The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has completed the first phase of the 16th Street Improvement Project from Potrero to 3rd Street.
Improvements includes new signalized intersections; new transit islands and transit bulbs for safer and more efficient bus boarding; new pedestrian bulbs to reduce the crossing distance; new ADA ramps at each intersection; 50 new native trees; curb-to-curb paving; and new sewer and water pipes.
The completion of this phase means a safer and an overall more pleasant experience for the community, bus riders and pedestrians, says SFMTA. This project, which was completed in less than 18 months, made community-informed improvements to address the needs of current and future residents and is part of Muni Forward, an initiative to create a safe, reliable and comfortable experience on and off transit.
Completion of construction of this phase also means that SFMTA is one step closer to rerouting 22 Fillmore to serve Mission Bay, traveling east on 16th Street to 3rd Street to utilize the full transit lane and serve Mission Bay medical centers, retail and residences. The timeline for the move is planned for this fall.
The 22 Fillmore typically serves 18,000 daily riders, traveling at less than four miles per hour on parts of 16th Street. To improve transit reliability and travel times by nearly 25 percent while addressing safety and accessibility, the 16th Street Improvement Project installed new transit amenities such as new transit islands and transit bulbs that support faster and safer boarding. New traffic signals were installed at Utah, San Bruno, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Missouri streets, in addition to three new traffic signals on 17th Street that help improve traffic flow and make it safer for people to cross 16th Street. The transit lane will be painted red and bus shelters will be installed at the new transit boarding islands prior to the 22 Fillmore serving those stops this fall. In addition, completed work includes installation of new sewer and water infrastructure updating an outdated system that now better supports those living and working along 16th Street.
Next up: 16th Street from Church Street to Potrero Avenue
In addition to the eastern section of 16th Street, the west side of 16th Street from Church to Potrero will also undergo construction, including upgrading the sewer line and installing transit amenities like transit bulbs to support more reliable 22 Fillmore service in the Mission. The second phase of the project from Church to Potrero will be delivered through a separate construction project and is anticipated to begin work in early 2021.
