Smarter Traffic Signals Prioritize Transit and People

Smarter Traffic Signals Prioritize Transit and People
By Robert Lim

Have you ever wondered how traffic signals could better balance the needs of all road users, whether driving, bicycling, walking or taking Muni? The SFMTA is rolling out its Connected Corridor Pilot this month to use transit platform and traffic signal sensor data to inform signal timing adjustments. The pilot also aims to collect information to support transit efficiency and street safety improvements.  Traffic engineers use signal timing adjustments as a tool to prioritize the flow of travel in specific directions or for different travel modes – Muni, people walking or driving – to meet the changing demands of the road network across different timepoints in a day.

The Connected Corridors Pilot seeks to push the envelope of innovation by investing in advanced technologies, funded through a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) grant. These tools will better position the city to serve the potential future needs and differing priorities of various roadway users.  At the same time, the project will implement near-term improvements to our street network to make it safer and smarter. Our goal is to provide greater mobility for all users of San Francisco streets.

The sensors are mounted on traffic signal poles and transit platforms and can classify objects by size, speed and direction at a frequency of multiple times per second.  The data collected from these sensors will serve two main purposes – prioritize transit, emergency vehicle and pedestrian flows and  build dashboards to improve our data-driven decision-making processes.

Sensor mounted on a traffic signal pole

The pilot will take place along 3rd Street at 10 intersections in the Mission Bay neighborhood.  This corridor was selected based on the presence of upgraded traffic signal infrastructure and the opportunity to explore several operational challenges:

• Accommodating the time needed for people walking in crosswalks on wide streets while also prioritizing an extended green light for transit
• Reduced ability to prioritize signal timing in both directions of travel because of frequent  transit operating in both north and south directions of 3rd Street
• High volumes of people walking and bicycling due to the presence of a hospital, research hub, waterfront and two sports facilities in the area
• Variable waiting times for passengers to exit and enter at Muni Metro platforms impact the predicted arrivals of Muni vehicles on green lights further down the line

Muni Metro traveling on 3rd Street

These challenges provide opportunities for innovation. The project team seeks to build and test an integrated technical solution using real-time data and advanced traffic flow algorithms. These tools can  dynamically adjust the signal phasing based on actual traffic flow conditions and the presence of people using various transportation modes.  Real-time data availability and analysis will enable more precise predictions of when the train will reach the downstream intersections so that a green light is more likely to be provided, thus reducing the amount of time people on the transit are stopped at red lights.

Sensor installation is completed with the overall project scheduled to be completed by the fall. Check the project webpage to see future updates on project status, data analysis and reports.

 

Published May 27, 2021 at 05:57PM
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Muni Plans to Reach 98 Percent of San Francisco this August

Muni Plans to Reach 98 Percent of San Francisco this August
By Julie Kirschbaum

In August 2021, 98% of residents and 100% of equity neighborhoods could be within a ¼ mile of a Muni stop

Following major service restorations on May 15, with the KT Ingleside-Third and N Judah Muni Metro rail service resuming, historic street cars returning and subways reopening, the SFMTA is already hard at work planning to restore even more service later this summer. This effort will potentially close almost all of the Muni service gaps across the city, bringing 98% of San Francisco within two to three blocks of a Muni stop.

This August, pending the relaxation of pandemic protocols and physical distancing restrictions, the SFMTA is expecting to bring back more than a dozen bus routes that were temporarily suspended as part of pandemic-related service reductions at the beginning of the crisis, including:

• Route Restorations: 5R Fulton Rapid, 18 46th Avenue, 35 Eureka, 36 Teresita, 39 Coit  “school trippers”
• Altered Route Restorations: 23 Monterey, 52 Excelsior, 56 Rutland, 57 Park Merced, 66 Quintara
• New Route: 58 Lake Merced
• Route Extensions: 12 Folsom, 48 Quintara/24th Street

With these plans for significant service increases, the SFMTA continues to be focused on citywide connectivity, maximizing the limited number of operators and vehicles available to safely operate as the city reopens. And we are doubling down to increase Muni access in neighborhoods identified by our Muni Service Equity Strategy. As of January 23 this year, 100% of residents in these neighborhoods can conveniently access a Muni stop within two or three blocks of their home.

Here are some additional details on the service changes we expect to implement in August:

With current ridership on the 5 Fulton increasing, the popular 5R Fulton Rapid is slated to return.

