Unlike many major cities that have a centralized public transportation system, the San Francisco Bay Area is made up of multiple regions, each with its own public transit system — many of which transport people both locally and into San Francisco. These different systems mean you have many options, but public transportation in San Francisco can be a bit confusing.

But no worry. We’ll explain all of the Bay Area’s transit systems, their shortcuts, how they connect, and how to use buses, cable cars, light rail, and BART. Read on to learn the best ways to get around San Francisco and the Bay Area.

What public transportation is available in San Francisco?

Let’s start with the breakdown of the different public transit systems in the Bay Area and San Francisco, starting with:

What is the difference between BART and Muni?

BEARD

While BART — short for Bay Area Rapid Transit — is probably San Francisco’s best-known transit, it’s actually a regional rail system. BART has a handful of overground and underground train lines that connect cities in the East Bay to the Peninsula via a central main line through San Francisco. (Each line is a different color and identified by its final destination.) BART provides excellent access to both Oakland International Airport and San Francisco International Airport. to get from the East Bay to San Francisco; and to get to some of the city’s key neighborhoods, such as the Mission, the Financial District, and the Embarcadero. However, due to its limited route through the city’s central corridor, BART is not the primary mode of transportation in San Francisco.

A BART train.

Mark Miller Photos/Getty Images

Insider tip: When I was in college at Berkeley, many a night ended up sprinting for the last train back to the East Bay since BART stopped running around midnight. Luckily, there’s an all-nighter bus service these days, serving a handful of routes roughly every 30 minutes from midnight to 5am

View the full BART map here and use the trip planner to plan your next ride.

ammunition

Operated by SFMTA (San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency) – this acronym can be found at train stations across the city – “Muni” stands for “Municipal”. Muni is the most used form of public transportation in San Francisco and is the best way to get around the city. Muni includes: buses and electric bus trolleys, light rail subways, and the historic cable cars and streetcars that San Francisco is famous for.

In addition to the Muni, there is also some free public transport to get people to and from the city’s main parks. The Presidio GO is a free shuttle that travels around the Presidio and also provides service to downtown and the Embarcadero BART station. Golden Gate Park also offers free shuttle service around the park.

Two Muni Metro light rail cars pass each other in the Outer Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco.

Spondylolithesis/Getty Images/iStockphoto

insider tip: Don’t be confused if you hear someone say, “Let’s take Muni” to refer specifically to the light rail – although “Muni” encompasses the entire transportation system, some people use it to refer to the inner-city subway facility, to be different from BART. For other means of transport, one might be a bit more specific, even if they are also part of Muni: “Let’s take the bus”, “Let’s take the cable car”, etc.

The full Muni system map can be found here. You can also use Muni’s travel planner to navigate around the city.

Connection to the city from the region

Since each county and county in the area has its own public transit system, you should also learn about the other major Bay Area public transit systems that serve San Francisco. There are over a dozen smaller ones, but the biggest are:

Most of these systems use buses, while BART and Caltrain run trains, and Muni and VTA have light rail subways in addition to buses. There are also a number of commuter ferries to cross the bay, including boats operated by Golden Gate Ferry and San Francisco Bay Ferry.

insider tip: The 511.org website has the most comprehensive information on all the different agencies. However, since the service has ditched its trip planner, Google Maps — with public transit as a transportation option — is actually one of the best ways to plan your route across multiple agencies and factor in public transit. Being able to cycle between different stops and transit points saves you a lot of time and allows you to get to know the city in a new way.

A Clipper card reader on an electric bus in San Francisco, California.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

How to use public transportation in SF

Most public transit in San Francisco is not free, but there are discounts for seniors and students. There are also tickets for unlimited travel for set periods and volume discounts.

Muni has a $5 daily pass for unlimited rides — except on cable cars. Because the cable cars are such a popular tourist destination, the ride is one-way only (it is not possible to transfer between the cable cars).

You can purchase tickets and pay the fare at the BART and Muni stations before walking through the gates. Muni also has its own app, or you can pay cash when boarding Muni buses (but not subway lines). Muni buses use a proof of payment system, which means there are fare inspectors who board the bus and hand out fines to passengers who have not paid.

