San Francisco: Muni Metro Subway, F-Line To Resume Could 15

May 13, 2021

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May 10, 2021

Improvements made during the pandemic include maintenance upgrades for smoother journeys and improvements like WiFi in tunnels

San Francisco, CA. – Mayor of London N. Breed and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) today announced the full Muni service plan and upgrades to the Muni Metro. All Muni metro stations will reopen and the historic F-Line tram will be back in service on Saturday 15th May. To further maximize access to Muni across the city, a new bus route is being added to the service plan to serve the neighborhoods of the subway west side of San Francisco. The introduction of additional services coincides with the reopening of businesses and activities across the city. Muni service is an important part of San Francisco’s economic recovery.

“To move San Francisco forward, we have to do everything we can to get Muni back to full functionality,” said Mayor Breed. “As we reopen more shops and activities, it is important that our transit service can accommodate more passengers and help people get around our city. This weekend, the Muni metro service, the F-line and more complete Track back and Muni comes back even stronger with new improvements like Wi-Fi in the subway tunnels. “

In addition to reopening the subway stations and the F Line, the N Judah subway will resume its full route between Ocean Beach and 4th and King Streets (Caltrain) on May 15, extending the T Third westward portal and then continue as K Ingleside to Balboa Park Station. With the return of rail travel to these routes, customers will have faster transit times in the downtown area as well as other popular destinations such as Castro, City College, Ocean Beach, Golden Gate Park, Oracle Park, Chase Center, UCSF Parnassus, and UCSF Mission Bay and Caltrain.

Muni trains will travel through a much more reliable subway system. Muni employees used this rare, extended metro shutdown as an opportunity to expedite other upgrades and necessary maintenance. During normal operations, subway maintenance teams can only work for a few hours a day when trains are not running.

Important improvements for Muni Metro drivers are:

Wi-Fi availability thanks to routers installed in stations and cellular antennas installed in the tunnels.
Installation of new signposts and signposts at the Castro and Church stations.
Faster and smoother journeys through improvements to the overhead line and rail loops.
Art in public space at the entrance and exit of the Castro and West Portal stations.

After working closely with dealers from Castro, Mid-Market, and Fisherman’s Wharf, the entire F Market & Wharves route from Fisherman’s Wharf to Market and Castro will once again be used in San Francisco’s popular historic trams. This return to service will help support the reopening and return of tourism to the city.

In response to customer feedback for improved service connecting hospitals, grocery stores and vaccination centers in hilly areas, the SFMTA is also introducing a temporary new combined route – the 36/52 special. This bus route will serve the hill districts of Forest Hill, Miraloma and Sunnyside on a loop between Forest Hill Station and Glen Park Station. Currently, 91% of Franciscans are within two to three blocks of a Muni stop, including 100% of residents in San Francisco’s neighborhoods listed in the Muni Service Equity Strategy.

“Without public transportation, there is no economic recovery,” said Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA transportation director. “Our people are committed to keeping San Francisco moving and working tirelessly to bring Muni service back better than ever.”

May 15, 2021 Muni Service changes

The service times for each route are given below. The opening times of the owl network are from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. For more information on frequency and opening times, see the COVID-19 Muni Core Service Plan.

F Market & Quays

The historic tram will return to service between 17th and Castro Streets and Jones and Beach Streets.

From Castro: approx. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (first ride from Castro train station at 10:50 a.m.)
From Fisherman’s Wharf: approximately 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Use the L-Bus or L-Owl for local service along Market Street during the hours when the F is not on.

K Ingleside / T third

The K Ingleside and T Third will mesh as KT Ingleside-Third and expand the service between Balboa Park and Sunnydale. This route uses the newly opened Muni U-Bahn station, which serves all stations between West Portal and Embarcadero.

Weekdays: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Weekends: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Between the hours of the owl service (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) and the rail traffic, the Muni Metro buses run on weekdays from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on weekends from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The K-Bus runs between Balboa Park and West Portal Station daily from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

During the weekend, the K Ingleside bus runs between Balboa Park and Embarcadero-Ferry Plaza from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and the T Third bus runs between Embarcadero-Ferry Plaza and Sunnydale.

N Judah

Rail traffic will resume for the entire route, with two-car trains replacing the underground buses. Drivers have more space and fewer overtaking maneuvers as the two-car train increases the capacity of the N Judah.

Weekdays: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Weekends: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Muni’s metro buses run from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. and from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

K bus, L bus and L owl

These lines will no longer serve Forest Hill Station directly. For more information, see the K Bus, L Bus and L Owl route pages.

36/52 special *

Temporary new combined route between Forest Hill Station and Glen Park Station for the parishes of Glen Park, Sunnyside and Miraloma. The route will serve the Laguna Honda Hospital.
The inbound route (clockwise) includes an additional loop on Clarendon.

8 Bayshore

The current 8AX Bayshore “A” Express becomes the 8 Bayshore Short between City College and Kearny at Pacific. The service for this route ends daily at 7:30 p.m.

8 Bayshore Long will continue to operate between City College and Fisherman’s Wharf.
The 8 Bayshore will return on its pre-pandemic route, heading north on Kearny rather than Stockton.

In order to stop the spread of COVID-19, face masks are required under federal law in Muni stations when buying a ticket and when waiting, boarding, driving or exiting transit. You can find more information about the services of the SFMTA on their website.

This news release was prepared by the office of the Mayor of San Francisco. The views expressed here are the author’s own.