Transit Briefs: BART Train Length and Schedule Changes, Muni Increasing Service …
Here are three quick updates about two big transit services and one itty-bitty one.
BART lengthens trains, starts new schedule on Monday
BART reduced its train lengths almost three years ago from ten to 6 or 8 cars in part to allow more frequent service. But with ridership steadily increasing—over 200,000 weekday riders as of June—overcrowding was becoming a problem again, and the agency decided to go back to full-length trains. In addition, on Monday, August 10, it will launch a major schedule adjustment. From a BART statement:
By making a change in how trains travel through Daly City Station and operating it as a center platform station, service will be improved throughout the system with more even headways, better transfers, and less train congestion.
With these improvements, some departure times will shift by a few minutes, and we encourage riders to check the schedule before August 10, 2026, to see if their trip is impacted.
What’s really nice is the new schedule will result in more regular and predictable headways, as seen in this chart below:
Blue and Green Line trains will also be more evenly spaced. Check out the BART info page for all the details.
Muni also adding more service
San Francisco Muni is also adding service in response to increases in ridership. The agency currently sees about 538,000 average weekday system-wide boardings. That’s still about 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels, but signs are good that the recovery will continue.
In light of that, Muni decided to implement new schedules which will go into effect on Saturday. Here are the most significant improvements from SFMTA:
- Buses on the 1 California will arrive every nine minutes instead of every ten minutes. Buses will come every four to five minutes between Presidio and downtown.
- During peak hours, the N Judah will arrive every nine minutes instead of every 10 minutes. We also aim to reduce congestion at the La Playa terminal as part of these changes.
- All 5R Fulton Rapid trips will use 60-foot buses instead of a mix of 40- and 60-foot buses. The route will run every 10 minutes. The larger buses will provide more room than the route had before the February 2026 service changes.
- Muni trips on several other routes including the 22 Fillmore and 29 Sunset will see added some capacity hours. This is also true for the 38R Geary Rapid and 49 Van Ness-Mission during morning peak hours. And the 29 Sunset will notice some added capacity in the evening.
Read about all the route changes on SFMTA’s blog.
Woodstock blows a gasket
People who have come to depend on Woodstock, the Oakland-Alameda water shuttle, were in for a disappointment this week: no service, thanks to a damaged engine. “The water shuttle experienced an internal component failure; we think it is a head gasket but decided to change it out with our spare,” explained Alexis Matsui with San Francisco Bay Ferry. “We anticipate … Woodstock can resume service on Friday.”
Meanwhile, Woodstock celebrated its two-year anniversary last month. The “pilot” service also got extended until 2028, thanks to its stellar total ridership of 251,000 passengers and 60,000 bicycles so far (on a boat that only holds 31 people). Plans are now afoot to go beyond a pilot and extend the service for ten years. That would no doubt require two boats instead of one, so breakdowns don’t result in a total suspension of service.
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