Muni is once again engaging with the public on ways to improve service, starting with proposals to reduce travel times on eight busy transit lines.

See end of article for list of possible improvements on MUNI lines.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has dusted off its Transit Effectiveness Project, the first in-depth review of Muni’s operations in a generation, after the plan sat dormant for years.

The Transit Effectiveness Project lists a series of recommendations to improve the efficiency of the Muni system, including such ideas as adding transit-only lanes, spacing out stops on busy thoroughfares and even changing where bus lines run. For the past several weeks, the agency has held community meetings focusing on efficiency plans for eight specific routes.

“The feedback we’ve been getting has been very helpful in terms of shaping and revising our proposals,” said the SFMTA’s Julie Kirschbaum, who is heading up the TEP project. “The transit riders have been really excited about reliability and travel time improvements.”

The Transit Effectiveness Project is currently undergoing an environmental review. Recommendations from the plan could be implemented by fall of 2013 after the revisions based on community feedback.

wreisman@sfexaminer.com

J-Church: Daily ridership: 16,695

• Add transit-only lane at one location
• Create more consistent stop spacing, likely every two blocks
• Replace all-way stop signs with traffic lights and other measures at four intersections

Time reduction: 6.5 minutes round trip

N-Judah: Daily ridership: 45,252

• Increase transit stop spacing from every two or three blocks to every three or four blocks
• Extend boarding islands at 13 different intersections
• Replace all-way stop signs with traffic lights or other measures at eight intersections

Time reduction: 11 minutes round trip

5-Fulton: Daily ridership: 14,039

• Add peak-period parking restrictions on Central Avenue between Fulton and McAllister streets
• Relocate bus stops from after inter-sections to before at 15 locations
• Increase bus stop spacing from every 1½ blocks to every two blocks east of Arguello Boulevard

Time reduction: 12 minutes round trip

8X-Bayshore Express: Daily ridership: N/A

• Establish one mile of transit-only lanes
• Add turn lanes at eight intersections
• Extend transit stops at six intersections

Time reduction: 14 minutes round trip

14-Mission: Daily ridership: 32,849

• Move transit-only lanes from the side lane to the center of the street between First and Sixth streets
• Add transit boarding islands at six intersections
• Increase transit stop spacing from every block to every two blocks

Time reduction: 16–20 minutes round trip

22-Fillmore: Daily ridership: 18,892

• Relocate the route to 16th Street between Kansas and Third streets
• Create central transit-only lanes between Third and Bryant streets
• Create peak-time transit-only lanes between Bryant and Church streets

Time reduction: 12 minutes round trip

28-19th Avenue: Daily ridership: 9,689

• Increase bus stop spacing from every block to every two blocks
• Add right-turn lanes at 19 intersections
• Change bus stops from after  intersections to before intersections  at five crossings

Time reduction: 10 minutes round trip

30-Stockton: Daily ridership: 22,124

• Increase bus stop spacing from every block to every two blocks
• Add transit-only lanes at three locations
• Widen travel lanes on Stockton Street between Broadway and Columbus Avenue

Time reduction: 7 minutes round trip