The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is continuing outreach efforts to notify customers of widespread changes to the Muni system that will take effect this weekend.
In a move to increase efficiency in the system, riders on about 60 percent of bus and light rail vehicle routes will see some change in their service starting Saturday, SFMTA executive director Nathaniel Ford said at a news conference today at the agency’s headquarters.
The changes, which were announced last month, are the biggest to the system in more than 30 years, Ford said. They include the elimination of six lines, decreased service on sparsely used lines and increased service on lines with higher ridership numbers.
The agency is trying to “reach as many of our riders and stakeholders as possible” about the changes, Ford said. “They are not simple changes we’re making. They’re very complex changes, and it’s also affecting a ridership that’s been used to the same system for the past 30 years.”
About 150 SFTMA employees were out today, wearing bright orange hats and vests, as part of an awareness campaign in areas of the city where service is being reduced or changed, and the outreach effort will continue through the weekend.
Much of the reduced service will be in places where Muni buses or light rail vehicles were not frequently used, or where duplicate service runs nearby.
Ford said the changes will be reviewed over a six-month period, and the agency is open to changes recommended by riders.
“We are looking for that input as to how we can make this system work more effectively,” he said.
Ford said, “I think the silver lining in this is it’s given us an opportunity to look at our existing resources and how we can better design a Muni system that’s more effective.”
For information on the service changes, riders can visit sfmta.com or call 311.