BART will only issue tickets on a plastic Clipper card when you purchase your BART fare. This is confusing considering I just told you there are so many different transport systems, but it helps so be patient: In fact, the Clipper Card works on all public transit systems in the Bay Area and when you register it with an account, discounts are automatically applied – making it the easiest way to pay and multi-route. You can purchase a Clipper card at BART stations before boarding the train, at attendant kiosks, and at some Walgreens locations; You can also set up Clipper on your phone.

Insider tip: BART and CalTrain require you to tap your Clipper card twice: once when boarding and once when disembarking. However, there is no need to get off Muni buses or light rail, as fares do not depend on the distance traveled (instead, each fare is for 120 minutes, including all transfers).

Being caught in rush hour traffic, like here on the Bay Bridge, is a powerful incentive to use the Bay Area’s public transit system.

Charles Donaldson / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm

Should you drive or use public transport?

The answer really depends on where you are going. Most public transportation in San Francisco is located downtown and along the main corridor of Market Street. Once you get further out, say in the Sunset or Richmond neighborhoods, there are far fewer options and stops. However, there are many buses that serve these more remote areas and cycling can be easier here as it is less dense. The streets are a bit wider and there are designated Slow Streets where speed limits and traffic are restricted. With a little planning, it’s entirely possible to navigate the city without a car – it also saves you the stress of parking and traffic.

Most regional transit systems are also designed to carry people downtown, to SoMa, and along Market Street. That’s because regional public transport is primarily a commuter service and therefore focuses on getting people to and from where most offices are located – downtown, at least in pre-Corona times. The Salesforce Transit Center between Mission and Howard on 1st Street is also a major transportation hub for transfers between Muni, Golden Gate Transit, AC Transit, SamTrans and even Greyhound. (The CalTrain main station is a little further south on 4th Street, near Mission Bay and Oracle Park.)

All of this means that it’s easiest to get around in the core downtown area. It’s also terrible to drive and park in this area – recently it took me 20 minutes to cover a half mile during morning rush hour. So if you’re visiting popular travel destinations, attending major events or games, or traveling on common commutes, use public transportation. However, if you plan to travel more to the outskirts of town or for hikes and nearby small towns, you may need to consider other options, including driving or hiring a ride-sharing service.

Insider tip: Most games, concerts and events in San Francisco are connected by public transportation, saving you money and time. For example, there are special ferries that go directly to Oracle Park for Giants games and Pier 48 ½ for Warriors games. Muni also offers an express service to the new Chase Center on event days. With your event ticket you can ride Muni all day for free (except cable cars); Just show it as proof of payment.

This story was edited by Kristina Moy, Editor-in-Chief of Hearst Newspapers; You can contact her at kristina.moy@hearst.com.

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(This is the first in a series of articles from Enghouse Transportation, one of our advertising sponsors. Enghouse is hosting a free webinar on April 5th about modern fare collection systems and how they benefit transit operators, passengers and employees.)

Transit industry leaders are beginning to adopt new fare payment technologies that can help revolutionize the industry.

For decades, many transport companies have required passengers on their systems to pay in cash or to obtain an official account with a transport card or passport. They often require passengers to purchase tickets from kiosks or ticket offices, which can be plagued by long queues or frustrating delays. The cards and passes were independent of other payment systems customers might use, such as credit cards or debit cards, and some required minimum balances.

Enghouse Transportation is part of a paradigm shift in the industry, away from such “closed-loop” payment systems and towards new open-loop contactless payments that allow public transport passengers to use the same credit and debit cards they already use use for routine purchases. Experts say that these payment systems are the wave of the future.

Enghouse Transportation has established itself as an industry leader in open-loop payment systems in the Netherlands and Central and Eastern Europe and brings this know-how to the US market.

His recently published guide “What to Look For in an Automated Fare Collection Solution” [we should add a link for this] explains how an Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system works.

There are four basic elements of an AFC system:

· The network connection – The Payment Acceptance Device (PAD) must have an internet connection at the station or on board the transit vehicle.

· The Customer Transaction – A driver holds their contactless smart card, smartphone or handheld device to the PAD to validate the payment.

· The Back Office – The payment processor’s back office applies the agency’s fare rules, rebookings and fare caps to calculate the correct and best fare.

