Mission Street's public transit is about to change -- but not quickly. There's still time to have a say, so check out the website and fill out an online survey.
In its Muni Forward program, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is thinking of making at least four changes on Mission between South Van Ness Avenue and Cesar Chavez Street that will be implemented in 2017. The biggest impact on riders would be a plan to reduce stops from nearly one every block to one every other block.
The proposed changes also include bus bulbs at 16th and 20th streets, right-turn pockets, left-turn restrictions and redesigning the street to make the traffic lanes wider than the existing 9 feet.
The right-turn pockets would remove parking spaces, but would also prevent the backup that happens when drivers are trying to make a right turn but can’t because of pedestrians crossing in front of them. The current design, officials said, means that buses end up crossing the center line to pass right-turning vehicles that get stuck.
At present there are some left-turn restrictions, but the new proposal would limit left turns from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays for the entire stretch from South Van Ness to Cesar Chavez.