New Muni bus stop serves Daly City
By: Andrea Koskey
Examiner Staff Writer
September 24, 2009
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| Heading south: A new Muni bus route serving Daly City will travel down Bayshore Boulevard. (Juan Carlos Pometta Betancourt/Special to The Examiner) |
DALY CITY —
A new San Francisco Muni stop in Daly City will give commuters another option and alleviate overcrowding on other San Francisco-bound buses, according to transit officials.
The stop will be located at Geneva and Schwerin streets and service starts Oct. 5, according to Daly City officials.
A SamTrans bus stop already located at that corner will be extended to accommodate vehicles from both transit agencies, according to Daly City documents.
According to transportation officials, when the Muni T-Third Street light-rail line opened in 2007, the 9-, 9AX- and 9BX-Bayshore Express buses became overcrowded because other buses that once served the area were cut.
Although the Bayshore Express primarily serves riders in Visitacion Valley, the narrow streets make it difficult for buses to turn around and head back north, according to Muni.
As a result, transit officials asked Daly City to take on the end of the line.
The new bus route will come through Daly City south on Bayshore Boulevard, turn right on MacDonald Avenue, left onto Schwerin Street, left onto Geneva Avenue and left onto Bayshore heading north.
During initial discussions with Muni about the new stop, Daly City officials expressed concern that bringing buses down MacDonald Avenue would be an unwelcome disruption to residents and asked about an alternative route that would have kept the vehicles on Geneva Avenue for most of the turnaround.
Staff solicited comments from people living on McDonald Avenue in July and August, according to city documents, and though some protested the bus route, others were supportive.
"Understandably, not everyone wants a bus running down their street," Daly City traffic engineer Shirley Chan said.
MacDonald Avenue is wide enough for buses, she said, because it was created when streetcars were still in use and roads were much wider.
Not only will MacDonald Avenue offer space to turn buses around, but Daly City residents can access the new route there.
The line will also change from the 9X-Bayshore Express to the 11X-Bayshore Express. The change is part of Muni’s transit overhaul to improve service and efficiency in the system. To that end, some routes will be discontinued or changed, or have service reduced.
"This is a great example of working together to find a good transit solution for everyone," Muni spokesman Judson True said.
The 11X-line will only run during commute hours, which are mornings and early evenings.
akoskey@sfexaminer.com