· The bank transaction – The transaction is forwarded to the merchant’s acquirer and the funds move from the customer’s account to the agency’s account.

The advantages of contactless, open-loop AFC are enormous. The software enables transport companies to limit daily, weekly or monthly tariffs and to grant discounts to certain customers. It enables fast tap-and-pay transactions that reduce boarding times. The contactless nature of payments is useful in reducing contact with potentially contaminated surfaces. The software also provides access to a customer portal where public transport passengers can download receipts, view their travel history and pay for account balances. The system can also make travel planning easier.

The transit industry is moving towards open-loop payment systems. In Visa’s Future of Urban Mobility study, [link?] 88 percent of passengers surveyed said they expect to be able to pay with their fingertips on trains and buses. The report also says more than 700 U.S. transit projects are underway that involve rolling out tap-and-go contactless payment methods.

It’s time to say goodbye to outdated fare systems, prepaid rides, confusing kiosks, paper tickets, proprietary public transit apps and cash handling. Open-loop contactless transit solutions allow riders – whether they are frequent commuters, locals or visitors – to simply use their existing credit card, debit card or mobile wallet to tap and pay for a ride in less than a second.

A development that is accelerating the use of these payment cards is the global switch to chip-enabled payment cards. According to EMVCo, more than nine out of ten card transactions were made with chip-enabled payment cards in 2021. The US saw the highest year-on-year increase, rising nine points from 72.8 percent to 81.7 percent of transactions.

This worldwide acceptance of chip-enabled card technology makes it easier for transport companies to switch to open-loop systems.

To learn more about modern fare collection systems and how they can benefit transit operators, passengers and employees, register for Enghouse’s free webinar on April 5, 2023 at 11:00 am PDT / 2:00 pm EDT.

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People line up to board a 38R Muni bus at Geary Boulevard and Masonic Avenue on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. Work began this week on the new Geary Rapid Project. (Kevin N Hume/SF Examiner)

People line up to board a 38R Muni bus at Geary Boulevard and Masonic Avenue in 2018. Proposition A, a $400 million bond for public transportation, is on the June 7 ballot. (Kevin N Hume/SF Examiner)

by The Examiner Editorial Board

Proposition A, the $400 million Muni Reliability and Street Safety Bond, needs a two-thirds vote to pass on June 7. The bond will continue The City’s investment in safe and reliable public transportation without increasing taxes.

Prop. A will allow San Francisco’s public transportation system to make critical upgrades to reduce wait times, repair aging systems and enhance street safety with new crosswalks and street signals. Making such investments is critical in a densely populated world-class city crisscrossed by various modes of public transport that make it easy to navigate without ever setting foot in a car.

Even if you don’t use public transportation, you still reap its benefits. Every bus or train full of commuters removes scores of cars from our clogged streets. In addition, a robust and modern public transportation system also helps keep our air free of pollution and reduces the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

Prop. A’s opponents argue that it doesn’t address street crime and that it’s time to reduce public investment in public transportation. But these flimsy arguments don’t make sense, and a strong public transportation system is essential to San Francisco’s economic growth.

Prop. A was placed on the ballot with unanimous support from Mayor London Breed and the Board of Supervisors. The Examiner Editorial Board urges a yes vote on Prop. A to keep San Francisco moving forward.

Sign Up For The Daily Newsletter

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The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) provides free van rides to and from San Francisco VA Medical Center at San Francisco, CA to Veterans who don’t have other transportation options. Find out how to schedule a DAV van ride.

About DAV services

DAV van resources work with county Veterans Affairs directors to provide transportation for Veterans to and from Veteran health care centers for scheduled medical appointments.

These vans transport Veterans throughout San Francisco. Each month, between 1,500 and 1,700 Veterans receive DAV transportation.

Arrange a ride

If you’d like to schedule a DAV van ride, contact the Hospital Service Coordinator who serves your county.

San Francisco: Hospital Service Coordinator
Hannah Arabadjis
4150 Clement St
San Francisco, CA 94121
Map of San Francisco campus
phone: 415-379-5612 or 877-487-2838, ext. 25612

Please note that DAV vans can only provide rides to ambulance passengers (passengers who are able to move around without the driver’s help). For information on accessible transportation options, review our other Veteran shuttle services.

