San Francisco's First Bus Rapid Transit Project Receives Internationally Recognized Designation

San Francisco, CA - Today, Mayor London N. Breed and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) improvement project on Van Ness Avenue has received the highest-level designation among transit projects in the country by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). The Silver designation, which recognizes rapid transit projects that deliver world-class passenger experiences, significant economic benefits, and positive environmental impacts, is the highest-level designation in the nation as no U.S. project attained Gold.  

SFMTA launched the Van Ness BRT project in April 2022 to improve transit service and address traffic congestion on this corridor. The BRT is a high-capacity bus-based transit system to deliver fast, reliable, high quality, safe and cost-effective services at a relatively low cost. The Van Ness project includes dedicated center running transit lanes that don't get slowed down by parking or turning vehicles, transit signal priority that gives buses the green light as they approach an intersection, as well as low-floor vehicles and all-door boarding, that make it quicker and easier for passengers to load and unload at each stop and fast and frequent operations.  

"This recognition of San Francisco's transportation system shows that when we invest in transit, we can deliver transformative projects that improve our City and lead the country," said Mayor London Breed. "Building on the success of the Van Ness improvement project will continue to benefit the passengers that expect our transit system to be safer, faster, and more reliable. It's also good for businesses and the environment. We will continue to be a global leader in sustainable and efficient transportation." 

SFMTA is currently conducting an evaluation of San Francisco's Van Ness BRT with full results expected to be released this fall. Following an interagency effort that also included extensive utility maintenance, civic improvements, and safety enhancements, early results show:

• Bus travel on this corridor is now 36% faster, injury traffic collisions are down by 54%, and transit is 45% more reliable.
• Safety improvements like pedestrian bulbs, pedestrian countdown signals, and left-turn restrictions make walking on Van Ness safer and more enjoyable.  

Last June, Mayor Breed and SFMTA officials announced that Muni received its highest customer rating in over 20 years. The survey found that 72% of Muni riders rated service as good or excellent, an increase from 66% last year and the highest rating since annual customer surveys started in 2001.  

"We've made Muni fast, frequent, reliable, clean and safe. And riders have noticed. The 49-Van Ness/Mission ridership is at 140% of pre-pandemic levels, and many other bus lines where we've made investments to improve transit speed and reliability also have ridership that's higher than before the pandemic," said SFMTA Director of Transportation Jeffrey Tumlin.

With presence in seven countries and 100 cities worldwide, the ITDP is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that focuses on developing bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, promoting biking, walking, and non-motorized transport, and improving private bus operators' margins.  

The institute's BRT Standardcan help cities deliver inclusive access for its residents, helping to reduce their time spent on travel, while helping the governments meet climate, equity, and economic growth goals. The BRT Standard is both a framework for understanding BRT and an evaluation tool for BRT corridors based on international best practices with a recognition system.

The projects are measured based on the respective cities' effectiveness in implementing bus-only lanes, off-board fare collection solutions, and platform-level boarding, among others. The ITDP's BRT Standard scoring process also considers the transit agencies' ability to align service and performance with the new BRT infrastructure and how they communicate with passengers about the system's improvements. 

"With Van Ness Avenue, we redesigned an important street to reflect our values, and it is now an international success story," said SFMTA Board of Directors Chair Amanda Eaken. "San Franciscans deserve fast, convenient, and affordable ways of getting around the city and that is exactly what this project has delivered. I'm grateful that the SFMTA staff are receiving global recognition with this award.  

"Transit-only lanes make it easier for us to get up and down Van Ness so we can make green lights without being blocked by cars," said Raymone Garner, a Muni Operator of 23 years. "It gives us a smoother ride that's safer with better on-time performance. Riders love it because it's easier for us to get into the bus zone so it's easier and safer to pick up passengers, especially people with disabilities." 

"The Van Ness Rapid transit project has made a significant difference for transportation to our restaurant," says Michael Buhagiar, Chef/Owner of Harris' Restaurant. "Customers are frequently mentioning how beautiful the Van Ness corridor is. The project has improved the image of San Francisco tremendously and has had a positive impact on our business."

Over 153 BRT corridors have been established in 91 cities in 24 countries in the past decade. The Van Ness BRT is one of only three projects in the U.S. to receive Silver certification by the ITDP, and the only BRT in California with this designation.  

The other BRT Silver-designated projects in the nation include the New Britain Busway in Hartford, Connecticut and the Healthline in Cleveland, Ohio. California has two Bronze projects; the Orange (G) Line in Los Angeles and the sbX E Street Bus BRT in San Bernardino. There are currently no BRT Gold projects in the country.  

Additional information on the Van Ness BRT project, may be found at this link. To read more on the BRT Standard, visit this link. 

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