The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has started its Townsend Street Improvement Project which will provide safety enhancements along the now heavily-used corridor.
Initially, the most noticeable impact will be construction along Townsend Street between the Caltrain station at 4th Street and westward towards 5th Street. On that block, project partner San Francisco Public Works will build a new sidewalk island with bus boarding zones and protected bikeways, with many needed improvements to curb ramps, catch basins and the street.
Reconfiguring Townsend Street to allow for construction includes removing all parking on the block from 4th to 5th streets, as well as removing the on-street bike share station by Caltrain (the on-sidewalk station will remain). Starting Sept. 7th, the 47 Van Ness and 83X Mid-Market Express buses will have stops moved across the street, as those lines will now run down 5th Street. They will continue along Townsend Street turning left at 3rd Street to resume their routes. Also, the taxi zone will be temporarily relocated around the corner onto 4th Street during construction and new temporary passenger loading zones will be created near Townsend/Lusk.
As construction progresses throughout the rest of the year, additional safety improvements for pedestrians and people on bicycles will extend along Townsend Street all the way to the traffic circle at 8th Street. During this time period, access will always be maintained for vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles, with changes to accommodate construction crews working on Townsend Street.
Throughout this project, SFMTA have worked with the local community to design and build an efficient and safe Townsend Street where all modes of travel are separated into comfortable and intuitive spaces. When complete, the project will transform Townsend Street from 3rd Street to 8th Street by creating a more organized roadway and streetscape for all.
