S.F. transit agency's plan to speed Muni service

[Jonno]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/20/BA7M1NNQGT.DTL#ixzz1pqvkUpI8

A plan to speed Muni buses will bring all-door boarding this summer, synchronized traffic lights within two years and specially colored bus lanes and relocated stops by 2017.

Municipal Transportation Agency planners have been working since 2008 on the Transit Effectiveness Project, a comprehensive study of how to improve transit service, but the progress has been slowed by budget woes and service cuts. Now the agency is moving forward with plans to speed travel times on eight of its busiest lines by as much as 30 percent.

"It makes sense to focus on the routes where we'll benefit the most people," said Julie Kirschbaum, the project manager, who outlined the plan Tuesday at an agency board meeting.

The agency is completing required environmental studies on the project, and will hold a series of community meetings beginning March 31. Some of the proposals - especially eliminating and moving bus stops - are expected to be contentious.

"We're headed out to the community to see where the proposals work, and where they don't," she said.

The eight routes proposed for the so-called rapid bus improvements include: J-Church; N-Judah from La Playa to Church Street; 5-Fulton from La Playa to Market Street; 8X-Bayshore Express from Geneva and Ocean avenues to San Bruno and Silver avenues; 14-Mission from Daly City BART Station to the Embarcadero; 22-Fillmore from 16th and Church streets to Third and Church streets; 28-19th Avenue from Junipero Serra Boulevard to California Street, and 30-Stockton from Van Ness Avenue and Chestnut Street to Stockton and Market streets.

Other changes being considered include construction of new bus boarding islands and widened sidewalk boarding zones, creating right turn lanes for nontransit vehicles, prohibiting nontransit vehicles from making turns that impede buses and widening narrow lanes that force buses to use two lanes.

Directors said they liked the plans but wanted to make sure riders, merchants and residents along the affected lines were informed of the plans, especially the bus stop relocations and eliminations. But Director Cheryl Brinkman said criticism shouldn't stop the project from surging ahead.

"With any change, you can find someone who is harmed by it or perceives they will be harmed by it," she said. "But we have to keep in mind that this is in keeping with our objectives."

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Twitter: @ctuan. mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/20/BA7M1NNQGT.DTL#ixzz1ptJdtlNZ

Now that is a Smart and On Track city!