Other Veteran shuttle services

Veteran Transportation Service
4150 Clement St
San Francisco, CA 94121
Veteran Transportation Service

Other Veteran-specific transportation services, including buses, shuttles, and wheelchair-accessible transport, are available to patients. Please contact these providers directly to schedule a ride.

Contact:
Michael Gray
Email: Michael.Grauer@va.gov
Phone: 415-221-4810, ext. 25163

Alternate contact:
Ashley Downs
Email: Ashley.Downs@va.gov
Phone: 415-221-4810, ext. 25166

Local transportation options

Many medical centers and clinics are also served by other local transportation services. To find those, review the transportation services information for the facility you want to visit.

Guidelines for using DAV vans

DAV van passengers are expected to follow certain guidelines established by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the DAV National Headquarters. These guidelines include the following:

• All riders must be ambulatory (able to board and exit the van without the driver’s help).
• The DAV van driver is only allowed to stop the van for rest stops, emergencies, and to pick up and drop off passengers. Passengers should not ask the driver to make side trips to take care of their personal business.
• Passengers are not permitted to smoke, chew tobacco, drink alcohol, use foul language, or bring weapons, drugs, or any illegal substance on the van. Van drivers are not required to provide transportation to any Veteran who is intoxicated, abusive, or who poses a threat to the driver or other passengers.
• Passengers should not do anything to distract the driver.
• Passengers should wear seat belts at all times. Any passenger who refuses to wear a seatbelt will be denied transportation.
• If a Veteran needs another individual (for example, a caregiver) to ride in the van with them, they need to get authorization from their VA attending physician or VA-certified nurse practitioner.
• Veterans being discharged or granted passes can ride on a DAV van during the van’s trip back to its home county only if space is available. The veteran must be ready to leave when the van leaves the VA medical center.
• Veterans should be dressed and ready to leave for the hospital at the time specified. Drivers can’t wait for Veterans who aren’t ready to leave at the appointed time.
• Veterans can only bring with them items that they can hold on their lap or store under the seat.
• The DAV van is not an emergency vehicle. The driver may refuse to transport any Veteran who appears to be too ill to ride the van.
• Veterans who use the DAV Transportation Network will not be eligible to receive reimbursement for travel expenses.
  (M-1, Part 1, Chapter 25, July 8, 1991)

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Transport is an essential part of a thriving and just community and economy. We are planning for a future transportation system to provide the reliable and safe transit the San Franciscans desire, to accommodate changes in travel patterns and demographics, and to improve safety. We also need to address the historical flaws like unfair service and long-delayed infrastructure repairs.

We looked at our past and started planning our future. Transportation in San Francisco is on an unsustainable financial path. We are missing $ 50 billion on the transportation system our city will need over the next 30 years. But we can act now to put San Francisco on the road to success. That is what Transportation 2050 is all about.

Over the past 20 years, the demands on San Francisco’s transportation system have increased while revenues have not kept pace. The past decade has seen tremendous growth in San Francisco and its economy. This strength led the SFMTA’s operating income to reach the level we forecast. Strong growth in the city’s general fund compensated for the authority’s declining income from parking and public transport. Since the SFMTA’s financial structure is heavily dependent on these falling parking and transit fee revenues, rising costs have led to a budget deficit. COVID came and exacerbated these longstanding budget challenges.

How did we get here? San Francisco has grown and transportation has changed, but the way we finance transit and our transportation infrastructure hasn’t changed. Uber and Lyft have steadily decreased parking revenues in San Francisco, despite increasing paid parking. The cost of retaining reliable, highly skilled bus and train operators and maintenance staff has increased due to the exceptionally high cost of living in the Bay Area. Nevertheless, we have been understaffed for years. Our tariff discount programs – critical to keeping Muni affordable – have also led to falling fare revenues.

Now the economic shock and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have permanently lowered our sales forecasts. At the start of the pandemic, we immediately tightened our belts and made $ 119 million in cuts in a way that prioritized equity. The current federal aid is a one-time financing that only keeps traffic afloat for a short time.

As expenses increase with the cost of living in the Bay Area and revenues decrease after the federal aid is exhausted, the SFMTA faces a funding gap that cannot be closed. It will take corporate revenues years to recover and the agency remains on a financial path from which it cannot recover on its own. A new source of funding could get the SFMTA back on track.

