Supervisor Carmen Chu: Muni Line Changes Proposed

Recently, Muni's Board of Directors approved a set of recommendations for route changes and improvements to Muni lines. The recommendations were part of the Transit Effectiveness Project, which is the first comprehensive study of our transit system in 25 years. There are a number of changes that have been made to the bus lines and trains, including increases in frequency and expanded service.

Most importantly, I wanted to share with Muni riders that the approved proposal calls for the 66-Quintara to be preserved in its current route. We heard from many residents about the importance of preserving the 66-Quintara line, which was originally proposed for elimination and then for reduced service and a route that would not serve the Outer Sunset residents. With your help, our office was able to successfully advocate to keep the original 66-Quintara route. The new plan for the 66 Quintara is to preserve the existing route, use vans instead of buses and to run the line at 30-minute intervals.

The 16AX and 16BX are also lines that we received much community feedback on. After hearing that residents disagreed with a combined line, we shared this information with Muni and it reconsidered the consolidation. The two lines will now remain separate in their current routes.

Other changes to lines mostly spanning District 4 include:

- N-Judah and L-Taraval: Service would be increased during peak periods;

- 71L, 29 Sunset: Service would be increased during the midday. The 71 and 71L will be combined into one line, and would operate all day Ð making local stops in the avenues and limited stops on Haight Street;

- 28L: Would run all day and be extended through the Marina to Van Ness Avenue and to the Balboa Park BART and Mission Street;

- 48-Quintara: Service would be expanded to seven days a week and would serve Ocean Beach at all times;

- 18: Would be rerouted away from the southern portion of Lake Merced to provide a more direct link to Stonestown. Service along John Muir Drive and Lake Merced would be replaced by a rerouted 17-Parkmerced that would serve Daly City BART and the Westlake Shopping Center in Daly City.

The next step in the TEP is for Muni to conduct an Environmental Impact Report and develop a master plan for implementing these changes, some of which will occur beginning July 2009.

In the meantime, our office will continue to advocate for improvements to our public transportation experience.

For more information on additional transit lines and the approved recommendations, visit the Web site at www.sftep.com.

Please do not hesitate to contact our office if we can be helpful at (415) 554-7460 or chustaff@sfgov.org.

Supervisor Carmen Chu represents District 4.