San Francisco, CA – As September’s Transit Month comes to a close, Mayor London N. Breed and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) mark 10 years of the City’s Muni Forward program.
Muni Forward was launched to redesign City streets and improve transit speed and reliability as part of the San Francisco’s commitment to creating safer streets and more reliable transit options. To date, the City has completed 100 miles of new transit and reliability improvements, including red transit lanes, enhanced bus stops to help riders board faster and more efficiently, and traffic signals that stay green for buses and trains.
The SFMTA’s Muni Forward has helped expand San Francisco’s transit system. Per capita, the City now has over twice the transit-only lane miles compared to New York City.
Muni Forward projects have:
- Reduced travel times by up to 35%
- Improved transit service that is up to 51% more reliable, resulting in more consistent arrival and departures times.
- Reduced injury collisions on multiple Muni Forward corridors by 50% or more.
"San Francisco’s transportation system is a critical component to the City’s infrastructure – getting people to and from work, kids to and from school, and bringing residents and visitors to all of the entertainment, sports events and restaurants and bars San Francisco is known for,” said Mayor London Breed. “It is a top priority to making sure that our transportation system delivers reliable, safe and efficient results, and with our sustained focus through Muni Forward we are seeing real progress. I want to thank our Muni operators and maintenance workers, and all the SFMTA staff for making these significant improvements.”
“It’s not at all surprising that Muni riders have given us higher ratings this year than at any other time in the agency’s history. We’ve made Muni fast, frequent and reliable, and riders can feel the improvements. That’s why the lines where we’ve made Muni Forward investments are seeing the highest ridership in the Muni system,” said SFMTA Director of Transportation Jeff Tumlin.
Before Muni Forward, buses were moving slower, buses were bunching up at each stop, and crowding was a common occurrence, resulting in longer-than-acceptable wait times and an unfavorable customer experience. Muni Forward identified areas of concern and focused on low-cost and effective solutions to improve service quality, including our Quick-Build Program, to reengineer the streets and give transit priority.
Muni Forward has been critical in delivering improvements post-pandemic:
- Faster ridership recovery on Muni Forward corridors since 2020
- 14R Mission Rapid: 118% of pre-pandemic ridership
- 22 Fillmore: 129% of pre-pandemic ridership
- 49 Van Ness/Mission: 140% of pre-pandemic ridership
“Our work isn’t stopping here,” said SFMTA Transit Director Julie Kirschbaum. “In the near future, we will focus on transforming Muni rail. The Train Control Upgrade Program will allow longer trains, and reduce crowding, so the rail system meets its full potential. We will be installing new boarding islands and transit plazas, among other improvements, on the K Ingleside, M Ocean View and J Church Lines. And we are developing longer-term improvements to alleviate delays on the N Judah and T Third lines.”
Muni Forward program has also saved money. By making buses and trains move faster, SFMTA has freed up time for transit operators and vehicles to provide more service elsewhere in the City. Without these improvements, San Francisco would have spent an estimated $5-10 million more per year in operating costs for today’s service.
Examples of Muni Forward Improved Lines
- 49 Van Ness/Mission (Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit): Up to 36% time savings on Van Ness Avenue between Lombard and Mission streets
- 14 Mission /14R Mission Rapid: Up to 31% time savings in SoMa
- 30 Stockton: Up to 24% time savings on 3rd Street during morning rush hour (7–9 a.m.)
- 38 Geary/38 Geary Rapid: Up to 18% time savings from Van Ness Avenue to Park Presidio Boulevard.
- 5 Fulton/5R Fulton Rapid: Up to 12% time savings on Fulton Street
- 1 California: Up to 11% time savings
- 7 Haight: Up to 11% time savings between Laguna and Stanyan Streets
Muni Forward also supports San Francisco’s Vision Zero policy, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths. Our improvements have helped make streets safer, with fewer crashes and injuries.
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