Community-driven vision

Transportation 2050 is based on the transportation needs and priorities identified by the community over the past eight years through two civic transportation task forces (T2030 and T2045) and the contribution of the city’s Muni Reliability Working Group in 2020, as well as the City’s Transport Vision, powered by ConnectSF infrastructure needs identified in the SFMTA’s 20-year capital plan, and highlights post-COVID priorities from SFMTA’s latest citywide community survey for 2021.

The top priorities of the community survey include:

• Make our service fair
• Provides quick and easy access to all parts of San Francisco
• Improving access to public transport for people with disabilities
• Repair and maintenance of Muni devices and equipment
• Improving service for communities most dependent on transit
• Make sure trips to all destinations work well
• Improving road safety for walking

This is how we focus on your priorities and your vision:

It will take a total of $ 111.3 billion over the next 30 years to meet the demands of San Francisco’s transportation system, but the cost of realizing the Full Vision is much higher than our revenues can support. Over the next 10 years, the gap between fully realizing this vision and the financial reality we face averages $ 1.04 billion per year. We can get part of the way there, but SFMTA cannot do it on its own. We used most of the tools in our toolbox.

Transportation 2050 has identified some new potential revenue streams that could add up to $ 149 million per year and begin the recovery process on which we can build. These include a special tax on transportation, changes to the San Francisco parking tax, a general obligation to repair our infrastructure, standing up for state and federal grants, and income from developing SFMTA real estate, the newest tool in the SFMTA toolbox. Combining these new sources with existing funding would allow us to fund nearly 2/3 of the transportation vision for San Francisco over 30 years and get our transportation system on its way to a more solid financial footing.

Stay tuned for more updates as we work to make this vision a reality while identifying future revenue streams and cost saving strategies to create an equitable and sustainable transportation system for San Francisco. Learn more on our website SFMTA.com/T2050.

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“We look forward to having the Nova Bus LFSe + buses in the San Francisco Community. These zero-emission buses will help keep the air in the city cleaner and provide passengers with a quieter transit experience and a healthier environment, “said Martin Larose, President of NovaBus. “We are proud to partner with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to help bring the charge to the electrification of mass transit in California and about the United States of America. “

With an electric drive motor coupled with next-generation power electronics from BAE Systems, these electric buses offer better fuel economy, longer range, lower maintenance costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The LFSe + is the perfect combination of the proven know-how of Nova Bus with the latest innovations in clean and sustainable technologies.

“SFMTA is proud to be a leader in addressing the climate crisis,” said Julie Kirschbaum, Director of Transit for SFMTA. “We are committed to using the most environmentally friendly vehicle fleet and getting people out of private vehicles and onto more sustainable means of transport.”

“The widespread adoption of electric vehicles continues – including local buses,” said Steve Trichka, Vice President and General Manager of Power & Propulsion Solutions at BAE Systems. “Transport operators value easier maintenance and lower operating costs. Communities appreciate the reduction in harmful emissions and traffic noise, while drivers enjoy the cleaner air, smoother journey and lower carbon footprint.”

Nova Bus strives to continuously improve our products and processes to reduce pollution and waste in every aspect of our business, and the LFSe + is our latest demonstration of that commitment.

Via Nova Bus
Nova Bus is a leading provider of sustainable transport solutions in North America and is part of the Volvo Group. The portfolio includes electric buses, hybrid electric buses, high-performance vehicles and integrated intelligent transport systems. As part of its electromobility strategy, Nova Bus is advancing the electrification of important vehicle components in order to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

Further information on Nova Bus products and services can be found at www.novabus.com.

SOURCE Nova Bus

similar links

www.novabus.com

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A Muni Metro driver may soon be able to enter a station, refer to a centralized map of regional transit connections, and pay a single fixed tariff for travel between providers and counties.

Congregation member David Chiu enacted the Seamless and Resilient Transit Act in the Bay Area on Wednesday. This is the final step in decades of efforts to create a more integrated transport network for the area and encourage residents to get out of their cars.

“Every day, hundreds of thousands of Bay Area residents have experienced a system that is fragmented, unreliable, difficult to use and inefficient,” Chiu said. “That’s the big picture.”

