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Free Muni for New Year’s Eve By Stephen Chun For the 23rd consecutive year, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will offer free rides on New Year’s Eve from 8 p.m. on Saturday, December 31 through 5 a.m. on Sunday, January 1. Extra Muni Metro Subway Service will be provided from 8 p.m. Saturday to 2:15 a.m. Sunday. Extra Owl Service will be provided from 10 p.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday This program supports San Francisco’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic fatalities. Ride Muni Free New Year’s Eve  includes all Muni lines and routes. Clipper Card customers should NOT tap their cards to make sure they don’t get charged a fare. Muni Mobile passes will not be necessary. Metro fare gates will be open that night. All information, including schedules and stops, will be posted on New Year's Eve Free Muni and Extra Service or SFMTA.com/NYE . Clipper Card customers should NOT tap their cards to make sure they don’t get charged a fare. Don’t drink and

Upcoming Capacity Indicators By Christopher Ward Next Generation Customer Information displays will show capacity indicators: One figure means there are many seats available. Two figures indicates that there are likely a few empty seats available. Three figures tell you that there’s likely only standing room available. The SFMTA continues expanding trip planning and accessibility features and improving Muni predictions. This is part of the ongoing Next Generation Customer Information System (CIS) project . One of the newest features is a capacity indicator. A capacity indicator helps customers understand how much space is available on vehicles. Customers can see the indicator on our Next Generation displays in the bus shelters and on train platforms. Customers may use this information to make travel choices. For example, customers can choose to wait for a less full vehicle or take an alternative route. As of November 2022, Muni vehicles equipped with automatic onboard passenger

A Brief History of the T Third Part 2: 1980s-2023 By Jeremy Menzies Beginning in January 2023 full service on the new T Third extension 2023 will run from Sunnydale to Chinatown every day. In this two-part blog series, we will look back at some of the history of the T Third Street line. Part 1, published last month goes through the first 100+ years. In Part 2, we look at the recent history of the T Third and Central Subway projects from the 1980s to today.  The Call for Better Transit: 1980s-90s  In the decades following World War II, the neighborhoods along the southern end of 3rd Street became more economically depressed and transit service declined.  Residents felt cut off from the rest of the city as bus service did not meet their needs.  People boarding a 15 Route bus on 3rd Street near Market in 1983. Bus service on the 15 provided critical north-south service through the City’s busiest areas.  In the late 1980s, the city was looking to revitalize the Mission Bay, Dogpatc

Central Subway Brings More Art to Union Square By Enrique Aguilar Main entrance to Union Square/Market Street Station during special weekend service  The Union Square/Market Street Station is centered in the heart of the Union Square neighborhood, known for world-class shopping and notable art galleries. With the opening of the Central Subway, a new public art collection arrived, with color schemes complementing the station’s modern architectural design. Collaborations between artists reign at this station, allowing a blend of different artistic concepts.  Erwin Redl  titled his piece Lucy in the Sky. It is an illuminated installation comprised of hundreds of translucent 10 x 10 inch light panels, each containing an array of color LEDs. A diamond-shaped pattern is formed by suspended light panels along the entire length of the concourse level corridor’s ceiling. They are computer programmed to slowly change color and display simple patterns, creating an immersive and kaleidoscop

New T Third Route in Central Subway Starting January 7 By Mariana Maguire New T Third service via Central Subway starts January 7 with service between Sunnydale and Chinatown-Rose Pak Station. On Saturday, January 7, the T Third starts its historic new route, providing a direct Metro connection between Sunnydale and Chinatown-Rose Pak Station. Service runs Mondays through Fridays, 6 a.m. to midnight. every 10 minutes and Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to midnight every 12 minutes. The new T Third line vastly improves transportation to and from some of San Francisco’s most densely populated areas and major shopping corridors, expanding transit options and new connections. The new T Third route will travel north to the new Central Subway from 4th & King platform. It will no longer turn onto King Street or run along the Embarcadero and the Market Street subway. Also, the K Ingleside will now travel between Balboa Park and Embarcadero Station. New Connections Customers traveling

Public Artwork Unveiled Inside New Station in Yerba Buena By Enrique Aguilar Have you had a chance to explore the Central Subway's new stations? Special weekend service is Saturdays and Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. midnight, through the end of the year. Ride the trains and be mesmerized by beautiful artwork at each new station.  Muni customers will encounter public art when using the four new Central Subway stations to reach their destinations. The art was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission and funded by the City’s Art Enrichment Ordinance, which allocates 2% of the total eligible costs of public works projects for public art. Public art helps draw out the identity of a space, aids in understanding a neighborhood's historical or cultural significance, and builds a connection between the visitor and surrounding community.  The Yerba Buena/Moscone Station includes artwork by Catherine Wagner, Leslie Shows and Roxy Paine. The installations can be found on the

