San Francisco's First BRT Line Closer to Opening

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Muni and Golden Gate Transit recently conducted testing for the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, according to an article in Mass Transit. "The testing included emergency turns and maneuvers, repositioning buses, verifying signals are working, clearances between passing buses and safe turns while bike racks are deployed." Traffic engineers also tested traffic and transit signals and reviewed street markings for any needed adjustments. Staff will be trained to drive buses on a BRT line, a skill new to most Muni operators. Officials say the BRT line and associated improvements will reduce congestion and improve the speed and reliability of bus travel on Van Ness Avenue.

Last November, an article by Carl Nolte outlined the long history of Van Ness Avenue as one of San Francisco's major thoroughfares, a "grand boulevard" that later became the city's Auto Row. Today, the street serves as a major north-south arterial. The Van Ness line, San Francisco's first BRT corridor, is scheduled to open this spring after almost two decades of delays. Initially approved by voters in 2003, the project did not break ground until 2016. As stated by SFMTA, "The planned improvements are expected to cut travel times for Golden Gate Transit and the 47, 49 and 90 Muni routes by 32 percent."