Despite its well-known reputation as a hub of innovation, the Bay Area has historically been home to one of the most inefficient, underutilized and costly transportation networks in the country.

As of 2017, only 5 percent of journeys in the Bay Area were in transit, and the number of per capita transit drivers decreased by 12 percent between 1991 and 2016, according to legislation.

While 31 percent of regional ground workers rely on public transportation, they are often faced with unreliable and misaligned connections between transit providers, high tariffs, long commutes, and in general a system so confusing that the idea of ​​navigating it is daunting enough can instead push someone into a personal vehicle.

The same communities are most likely to bear the brunt of the environmental and health impacts caused by congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.

“We need to rebuild a transit system that works for everyone, especially our low-income residents and our residents of color communities around the bay,” said Chiu. “We need to do this in a way that is efficient, reliable, and has real access so that all of our families and workers can get to their jobs, schools and critical destinations quickly and efficiently.”

Gathering Bill 629 aims to simplify the landscape by focusing on four main areas for improvement: regional mapping and pathfinding; a pilot program for tariff integration; the creation of a network of priority transit routes to identify which corridors need to be addressed most urgently; and mandatory use of real-time open transit data by providers to inform travelers’ decisions.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission would be empowered to determine how the bill’s requirements were carried out, though it would coordinate itself with the transit agencies and be given clear metrics and deadlines to ensure that the nine counties regional facility is on track stay, said Chiu.

If passed, MTC would have to create a pilot program for tariff integration by July 1, 2023 with which a single pass with a uniform tariff structure would be created for travelers in three countries.

It would also mandate the Commission to develop a standardized regional transit mapping and routing system by July 1, 2024, and a plan for its maintenance and funding until the following year.

Chiu introduced a similar bill in February 2020, just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and turned the state’s legislative agenda on its head. The bill was pushed into the background, but a few months later the regional transit leaders formed a working group under the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to begin a dialogue on how to address the region’s lack of integration, the Blue Ribbon Task Force.

Much of this legislation is reflected in AB 629, with the exception of the previous requirement to set up a working group of transit managers for coordination work, a process already being carried out with the Blue Ribbon Task Force.

Now that the region is beginning to rise to the challenge of recreation, the goal of a seamless transit network is more important than ever.

“As we recover, we are all very concerned that our transit systems have been decimated and we need to make sure that as we rebuild and restore we are building a 21st century transit system for the ages,” Chiu said.

The call for a more integrated transportation system in the Bay Area has been around for decades, but it has erupted again and again, even as other cities like Seattle and London have managed to tackle fragmentation.

Opposition often came from transit agency officials, who said the integration of tariffs – and therefore Farebox revenue – could jeopardize their ability to provide reasonable service and maintenance, even though they are anxious to find ways to make timetables better Synchronize and improve pathfinding Keeping up-to-date or acting quickly to respond to local needs.

“We are not saying that there has to be a tariff system today and we have to find out immediately,” said Chiu. “But we say there needs to be a conversation about how people can travel through more than one transit operator while ideally paying a flat rate.”

Details would largely be worked out through the collaboration between these transit agency heads and the MTC.

“Our region cannot wait any longer,” said Chiu.

cgraf@sfexaminer.com

Bay Area NewsPoliticssan francisco newsTransit Transportation

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In what looks like a model railroad enthusiast’s dream come true, a South San Francisco transportation company creates a vision to revolutionize the way the area is traveled.

In the midst of an extensive network of wooden rails, prototype vehicles and elevated platforms, the Glydways team is optimizing an electric shuttle system that is intended to help clear the traffic jams in the region.

Although the model seems a bit crude in its current situation, the company eventually plans to build an autonomous system of small electric cars that can be celebrated like an Uber or Lyft if necessary.

CEO Mark Seeger said the company offered a unique bargain for a high quality driving experience and low cost for cities and users, combined with high capacity and a low carbon footprint.

“We can go to a city like South San Francisco and say, ‘They have a localized transportation problem and we can fix that’ and be viable for them and us, and that has never been done before,” Seeger said.

A rendering of the Glydways model is intended to help remove the congestion in the region.

The system, which is expected to cost around US $ 30 million to build, is intended to provide a connection between public transport stops such as Caltrain, BART or the ferries to concentrated employment offices.

