Expansion and Upgrade of Muni Light Rail Vehicle Fleet
The Plan
The Muni light rail vehicles operate 21 hours per day, 365 days per year to provide vital transit service for 49 million riders annually. To support and increase this critical rail service, the SFMTA has begun procuring over 200 new light rail vehicles. The procurement of these new light rail vehicles represents the largest modernization of Muni in a generation. This project will take place in two phases, an expansion phase followed by a replacement phase. The resulting bigger and better light rail vehicle fleet will not only be more reliable, but also safer, and more comfortable for our operators and passengers.
The first expansion vehicle entered revenue service in November 2017 and the expansion phase will be completed in 2019. The 68 expansion vehicles consist of 64 vehicles purchased by the SFMTA and 4 vehicles purchased to support the new Warriors stadium in Mission Bay. Altogether, the 68 additional vehicles will alleviate overcrowding and enable the SFMTA to meet growing current and future ridership demand.
Following the completion of the expansion phase, the SFMTA will begin the replacement phase. During this phase, the SFMTA will replace the legacy, or pre-replacement, light rail vehicle fleet with 151 new vehicles. The legacy vehicles slated for replacement have reached the end of their scheduled useful life. Replacing these vehicles will save time and money spent on maintenance and allow the SFMTA to dedicate more resources to serving our passengers.
Technological Upgrades
1. Service improvement features
- New maintenance features
2. Safety improvement features
- More reliable passenger doors
- Better visibility from the operator cab
- Enhanced braking system
3. Ridership experience improvement features
- Longitudinal seating with wider aisles for more standing room
- Next stop displays and announcements
- New dynamic information signs
Environmental Benefits
For almost 85 years Muni has continuously operated a network of vehicles, including light rail vehicles, that run on 100% greenhouse gas-free Hetch Hetchy hydroelectric power. Our legacy light rail vehicle fleet played a key role in the City reaching its 2017 San Francisco Climate Action Strategy goals. Upgrading and expanding this fleet will help the City meet future environmental goals by increasing light rail vehicle service and growing ridership on the greenest transportation system in North America.
Additionally, the expansion and upgrade of the light rail vehicle fleet is in line with the City’s voter-approved Transit-First Policy established in 1973. The policy prioritizes public transit, bicycling, and walking on SF Streets as an economically and environmentally preferable alternative to transportation by individual automobiles. By providing safe, reliable, rapid, and environmentally sustainable transit service, this project will support our city’s economic and population growth while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and resource consumption.
