Public transportation is back, baby!
Those of us who rely on public transportation to get around the City are thrilled to see the reopening of some key routes starting tomorrow. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced the COVID-19 Muni Core Service Plan, which will reopen all Muni Metro subway stations starting tomorrow, May 15. The historic F Market & Wharves streetcar route is also coming back.
SFMTA kicked off their reopening with the Boat Tram giving rides along its Embarcadero route from the Steuart Street stop by the Ferry Building to Pier 39. San Franciscans everywhere were stoked to see this local icon once again sailing down the streets! Mayor London Breed even showed up for a ride.
coming back the other way now 😊 pic.twitter.com/3DSV6aBhFG
— The Boat Tram (@boattramsf) May 14, 2021
San Francisco’s historic streetcars will also return to the F Market and Wharves lines, which service between Fisherman’s Wharf and the Castro. They will operate from 11am to 7pm daily every 12 minutes.
Rail service will return on the N Judah and KT Ingleside-Third routes, which will improve transit times downtown and across the rest of the City. Muni has also added the 36/52 Special, a new temporary bus route serving Forest Hill, Miraloma, and Sunnyside. It’s designed to improve access to hospitals and vaccination sites in hilly areas of the City. See a full list of service changes here.
SFMTA works to make Muni as accessible as possible to the City. Their goal is to increase routes so that 98% of San Franciscans live within 2-3 blocks of a Muni stop. As of January 23, 91% of San Franciscans now have that access.
SFMTA recently undertook a massive overhaul of their subway system, bringing WiFi and cell service to the stations along with improved lighting, track grinding and more. You can even scan your clipper card from your iPhone!
[Featured Image: Courtesy of Jeremy Whiteman from @talesoftherails]