29 Sunset Improvement Project
Improving travel times and reliability on one of the longest bus routes in the Muni system.
Project Background
The 29 Sunset Improvement Project aims to improve one of San Francisco’s most important routes, Muni's 29 Sunset. The 29 Sunset serves San Francisco's western and southern neighborhoods. 29 Sunset Improvement Project benefits include better transit performance, customer experience and connections. The project is part of the SFMTA's Muni Forward program.
The project includes two phases: Phase One on the west side and Phase Two on the south side. Phase One targets the line’s end near Baker Beach to the intersection of Junipero Serra Boulevard and Holloway Avenue. This allows us to complete some improvements during the repaving of Sunset Boulevard, scheduled for mid-2023.
Phase Two, along the south side of the line, will begin planning in 2023. "Quick-build" construction on the west side is also scheduled to start in 2023. While benefiting riders of the existing 29 Sunset, the project will also pave the way for the proposed 29R Sunset Rapid. A 29R Sunset Rapid is not yet funded, but it is a top priority for the SFMTA.
About the 29 Sunset
The 29 Sunset serves many San Francisco neighborhoods. It is one of Muni’s longest lines, extending almost 14 miles from the Bayview to the Presidio. The route also connects to several high schools, City College of San Francisco and San Francisco State University.
Muni Service Equity Strategy
San Francisco "Equity Strategy Neighborhoods"
To address systemic racism, the SFMTA prioritizes improvements to Muni routes in neighborhoods identified by our Muni Service Equity Strategy. These nine neighborhoods have a high percentage of people of color and low-income residents. The 29 Sunset provides service to four of these. This project will further SFMTA’s commitment to equitable transit service and performance.
Ridership
The 29 Sunset is a busy route, with an average of more than 20,000 boardings per weekday in September 2019, before the pandemic. As of September 2022, daily boardings are averaging 14,000+. Ridership today is also spread throughout the day. This shows that the route serves riders with a variety of needs, not only rush hour commuters. Along the full extent of the line, ridership remains high and buses remain full.
Average bus ridership departing stops, (pre-pandemic)
Schedule Reliability
Yet the 29 Sunset suffers from delays that result in long wait times at stops and overcrowded buses. Delays also cause longer travel times and full buses that “pass up” stops and riders. Delays also cause “bunches” and “gaps” in service. “Bunches” are buses less than two minutes apart. “Gaps” are when buses arrive over five minutes more than the scheduled time between arrivals--also known as headway. As shown in the “Route Headway Adherence” graph, between mid- and late-2021, buses on the route often arrived in a bunch. You can also see how often "gaps" occurred. Delays, such as loading and unloading at stops affects schedule reliability. As traffic and ridership increased after the start of the pandemic, so did delays.
But we have ways to help fix this. Our Muni Forward program has been reducing transit delays across the city through quick-build, near-term projects. Since 2014, these projects use the same sorts of solutions we are proposing to apply here.
Recent Improvements
Photo by Aaron Bialick
Some improvements are already completed along the 29 Sunset line. Since 2014, buses can turn left at the congested intersection of Lincoln Way and 19th Avenue where a left turn lane is for transit only. Before this, “queue jump,” lane, buses had to make several extra turns. (Right on 20th Avenue, left on Irving Street, then left again on 19th Avenue.).
As of 2015, the route is more direct after moving the 29 Sunset to Ocean Avenue near the Balboa Park BART Station. (Before that the 29 Sunset ran on Geneva Avenue and Mission Street.) This new route saves several minutes for riders. It also keeps important connections to BART and Muni Metro lines at Balboa Park. Special "school tripper" service was also added to the schedule in 2017 and again in 2021. “School trippers” provide extra buses for students after school.
29R Sunset Rapid
The 29 Sunset corridor is part of the SFMTA's "Five Minute Network" proposal. The "Five Minute Network” would provide service every five minutes (or more!) across the city. Several north-south and east-west Muni lines would create this grid of frequent service. The 29 Sunset is currently scheduled to run every nine minutes.
This project focuses on improving the existing 29 Sunset. And it also paves the way for a potential 29R Sunset Rapid. By serving only major stops, most riders would have shorter travel times. But a 29R Sunset Rapid requires new, long-term, sustainable revenue to plan and put in place. Even so, this project would clear a path for Rapid service. For example, extending bus zones so many local and Rapid buses can stop at the same time.
Community Feedback
Community Engagement
The 29 Sunset Improvement Project began as grassroots efforts and community organizing. Students at Lowell High School (and other schools along the route) publicized the needs of riders on the 29 Sunset. Shown in the flier below, they asked the SFMTA to "fix our 29." And in 2019, we kicked off this project.
Community Survey
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, outreach for the 29 Sunset Improvement Project halted. Mid-2021, we resumed our outreach efforts. We gathered more feedback on the type of improvements 29 Sunset riders wanted to see. At all stops along the route, posters promoted a community survey online and by text message.
Survey Findings
We received approximately survey 450 responses, about half of them from students. The surveys provided insightful feedback on potential improvements to the 29 Sunset route. The highest priority for improvement is “reduced wait times.” The second priority is "reduced travel time." The third priority is "reduced crowding-related pass-ups."
