Goodbye, weekend N-Judah service along the Embarcadero. Image: SFMTAThe MTA today announced the specific Muni service changes it will make on December 5 as part of its efforts to close a $129 million budget gap. Half of Muni's bus routes and one of its rail routes are affected, with changes including discontinued or shortened routes and altered service hours and frequencies. To soften the impact, several routes will get increased service. Six routes will be discontinued altogether: the 4-Sutter, 7-Haight, 20-Columbus, 26-Valencia, 53-Southern Heights, and 89-Laguna Honda.
None of the specific changes come as a surprise, since the MTA has discussed the plans at several of its board meetings (including a prolonged debate among Richmond district residents over the 2-Clement's new terminus.) The agency has repeatedly said the changes do not represent implementation of the Transit Effectiveness Project, but that the TEP did inform the changes, making them more surgical and logical.
"These Muni service changes are the results of months of work by SFMTA staff and countless stakeholders," said MTA Executive Director Nat Ford in a press release. "We must apply this same diligence to ensure that all our customers understand these extensive changes."
While the MTA's TEP data has made the service changes less painful than they could be, the agency is not yet out of the water financially, and sources say the agency faces a mid-year deficit nearing $50 million. This round of service cutbacks also did not amount to the projected savings the agency had hoped for. That could mean further, even more painful service cuts if the agency isn't able to increase its revenues or cut costs elsewhere.
See the complete list of changes on the SFMTA's website.
