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MUNI METRO SUBWAY, F-LINE TO RESUME MAY 15

Written on .

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Monday, May 10, 2021

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

*** PRESS RELEASE ***

MUNI METRO SUBWAY, F-LINE TO RESUME MAY 15

Improvements made during pandemic include maintenance upgrades to provide smoother rides and enhancements like Wi-Fi in tunnels

San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) today announced the full Muni service plan and Muni Metro upgrades. All Muni Metro subway stations will reopen and the historic F-line streetcar will return to service on Saturday, May 15. Additionally, to continue maximizing Muni access citywide, a new bus route will also be added to the service plan to serve neighborhoods on the westside of San Francisco. The rollout of additional service coincides with the reopening of businesses and activities across the city. Muni service is a large component of San Francisco’s economic recovery.

“Getting San Francisco moving forward requires us doing everything we can to get Muni back to full service,” said Mayor Breed. “As we reopen more businesses and activities, it’s essential that our transit service is able to accommodate more passengers and help people get around our city. This weekend, Muni subway service, the F-Line, and more full routes are returning, and Muni is coming back even stronger with new improvements like Wi-Fi in the subway tunnels.”

In addition to the reopening of subway stations and the F-Line, on May 15, the N Judah Metro rail service will resume its full route between Ocean Beach and 4th and King Street (Caltrain), and the T Third will be extended to West Portal and then continue on, running as the K Ingleside to Balboa Park Station. With the return of rail service to these routes, customers will have faster transit times downtown, as well as to other popular destinations including the Castro, City College, Ocean Beach, Golden Gate Park, Oracle Park, Chase Center, UCSF Parnassus, UCSF Mission Bay, and Caltrain.

Muni trains will run through a much more reliable subway system. Muni staff used this rare, extended subway shutdown as an opportunity to accelerate other upgrades and necessary maintenance work. During normal service, subway maintenance crews can only work within the few hours a day when trains are not running.

Key improvements for Muni Metro riders include: 

  • Wi-Fi availability thanks to routers installed in stations and cellular antennas installed in the tunnels.
  • Installation of new wayfinding and directional signs at Castro and Church stations.
  • Quicker and smoother trips as a result of overhead line enhancements and rail grinding.
  • Public art at the entrance and exit at Castro and West Portal stations.

After working closely with Castro, mid-Market and Fisherman’s Wharf merchants, the full F Market & Wharves route from Fisherman’s Wharf to Market and Castro will return to service on San Francisco’s beloved, historic streetcars. This return to service will help support the city’s reopening and return of tourism.

In response to customer feedback for improved service to connect hospitals, grocery stores, and vaccination sites in hilly areas, SFMTA is also introducing a temporary new combined route—the 36/52 Special. This bus route will serve the hilltop neighborhoods of Forest Hill, Miraloma, and Sunnyside in a loop between Forest Hill Station and Glen Park Station. Currently, 91% of San Franciscans are within two to three blocks of a Muni stop, including 100% of residents in San Francisco’s neighborhoods identified in the Muni Service Equity Strategy.

“There is no economic recovery without public transit,” said Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “Our staff is committed to keeping San Francisco moving and is working tirelessly to bring Muni service back better than ever.”

May 15, 2021 Muni Service Changes 

Service hours for each route are noted below. Owl network service hours are 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. For more information on frequency and hours of service, read more on the COVID-19 Muni Core Service Plan. 

F Market & Wharves 

The historic streetcar will return to service between 17th and Castro Streets and Jones and Beach Streets. 

  • Service hours:  

o    From Castro: Approximately 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (first trip departing from Castro Station is 10:50 a.m.) 

o    From Fisherman’s Wharf: Approximately 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.  

  • Use the L Bus or L Owl for local service along Market Street during the hours when the F is not running.   

K Ingleside/T Third

The K Ingleside and T Third will interline as the KT Ingleside-Third,expanding service between Balboa Park and Sunnydale. This route will use the newly reopened Muni Metro subway, serving all stations between West Portal and Embarcadero. 

  • Service hours  

o    Weekdays: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.  

o    Weekends: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

  • Between the hours of Owl service (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) and rail service, Muni Metro buses will provide service from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. 

o    The K Bus will run between Balboa Park and West Portal Station from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m, daily.  

  • During the weekend, for the hours between Owl service (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) and rail service, the K Ingleside bus will run between Balboa Park and Embarcadero-Ferry Plaza from 5am to 8am and the T Third bus will run between Embarcadero-Ferry Plaza and Sunnydale.  

N Judah 

Rail service will resume for the entire route with two-car trains replacing Metro buses.  Riders will have more room and fewer pass ups as the two-car train increases the N Judah’s capacity.

  • Service hours  

o    Weekdays: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.  

o    Weekends: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

  • Muni Metro buses will cover the hours between Owl Service and rail service, running 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. 

K Bus, L Bus and L Owl 

  • These lines will no longer serve Forest Hill Station directly. Please visit K Bus, L Bus and L Owl route pages for more information.  

36/52 Special* 

  • Temporary new combined route between Forest Hill Station and Glen Park Station serving the Glen Park, Sunnyside and Miraloma communities. The route will serve Laguna Honda Hospital. 
  • The inbound (clockwise) route will include an additional loop on Clarendon.  

8 Bayshore 

  • The current 8AX Bayshore “A” Express service will become the 8 Bayshore short between City College and Kearny at Pacific. Service for this route ends at 7:30 p.m. daily.  
  • The 8 Bayshore long will continue to travel between City College and Fisherman’s Wharf.  
  • The 8 Bayshore will return to its pre-pandemic route traveling north on Kearny, instead of Stockton. 

To help stop the spread of COVID-19, face masks are required by federal law in Muni stations, when purchasing a ticket and while waiting for, boarding, riding or exiting transit. More information on the SFMTA’s service can be found on their website.

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