Hop Onboard Muni and Enjoy Downtown Union Square By Pamela Johnson The iconic Cable Cars are just one of the many options to get you to all the holiday festivities in Downtown Union Square! The SFMTA would like to wish you a Happy Holidays! With festivities, dining, shopping and all the many holiday activities to choose from, Downtown Union Square, much like the rest of the city is making optimistic strides in the city’s economic recovery. Catching Muni, paratransit or a taxi to downtown supports small businesses and is a big boost to our transit goals. Below is a comprehensive list of transit and parking options to head into the heart of the downtown shopping and festivities this holiday season.    Central Subway Special Weekend Shuttle  The Central Subway’s Special Weekend Shuttle has got you covered on Saturday and Sunday’s every 12 minutes from 8 am to 12 am. Deboard at our new Union Square/Market Street Station . From here, you can also transfer to BART’s Powell Station,

Riders are Feeling the Difference on Geary By The results are in: the Geary Rapid Project has delivered a faster, more reliable bus trip and a safer street, according to the SFMTA’s recently published evaluation report for the project.   A faster, more reliable bus ride  One out of every ten passengers stepping onto a Muni vehicle will ride on Geary Blvd., which makes reducing travel time on the corridor a key piece of improving transit in the city. The transit lanes installed as part of the Geary Rapid Project protect buses from traffic congestion, while smarter traffic signals allow buses to get green lights more often. Similar transit upgrades have been made across the city as part of the Muni Forward program , making your next San Francisco destination closer than ever.  Transit travel time improved after the quick-build phase of the Geary Rapid Project in late 2018 and early 2019, and again after the full project was completed in 2021 — with savings as great as 18%. Westbo

Shared Spaces are Here to Stay. Permit Renewals are Due January 15, 2023. By Anne Yalon Shared Spaces, amongst many other benefits, allows our residents and families to enjoy safe and social outdoor dining. Seen here are the the owners of Tio Chilo’s Grill and their children in the restaurant’s parklet on 24th Street in the Mission.  San Francisco’s popular Shared Spaces program allows merchants, restaurants and arts and culture organizations to use the curbside, sidewalk and other public spaces to conduct local business activities and stay afloat. What emerged as an economic lifeline during the pandemic is making San Francisco’s streets more energized, engaged and activated. Many of the Shared Spaces parklets have become central gathering places for the local community. “ Our parklet makes me feel like when I go to Mexico, where outdoor seating is everywhere. People end up joining their friends in our parklet. It is a space for our customers and our community," said Liz V

Slow Streets are Here to Stay—Here's How to Use Them By Eillie Anzilotti Slow Streets provide safe travel for children, families, wheel users, older adults, persons with disabilities and the entire community The success of Slow Streets depends on everyone working together to keep these spaces safe and joyful.  On Tuesday, December 6 the SFMTA Board of Directors approved an ongoing, post-pandemic Slow Streets program for San Francisco. That means that Slow Streets are here to stay!   We recognize that there are a lot of questions about how to use Slow Streets. To answer them, we created a fact sheet in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Filipino. You can find that fact sheet linked here .  The main thing to remember is: Everybody is welcome, and please go slow!  Slow Streets create safe corridors for people who prefer not to drive, while preserving parallel arterial streets for vehicles. On Slow Streets, kids can walk and bike themselves safely to school, families can r

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A Brief History of the T Third Part 1: 1860-2007 By Jeremy Menzies Earlier this month, we launched free weekend shuttle service in the Central Subway . And come January 7th, our 4 new stations will connect directly to the rest of the T line from Sunnydale to Chinatown. Through this two-part blog series, we will look back at some of the history of the T from the 1860s to today! In Part One, we’ll look over the first 150 years from the 1860s to the 2000s. Next month in Part Two, we will take a closer look at the history of the T and Central Subway projects leading up to today’s service.  The Horsecar Era: 1860s-1890s  Starting in the 1860s, transit service along today’s T Line was provided by horsecars. These were small rail cars (that looked much like a cable car) that were pulled along tracks by horses. Two companies, the Omnibus Railroad and the North Beach & Mission Railway, operated horsecar lines on parts of the path of today’s T. These lines were mainly meant to connect N