays (right). Beginning this fall, Muni predictions on our new and improved Next Generation screens will include: Crowding.  On vehicles equipped with automatic passenger counters, d

Potrero Yard Modernization Project Reaches Milestone

Potrero Yard Modernization Project Reaches Milestone By John Angelico The Potrero Yard Modernization Project has reached a key milestone to replace the obsolete, 107-year-old Potrero Bus Yard with the nation’s first joint development of a bus facility with housing constructed on top. Today, the SFMTA Board of Directors approved awarding the project’s predevelopment agreement (PDA) to Potrero Neighborhood Collective, LLC (PNC) as lead developer (LD). This milestone serves as a starting point for Potrero Neighborhood Collective to work together with the City and project stakeholders to further develop the current concept design and start the process that will produce the final project and housing agreements.  The successful proposal’s conceptual design is for a modern, three-story bus storage and maintenance transit facility and approximately 575 affordable rental units for those with low or moderate incomes. This unique use of a public resource to advance the City’s housing goals wh

Central Subway Opens November 19 with Special Weekend Service

Central Subway Opens November 19 with Special Weekend Service By Mariana Maguire Central Subway special weekend service starts November 19 with service to Chinatown-Rose Pak Station, Union Square/Market Street Station, Yerba Buena/Moscone Station and 4th and Brannan. On Saturday, November 19, the Central Subway makes its historic debut with special weekend service, Saturdays and Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. with trains every 12 minutes.  During this special weekend service, customers will have a chance to ride through the new Central Subway for free and get to know the four new stations: Chinatown-Rose Pak at Stockton and Clay streets, Union Square/Market Street Station at Geary and Stockton streets, Yerba Buena/Moscone Station at 4th and Folsom and the new 4th & Brannan stop at 4th and Brannan streets. During the special weekend service, customers can transfer to the new Central Subway service at Powell Station from Muni Metro and BART by walking underground to the new U