Although the cost can be a sticker shock in some circles, Seeger found that the system is significantly cheaper than other public transportation programs such as light rail or traditional train options.

The isolated Glydways system is not intended to interfere with the roads reserved for cars. So the company claims it will reduce the congestion. It is suggested that Glydways cars travel between 30 and 60 mph with a system capacity between 2,000 and 6,000 drivers.

An initial illustration shows a pilot route extending approximately one mile from the new Caltrain station near downtown along Forbes Boulevard east of Highway 101 to the Genentech campus and the nearby ferry terminal at Oyster Point. However, other iterations show that the route extends to both South San Francisco and San Bruno BART stations, extending the system’s range to more than 4 miles.

The routes could run in a square as small as a bike path or be elevated to limit competition for valuable space in congested areas. South San Francisco is interested in an elevated system, Glydways officials said.

To show the city’s interest in the proposal, South San Francisco officials paid $ 30,000 in July to complete an environmental study. The San Mateo County Supervisory Authority has also shown interest in the program and will make a proposal at an upcoming meeting to help further develop corporate planning.

Supervisor Dave Pine toured the Glydways facility with Mike Futrell, Manager of the City of South San Francisco, in August to get an idea of ​​the company’s vision. And Glydways officials said interest is spreading regionally, with other communities in the Bay Area also intrigued by the proposal.

For his part, Pine admired the ambitious nature of the Glydways vision.

“It’s an interesting combination of autonomous vehicle technology and on-demand service and local transport. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever come across and I’m very intrigued by it, ”he said.

Pine acknowledged that he needed to see more details about the technology, operational details, and funding before drawing any conclusions about the feasibility of the program, and believed this could help solve sticky transportation problems.

“It seems best suited to the last mile challenge,” he said, alluding to the difficulty of connecting commuters to transportation hubs and jobs.

Seeger said the systems make most sense in dense work and residential centers, acknowledging the company has an opportunity to prove its worth to workers hoping to facilitate their commuting as an intermediary for larger public transportation.

To that end, the area east of Highway 101 in South San Francisco could be an ideal location for the construction of the route, Seeger said. Not only because the company’s office is nearby, but also because the existing infrastructure is struggling to meet the demands of the city’s thriving biotech sector.

With the expectation that up to 30,000 more people could work in the city’s life sciences area, Glydways officials believe their system could help offset much of the congestion expected to grow in the area.

Seeger realized that luring drivers out of their car into a public transit alternative is not an easy task, and said the low cost of its service could be a major draw.

The company is able to control costs by building its network of materials available in the open market and running the system efficiently through a uniquely designed system. The potential to reduce fossil fuel reliance with solar power also makes it the most cost-effective.

The result is one that is beneficial to both the operator and the driver. The cost of rides is expected to be in the vicinity of $ 2. That amount is negotiable, however, depending on whether the system is built with public revenue, private equity, or a combination of both, Seeger said.

With the expectation that these terms will continue to be worked out over the course of the company’s time, Seeger said Glydways was content to grow from humble beginnings.

“We like the idea of ​​starting small,” he said from the office next to the work area, which is a miniature version of the company’s big idea.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 105

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UNITED STATES – COVID-19 literally brought California to a standstill. As you can imagine, the demand for public transport has decreased since the stay at home orders came into effect. Even as the Golden State opens up, Californians don’t seem that interested in returning to Caltrans. In fact, many analysts are striving to understand how COVID-19 can permanently transform transportation in California.

While no one knows what the transit will look like after COVID, some trends are emerging. Hopefully these data points will help executives in Sacramento develop actionable transportation policies to keep California moving.

The Mass Transit Meltdown – How COVID Threatens California’s Public Transportation Sector

There is no way to gloss over the devastating effects of COVID-19 on public transportation. New reports suggest that the average number of mass transit journeys in the US fell nearly 60 percent in 2020. With more people avoiding crowded subways and buses, there is little evidence that these numbers will rise again anytime soon.

In fact, new data from Google shows that public transportation demand in California continues to be well below pre-pandemic levels. Tech-savvy San Francisco has been hit particularly hard by the stay-at-home economy. According to Google, the SFMTA driver count fell 70 percent below the average. While these declines aren’t as dramatic as in other California cities, Google estimates that the number of drivers in Los Angeles and San Diego is at least under 50 percent.

