Nightly Shutdown Begins As Subway Receives Upgrades

Attached: Bus shuttle Service Plan for Muni Metro Subway Upgrades.pdf

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), today announced that on July 31, work will commence on the Radio Replacement and Blue Light Emergency Telephone Replacement projects. These two infrastructure projects will improve Muni’s systemwide communication capabilities and keep trains running safely and reliably through the city.

Construction will require early subway shutdowns nightly from 10 p.m. until the start of service in the morning at approximately 5 a.m. During shutdowns, bus shuttles will provide substitution service between The Embarcadero and Saint Francis Circle from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Regular rail service will continue to operate at all surface stops. Muni Metro customers can board bus shuttles at the island F Line stops near the subway stations on Market Street.

The Radio Replacement project will replace the old analog system and upgrade it to digital technology. It will greatly improve communications with operators and Muni’s nerve center, Central Control.  The new technology will expand the audio and visual “next stop” announcements in the subway and on trains that run above ground, which will benefit all users, especially people with disabilities.  Radio replacement will also improve Muni’s ability to address vehicle incidents and collect on performance data.

The Blue Light Emergency Telephone Replacement will provide direct access to emergency services in the event of a natural disaster or medical emergency. This project will replace the 90 phones currently in the subway with 181 new, more advanced phones designed to facilitate emergency communications for Muni customers and first responders. Although Blue Light Emergency phones are only used in emergency situations, the overhaul and expansion of this emergency technology is required to ensure nimble responses to unplanned emergencies, natural disasters or medical emergencies.

Collectively, the Radio Replacement and Blue Light Emergency Telephone Replacement projects rebuild Muni’s aging infrastructure to ensure it meets today’s standards for the safe and reliable management of San Francisco’s subway system.

The subway tunnel upgrade will start Friday, July 31, 2015 and is anticipated to end January 2016.

To learn more go to sfmta.com or call 311. Sign up for real time Muni email or text alerts.

Additional Information on Service Adjustments:

• The inbound J Church will end at Church and Market. Transfer to bus shuttles at the F Line streetcar stops on Market Street.
• The inbound N Judah will switch back at Church and Duboce. Customers getting off the train can walk one block to Market Street to board shuttle bus to downtown.
• The inbound K Ingleside will end at St. Francis Circle.  Customers can transfer to a bus to travel to downtown.
• The inbound M Ocean View from Balboa Park will travel through St. Francis Circle and become the outbound L Taraval to serve the L line stops beyond West Portal.  Inbound L trains from the Zoo will turn into the outbound M line at West Portal.
• The T Third Street will switch back at Embarcadero Station except the periods between Aug. 17-Aug. 24 and between Aug. 31-Sept. 10 when work will take place at Embarcadero. During these periods, the T trains will end at Folsom Street. Bus shuttle service will be extended to Folsom Street.
• Bus shuttle frequency: approximately every eight minutes.