We can reduce wait times by increasing frequency of buses. We can also reduce wait times by reducing "gaps" in service caused by delays. The same type of improvements that improve reliability can also reduce travel time. These types of improvement can also reduce pass ups and crowding. Our proposals would also improve accessibility and provide enhanced amenities at stops. (We discuss our proposals in the next section.)
One way to reduce delays is to remove lesser-used bus stops located close to other stops. This would reduce travel times on board the bus for all riders. It would also reduce total travel times for most riders (including travel to stops). Two-thirds of survey respondents said they would be willing to walk an extra 3-5 minutes to their stop. Before we make any changes to a Muni stop, the SFMTA has a process to address accessibility for seniors and persons with disabilities. The process includes policies, detailed guidelines and community outreach.
Project Proposals
To improve Muni’s 29 Sunset, we have developed some preliminary proposals. The proposals come from survey findings and analysis by SFMTA planners and engineers.
These proposals focus on the western segment of the 29 Sunset route. This allows us to take advantage of the San Francisco Public Works repaving of Sunset Boulevard, scheduled in 2023. This reduces disruption and delivers benefits sooner. Once we complete the first phase this winter, we will shift our focus to the southern part of the route. Reducing delays on any part of a route improves schedule reliability along the entire line. This is because delays get worse the farther a bus goes down the line, and the further it falls behind schedule. So, reducing delays on one part of the route reduces delays farther down the route.
Most of our proposals fall under a few categories:
Stop Improvements
Stop improvements on Sunset Boulevard and on the Golden Gate Park side of Lincoln Way. Wide concrete sidewalks extending to the back doors of buses would improve bus stops. At a few locations on Lincoln Way and on 25th Avenue, we are proposing "bulb" stops. These would extend sidewalks at bus stops into the curbside parking and loading lane. This allows buses to avoid having to pull back into traffic. It also provides more space for shelters, waiting passengers and people walking.
Here is a map of the 29 Sunset route showing stop improvements and locations of proposed “bulb stops.” It also shows proposed priority for transit vehicles at traffic signals. There is also proposed changes to numbers of curbside parking and loading spaces near each intersection. (This includes both increases and decreases.) In total, there would be little change to the amount of curbside parking and loading. Most changes are on Lincoln Way, including parking spaces along Golden Gate Park that are not always used.
Stop Relocation
Stop relocation at intersections with traffic signals. Many stops are before the intersection, known as "near side". This delays buses as the light will often turn red while they are loading and unloading. If the stop is on the far side, we can use "transit signal priority". This extends the green light to allow buses to pass through the intersection, avoiding delay.
Stop Removal
Stop removal on Sunset Boulevard. There are bus stops serving the 29 Sunset on every block, about 680 feet apart. This is closer than the 800-foot distance recommended by SFMTA’s stop spacing guidelines. Along the 28 19th Avenue route, we recently removed bus stops so that most stops in residential areas without steep slopes. Most stops are on every other block, or about 1,360 feet apart (around a quarter mile).
Our proposals on Sunset Boulevard, as on 19th Avenue, consider other factors. These include transfers to other Muni lines and nearby destinations. (Stops would remain at St. Ignatius College Preparatory and A.P. Giannini Middle School.) Here you can see a map of all our proposed changes to stop locations. Note that some removed stops on westbound Lincoln Way are combined. Stops at 29th and 31st avenues are combined at 30th Avenue. Stops at 33rd and 35th avenues are combined at 34th Avenue. This would make it safer for people crossing the street, moving stops to be near crosswalks with traffic signals. It would also align stops with pedestrian entrances to Golden Gate Park.
Here you can see where bus stops would be located under our proposals.
We estimate these proposals reduce evening rush hour travel times on the 29 Sunset by approximately 15-20%. (Measured between the intersection of Junipero Serra Boulevard and Holloway Avenue and the end of the line near Baker Beach.) This would amount to a total time savings of around 15 minutes per round trip. Reducing delays can have a major effect on inconsistent wait times. This means that the project should result in far fewer waits of 15-20 minutes or more for a bus to arrive.
Coordination With Other Projects
Here you can see a map of all the various projects led by the SFMTA or other city agencies in the Sunset. We coordinate the efforts of SFMTA projects for mutual benefit. For example, by including elements of this proposal in the Public Works repaving of Sunset Boulevard planned for 2023. We are also coordinating with the SFMTA's Geary Boulevard Improvement Project in the Richmond district.
Next Steps
These proposals are preliminary. To better understand and address needs, we are engaging with the communities along the western part of the 29 Sunset route. We will refine these concepts before making final recommendations to the SFMTA Board of Directors in spring 2023.
As stated earlier, outreach for phase two of the project will begin after. It will provide improvements to the southern part of the 29 Sunset route. "Quick build" implementation on the west side is also scheduled to begin in 2023. Construction of permanent elements will take place around the middle of the decade. Implementation of a 29R Rapid service depends on identifying long-term funding for Muni.
