What is a mobility hub?
A mobility hub is a place that brings together different transportation options so you can easily switch between them. It usually centers on a transit stop (like a BART, Caltrain, or Muni station) and adds other services in the same location. For example, a mobility hub might have bus stops, a train station, bike share, scooter rentals, car share parking, and nice walking areas all in one spot. It may also include community services like a bike repair center, a wheelchair repair center, or a child daycare. It’s designed to make traveling without a personal car simple and convenient.
Why are mobility hubs important?
Mobility hubs make it easier for people to get around using public transit and other alternatives to driving. For instance, if your bus arrives too early, you might grab a shared bike at the hub for the last mile of your trip. Or if the train is delayed, you could take a scooter to your destination. Hubs also save time by putting connections in one place – no need to walk several blocks from a train station to find a bike or bus. Beyond convenience, mobility hubs help reduce car traffic and pollution (by encouraging transit use and carpooling), and they can improve access in communities that don’t have a lot of transit nearby. Overall, they are a key strategy for cities to improve transportation efficiency, equity, and sustainability.
What are “GHG” and “VMT”?
GHG stands for greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide) are emissions that trap heat in the atmosphere and cause climate change. Cars and trucks emit greenhouse gases when they burn fuel. VMT stands for vehicle miles traveled. This is a transportation metric that measures how many miles vehicles are driven – essentially, the total distance driven by all cars in an area. When we talk about “reducing VMT,” it means we want to reduce the amount people have to drive. Lower VMT usually leads to lower GHG emissions. So, if more people use transit, walk, or bike (and drive less), we cut down on VMT and therefore reduce GHG pollution. One of the goals of mobility hubs is exactly that – to make it easier not to drive, which helps the environment by cutting GHG emissions.
How do mobility hubs help achieve transportation equity?
Transportation equity means making sure that everyone, including historically underserved communities, has good access to safe and affordable transportation. Mobility hubs can advance equity by bringing more options to neighborhoods that have lacked them. In many of the neighborhoods in our project area, many residents haven’t had the same level of transit service or amenities as other parts of the city. By creating mobility hubs in these areas, we are investing in better transit facilities, safer streets, and new services (like bike share or shuttles) where they are needed most. We are also involving community members in the planning, so the solutions are based on what locals actually want and need. In practical terms, a mobility hub could shorten a commute for someone in the Bayview or Excelsior, or provide a low-cost alternative to owning a car. Equity is at the heart of this project: we want mobility hubs to improve daily life for communities that have been overlooked in the past.
Where is this project being done?
The project is focused on southeastern San Francisco. Specifically, we are studying the areas around three key transit locations: Balboa Park Station, the 3rd Street corridor at Oakdale/Palou in Bayview, and the Bayshore Caltrain Station on the city’s southern edge (near Visitacion Valley). These three locations and their surrounding neighborhoods form the core of our planning area. If you live in Bayview, Hunters Point, Visitacion Valley, Sunnydale, Portola, or the Excelsior, this project is about improving transportation in and around your community. The plan’s recommendations will likely focus on those three hub sites, but the benefits will spread to the broader Southeast SF area. (See “Planning Area Overview” above for more details on the exact area and a map.)
How much parking is being removed for this project?
At this planning stage, no parking is being removed. The Mobility Hub Plan is currently a study to identify needs and propose solutions. We are not doing any construction as part of this phase. That means no immediate changes to parking or street layouts will happen until after the plan is finished and specific projects move forward.
It’s possible that future improvements at a mobility hub could repurpose a small number of parking spaces – for example, to install a bike-share station, add a loading zone for buses/shuttles, or create a safer pedestrian area. However, any such changes would be decided later, during the design and implementation phase, and would involve further community outreach and approvals. SFMTA understands that parking is important to many residents and businesses. If the plan does eventually recommend changes that affect parking, we will aim to balance the needs: providing better travel options while minimizing negative impacts. Any future projects coming out of this plan (like building a mobility hub) will go through the regular public review process. In short, right now we’re just planning – gathering ideas and feedback.
What is the timeline for this project?
The planning process will go through December, 2025. We are currently in the community outreach phase (spring/summer 2025) where we gather ideas and feedback. By late 2025, the SFMTA team aims to develop draft recommendations for the mobility hubs and share those with the community for input. The final Mobility Hub Plan is expected to be completed and published by the end of 2025 or very early 2026.
After the plan is done, the SFMTA would apply for an implementation grant from the MTC. That means SFMTA (and partner agencies like BART or Caltrain) would seek funding to design and build the recommended improvements. Smaller changes (like new bike racks or improved crosswalks) could happen relatively soon. Bigger changes (like constructing a new plaza or a parking lot reconfiguration) might take several years and additional funding to complete. Our target is to have on-the-ground improvements happening within about 5 years of the plan (around 2026-2030), in line with regional funding timelines. We will keep the community updated as we move from planning to actual projects.
Who is involved in this project?
The project is led by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). We are working in partnership with other transportation agencies: BART (for Balboa Park Station input), Caltrain (for Bayshore Station), and regional bodies like MTC (which provides funding and guidance). Importantly, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of staff from various city departments (like Planning, Public Works, the SF Public Utilities Commission, etc.) and transit agencies has been set up to guide the project.
Most crucially, community members and organizations in Southeast SF are partners in this effort. We are engaging local groups such as neighborhood associations, advocacy groups, and community-based organizations in Bayview, Visitacion Valley, and Excelsior. Elected officials (like the District 10 and 11 Supervisors’ offices) are also involved to help with outreach and support. This collaborative approach ensures that a wide range of voices – residents, students, seniors, merchants – have a say in shaping the mobility hubs. We believe the plan will be much stronger with the community’s expertise guiding it.
Have questions not answered here?
Feel free to reach out to the project team directly. We will continue to update this FAQ as the project progresses. Thank you for your interest in the Southeastern San Francisco Mobility Hub Plan! We look forward to working together to improve transportation for San Francisco.