Geary BRT

The car-brained of San Francisco, with the help of a certain supervisor, want to quash the project under the guise of "concern for the poor"

Muni's 38-Geary riders may get some relief even before bus rapid transit lanes come to the line's Richmond segment in 2019. The SFMTA and SF County Transportation Authority are developing plans to install "early" improvements over the next few years, like bus bulbs, extended transit-only lanes, and transit signal priority.

Once bus rapid transit is finally up and running, Geary Boulevard will carry thousands fewer cars every day in 2020, compared to a scenario where it doesn't get built.

Correction 12/17: The next community meeting on Geary BRT is tonight, Tuesday, at 5:30 p.m. at the Main Public Library.

When it comes to providing the fastest, most reliable bus rapid transit service on Geary Boulevard, cutting out bus passing lanes and "consolidating" local and express services might sound like a downgrade. But according to transit consultant Jarrett Walker, such a configuration could actually provide a superior level of service. It's all about using the right metrics to judge travel times.

Update: This plan may not be "watered down" after all. See our follow-up report here.

The new plan for California Pacific Medical Center's Cathedral Hill campus at Van Ness Avenue and Geary Boulevard calls for a far less massive facility than originally planned, but the number of car parking spaces per bed will actually be higher.

Bus Rapid Transit on Geary Boulevard was originally slated to open last year. But today, planners are looking at a launch in 2020 -- an eight-year setback for a project that was supposed to take advantage of low costs to get off the ground quickly.

Just after San Francisco approved a preferred design for its first Bus Rapid Transit route on Van Ness Avenue, the SF County Transportation Authority showcased the latest conceptual proposals for a companion BRT project on Geary Boulevard.