Beleaguered San Francisco Bus Project To Open April 1

"It's not a joke," writes Ricardo Cano. The long-awaited Van Ness bus rapid transit (BRT) project in San Francisco has an opening date: April 1. "The Van Ness project, which has become notorious for its years of construction delays, will transport transit riders down one of the city’s busiest roadways using red concrete center lanes that officials say will move buses up and down the historic corridor faster." Cano relates that "Bus rapid transit on Van Ness will run from Bay to Market streets and serve nine bus stops and are expected to speed up transit on the corridor by about 32%, according to the agency."

The SFMTA and its contractor, Walsh Construction, are wrapping up final work on the project that was originally scheduled for completion in 2019. "A grand jury report published last summer faulted SFMTA for not adequately preparing for the project’s 'foreseeable and avoidable' risks before starting construction in late 2016." 

As Cano reports, "The festivities for the debut of Van Ness BRT will start the evening of March 31 when agency staff will light the public art sculptures that were installed between Geary and O’Farrell streets. At 11 a.m. on April 1, a Friday, the SFMTA will hold the project’s ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the War Memorial near Van Ness and Market streets."