At this point in time, public transport can only survive with government aid – and that is exactly what the cities are getting with President Biden’s American rescue plan. That $ 1.9 trillion stimulus bill raised at least $ 30.5 million for public transportation. Units like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Highway, and the Transportation District say that relief should help them retain hundreds of employees through 2021.

While the federal incentive will undoubtedly help, public transport still faces a bleak future. Although scientific data suggests buses are much safer than bars, surveys suggest that many people are not happy with local transport. Public transport executives need to rethink their business model if they are to survive after COVID.

So long subways! – The rise in used cars

Just because Californians don’t use local transportation doesn’t mean they don’t drive around the state. Indeed, COVID-19 appears to have revitalized the used car market.

Car dealers like CarMax saw demand spike during the COVID-19 pandemic. New figures in California also show that gasoline sales are steadily increasing every month. While gas sales were below 44 percent in March 2020, they rose to below 16 percent by November.

What’s even more noticeable is that the February 2021 traffic reports show that car traffic in San Francisco is only 13 percent lower than before the pandemic. In contrast, the demand for mass transit in San Francisco remains 70 percent below average.

Many environmentalists have raised concerns about this so-called “carpocalypse”. Even if cars are “electrified”, they still make a significant contribution to global warming. Environmental politicians have urged lawmakers to look for ways to build trust in local public transport or increase funding for environmentally friendly transit options.

But environmentalists are not the only ones concerned about this increase in car traffic. Although the total number of accidents has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, California police have noted an increase in extreme speeds.

According to an accident study, CHP distributed at least 46 percent more tickets in 2020 than before COVID. When police responded to speeding accidents, they said there was a higher chance someone would be killed or seriously injured.

With California reopening, leaders must consider the environmental and safety implications of increased motoring. One suggested solution is to pay more attention to … “Pedal Force!”

Slow Roads and Bicyclists – The Post-COVID Commuter Traffic in California?

On the upside, COVID-19 appears to have inspired more Californians to wipe their bikes. Indeed, as more and more Americans sought out socially distant transit options, the sale of bicycles went over the roof. Interestingly, there was also an increase in e-scooter rentals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With fewer vehicles on the road, more people felt comfortable driving through cities in 2020. To better accommodate cyclists, cities like Oakland and San Francisco blocked several streets for through traffic. These so-called “slow streets” gave pedestrians and cyclists more space to get where they needed to go.

It is currently unclear whether initiatives such as “Slow Streets” will persist long after COVID-19 has passed. However, if more people become interested in micromobility, cities will likely invest in projects that have more to do with walkability. According to recent polls in LA, more than 80 percent of locals want “slow streets” to persist after the pandemic.

One thing is certain: local executives have never been as open to radical infrastructure changes as they are today. Cycling communities are confident that cities will use this opportunity to create greener, healthier cities.

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The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency may have to lay off nearly a quarter of its employees to meet its planned budget deficit for the next fiscal year if the agency does not receive government aid funding, agency officials said this week.

The SFMTA is currently well on its way to running a deficit of $ 68 million by the end of fiscal 2020-21. Since the fiscal year began on July 1, revenue has declined 12.7% as San Francisco residents avoid public transit during the coronavirus pandemic.

The agency has also exhausted many of their one-off tools to save money, such as: B. the introduction of a hiring freeze, the reduction of overtime and the use of federal funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

Even so, Jonathan Rewers, SFMTA’s senior budget manager, told the agency’s board of directors on Tuesday that the agency’s actual and projected revenue losses are so great that cuts in service and layoffs are on the table as a method of cutting spending.

SFMTA’s current revenue projections for fiscal 2022 show a net deficit of $ 168 million, even when factoring in financial savings such as the agency’s continuation of the agency’s hiring freeze. According to Rewers, without further federal funding, the agency would have to lay off between 989 and 1,226 full-time employees – this corresponds to 18% to 22% of its employees – in order to compensate for the projected deficit.

While the board took no action on Tuesday to address the projected deficits, its members discussed possible vacation days instead of layoffs as a possible tool to reduce revenue.

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