Muni

Central Subway planners got the green light from the SF Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors today to pursue a new plan that could cut down on the expected construction disruption in North Beach while also keeping the path clear for an eventual extension of the line to the neighborhood.

Planners at the SF Municipal Transportation Agency this Saturday unveiled options for redesigning Polk Street as a better place for walking, biking, socializing, and transit. The proposed concepts [PDF] show different ways to arrange the limited amount of street space for traffic lanes (which serve buses on Muni's 19-Polk line), bike lanes, expanded pedestrian areas, and spots for vehicle loading and parking.

The developing plan to overhaul Second Street with protected bike lanes and pedestrian safety upgrades took another step forward yesterday when staff from the SF Municipal Transportation Agency, the Department of Public Works, and the Planning Department presented more refined design options to the public.

With any increase in the number of people living and working in San Francisco comes an added strain on the city's streets and transit system. To account for that, San Francisco collects fees on new development -- with an exception carved out for just about any non-profit organization. That means that even massive developments like hospitals, university campuses, or museums -- which generate thousands of daily trips -- may pay nothing to help the city's transportation agencies accommodate them.

With backing from the Board of Supervisors yesterday, free Muni for low-income youth may finally come to fruition if approved by the SF Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors on December 4.

The 76-Marin Headlands, a lightly-used route that has the lowest on-time performance of any Muni line, will be converted into a new route starting tomorrow that is expected to improve reliability, run more frequently, and better serve popular destinations. The revamped line, dubbed the 76x-Marin Headlands Express, will also run on Saturdays in addition to the old schedule of Sundays and holidays.

BART and Muni Metro riders who bike to Civic Center Station would have less reason to worry about getting their wheels stolen if a planned bike station is installed next June, potentially adding a sectioned-off parking area and a fix-it-yourself repair station.

This weekend's massive convergence of events saw possibly one of SF's largest influxes of travelers ever. And by many accounts, the city's efforts to get visitors to come by transit, foot, and bike were largely a success.

New green-backed sharrows, Muni shelters, planters, art murals and more were installed in recent weeks as part of the ongoing improvements to the bike and transit hub at Duboce Avenue and Church Street.