Rescue Munis Recommendations for Geary Rapid Transit

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Rescue Munis Recommendations forGeary Rapid
Transit

• For PAR
• 1/30/2003

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Why Geary Rapid Transit?
• Types of Service Expansion
• Rescue Munis Recommendations for Geary Corridor
• Phase 1 Bus Rapid Transit
• Phase 2 Subway/Surface Light Rail

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RESCUE MUNI

• A Transit Riders Association for San Francisco
• Volunteer organization pursuing better public
  transit (400 members, all-volunteer)
• Co-sponsor of 1999 Prop. E (Muni Reform)
  including Service Standards and Protected
  FundingAnnual sponsor of Muni Riders Survey
  measuring service reliability (last year 14 of
  riders delayed)
• Active participants on Citizens Advisory Council
  and in public forums concerning Muni (e.g. recent
  fare increase discussion)
• Join us www.rescuemuni.org

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Why Geary Rapid Transit?

• Geary Corridor is among most heavily used diesel
  bus lines in the nation
• 38-Geary 29,000 daily boardings
• 38L-Geary Limited 18,000
• 38AX and 38BX Expresses 3,000
• total Geary 50,000
• 31-Balboa 10,000
• 31AX, 31BX 2,000
• 2-Clement, 3-Jackson, 4-Sutter 16,000
• total with neighboring routes 78,000
• By comparison N-Judah LRT 39,000
• Data from 1999 and 2000. Source Muni Short
  Range Transit Plan, 2002

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Why Geary Rapid Transit?

• Time Savings and Higher Service Capacity
• 20 minute savings in scheduled time from 48 Av to
  downtown
• Current schedule 49 min
• LRT with Subway 29 min
• 40 time savings 40 more service with same
  equipment!
• (Source Muni Geary Corridor Study, 1995)
• 10-15 min savings over Local for Bus Rapid
  Transit? (estimates)
• Reduced delays for all services, particularly
  downtown
• 38 was 74 on-time in most recent study (2/02)
• In same study, 38L was 82 on-time, and
  K-Ingleside rail was also 82 on-time
• So fewer stops, subway fewer delays than
  current local service

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Bus Rapid Transit

• Exclusive Right of Way
• Signal pre-empts
• Limited Stops
• POP .Proof of Payment
• Ticket machines
• Low floor buses
• Bus Stations, not Stops.
  
  --amenities include schedules, NextBus type
  systems

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Good BRT looks like (1)
Miami Dedicated ROW, Stations, Through Buses to
Neighborhoods from Ends of Busway
Curitiba Stations, Paid Area, Special Vehicles
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Good BRT looks like (2)
Los Angeles Express Service, Signal Pre-Empts,
Reduced Stop Frequency
Cleveland Dedicated ROW in Major
Boulevard, Signal Pre-Empts
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BRT should NOT look like...
Boston Silver Line Lanes arent really
dedicated, signal pre-empts didnt work!
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Light Rail Transit

• Efficient, high capacity transit for urban
  corridors

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Excellent LRT here in SF

• Munis new Embarcadero service

By Eric Haas. Found at www.nycsubway.org.
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Geary has had modern rail!

• for a short stretch (Presidio to Divisadero) c.
  1948

By Clark Frazier. Found at www.streetcar.org.
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Our Plan for Geary

• Two phased plan to upgrade transit
• Phase 1 Bus Rapid Transit
• To be built ASAP (2007?)
• Upgradable to Light Rail with minimal additional
  work
• Enhanced Transit Preferential Streets inside Van
  Ness
• Phase 2 Light Rail
• Includes Geary Subway from Van Ness to Union Sq.
• Much longer planning/construction timeline
  (2015??)

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Phase 1 Bus Rapid Transit
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Geary BRT Designs (1)
Geary and 17th
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Geary BRT Designs (2)
Geary and 17th
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Geary BRT Designs (3)
OFarrell and Jones
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Phase 2 Light Rail Transit
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Geary Light Rail Designs (1)
Downtown Subway
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Geary Light Rail Designs (2)
Laguna Portal
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Geary Light Rail Designs (3)
Geary and Presidio (Our recommendation)
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Geary Light Rail Designs (3a)
Geary/Presidio (More expensive choice)
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Geary Light Rail Designs (4)
Geary and 17th
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Detail Outer Geary Now
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Rescue Muni Idea A (2003)
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Rescue Muni Idea B (2003)
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Possible Geary Timeline

• BRT
• Construction 2004-2007 (?)
• Muni cost estimate 170M
• LRT
• Construction 2009-2014 (??)
• Muni cost estimate 1.7B
• New funding will be necessary for both
• e.g. extension of existing 1/2 cent sales tax
  (1989 Prop B), transit oriented development
  federal matching

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Issues with Geary Transit?

• Parking
• 1995 study parking on Outer Geary can be almost
  completely conserved via 90 degree on side
  streets
• Some parking lost during BRT phase on Inner Geary
• Traffic Flow
• Faster bus service fewer buses in traffic, less
  traffic
• Construction Impact
• This is a concern - but well-run projects can
  have less impact (construct a section at a time,
  use deep boring techniques)
• Cost
• Geary LRT will definitely need new funding sources

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To consider during planning

• LRT Design
• Elevated or Surface in middle section?
• Street Design
• Parking vs. Landscaping vs. Left Turn Lanes vs.
  Traffic Lanes
• Station Location and Type (Low floors preferred!)
• Service Planning
• Maintain local buses during BRT and/or LRT
  phases?
• Through cars to Chinatown, Ballpark, Embarcadero,
  ?

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Its Worth It!

• Many trips on Geary will be cut in half by subway
• Geary/Masonic to Transbay by bus 27 min (3 mi)
• Castro to Embarcadero by subway 13 min (3 mi)
• Delays are much reduced by dedicated right-of-way
  and subway
• No traffic lights from Presidio to
  Embarcadero!(if elevated design used)
• Much improved streetscape with rail service
• Compare Embarcadero, King, Market, Church...

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Thanks!

• Questions?
• RESCUE MUNI
• 415 273 1558
• www.rescuemuni.org

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backup
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2 Muni Idea A (1995)
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3 Muni Idea B (1995)
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6 Rescue Muni Idea C (2003)