SFMTA announces improvements to five of the busiest bus lines

Sept. 30, 2019
Improvements to the corridor include transit-only lanes, increased passenger and commercial loading and reducing the number of through lanes of traffic to two.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)’s 4th Street Transit Improvement Project is planning improvements to the corridor to benefit five of SFMTA’s busiest bus lines.

Nearly 40 buses operate per hour at peak times in the 4th Street corridor.

The 4th Street Transit Improvement Project is part of Muni Forward’s system-wide approach to transit priority improvements and complements changes being implemented on 3rd Street as part of the 3rd Street Transit and Safety Project. Taken together, these projects should substantially reduce transit delays on 3rd and 4th streets in SoMa for thousands of daily customers, according to SFMTA.

For more than six years, 4th Street has been temporarily reconfigured to accommodate construction of the SFMTA Central Subway project under the street. With construction equipment removed from the roadway in late August, 4th Street is now ready for improvements.

The 4th Street Transit Improvement Project proposes upgrades to reduce bus delays and improve pedestrian safety on the corridor.

· Dedicated, full-time, red transit-only lane, separate from turning traffic;

· Combine Howard and Folsom's bus stops at the future Central Subway station to improve connectivity;

· Increase passenger and commercial loading; and

· Reduce the number of through lanes of traffic to two, improving pedestrian safety.

See the diagram for the proposed design of 4th Street approaching Howard.

The project proposal received feedback from a diverse group of stakeholders including Muni customers, community organizations, citywide advocacy organizations, local merchants, hotels, institutional stakeholders and residents of senior communities.

The 4th Street Transit Improvement Project will be presented to the SFMTA Board of Directors for approval on Oct. 1, 2019.