The 18 46th Avenue is expected to head back into service, providing westside residents in the Richmond District, Outer Sunset and near Stonestown a critical north-south connection that should ease demand on the Great Highway and surrounding streets and provide a boost to local businesses.

Making a key east-west connection, the 23 Monterey from the Bayview District to West Portal Station would also come back online. This augmented restoration would close a gap on the hills around Sunnyside and St. Francis Wood. The 23 Monterey would terminate at West Portal Station providing a new link to Muni Metro and save time by no longer needing to travel along the more congested Sloat Boulevard section of the route.

The 36/52 Special launched on May 15 would be replaced by the restoration of the full 52 Excelsior and 36 Teresita routes. To provide additional access for hilly districts, the 52 Excelsior route would run along a segment previously covered by the 6 Parnassus along 9th Avenue and Quintara in Golden Gate Heights.

The 56 Rutland would restore access to residents in sections of Visitacion Valley and Little Hollywood. In addition, a new extension to Mansell would provide direct connections to the 29 Sunset and Burton High School. Over the past year, the 57 Park Merced saw much higher demand in the Park Merced portion of the route than the eastern portion along John Muir Drive, so with the August service changes, the route is being segmented. The new 58 Lake Merced route picks up the both the John Muir portion of the 57 and Sloat section of the 23 Monterey while still connecting to BART. It would also offer new connections to popular shopping districts at Stonestown, Lakeshore, John Daly Boulevard and Top of the Hill in Daly City.

The 66 Quintara would be restored and extended, first eastward to UCSF and Haight Street via Parnassus and westward to Ocean Beach via Vincente.

Two other routes wouldl be extended: The 12 Folsom would be extended to Rincon Hill, SOMA, and the Mission District. The 48 Quintara/24th Street would be extended from West Portal to Ocean Beach via Quintara.

In addition, just in time for the new school year, some of Muni’s “school trippers” - additional runs on key routes at peak school hours – would be reinstated as well.

As part of the SFMTA’s commitment to bring back Muni better, these service improvements would allow more people to ride safely on each bus, reduce the number of buses needed on the existing routes and allow for additional routes to open in the future. These efforts are only possible because of the leadership of our staff and operators, district supervisors, community members and other stakeholders and customers who have continued to work hard to overcome constraints to restoring service.

Below is the complete list of proposed service changes. Please note that these restorations are dependent on the relaxation of pandemic protocols and physical distancing restrictions and are subject to change. For the most up to date information with free language assistance and accessibility, please call 311 or 415.701.2311 or see the COVID-19 Muni Core Service Plan.

August COVID-19 Muni Core Service Changes

Service hours for each route are noted below. For more information on frequency and hours of service, read more on the COVID-19 Muni Core Service Plan.

Route Restorations

• 5R Fulton Rapid service would be returning from La Playa to the Transit Center Bus Plaza.
• 18 46th Avenue would connect customers from the Richmond and Outer Sunset to Sonestown.
• 35 Eureka would provide additional access from hilly districts to Muni Metro and BART.
• 36 Teresita full route would be restored.
• 39 Coit would return, providing high-frequency service in North Beach and Fishmen’s Warf.
• Muni “school trippers” would run during peak school hours.  

Adjusted Route Restorations

• 23 Monterey would terminate at West Portal Station and no longer use the Sloat section of the route.
• 52 Excelsior would run along a segment previously covered by the 6 Parnassus along 9th Avenue and Quintara in Golden Gate Heights.
• 56 Rutland would be extended to cover Mansell Street and provide direct connections to the 29 Sunset and Burton High School.
• 57 Park Merced would connect Stonestown and Park Merced directly to BART and the M Ocean View.
• 66 Quintara would extend to UCSF and Haight Street via Parnassus Avenue and to Ocean Beach via Vincente Street.

New Route

• 58 Lake Merced would pick up the John Muir Drive portion of the 57 Park Merced and Sloat section of the 23 Monterey, connect to BART, Stonestown, Lakeshore and John Daly Boulevard at and Top of the Hill in Daly City.

Route Extensions

• 12 Folsom would extend to Rincon Hill, SOMA, and the Mission District.
• 48 Quintara/24th Street would be extended from West Portal to Ocean Beach via Quintara Street.

Published May 26, 2021 at 03:45AM
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