SFMTA Reopens Lower Stockton Street to Traffic

San Francisco, CA - The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which operates the Municipal Railway (Muni), announced today the reopening of Stockton Street between Geary Boulevard and Ellis Street. This segment of Stockton Street will reopen to vehicular traffic and Muni buses after a seven-year closure due to Central Subway construction. This street segment runs directly from Union Square to Market Street and is directly above the new subway’s biggest station.

“I am excited to celebrate the reopening of Stockton Street with district community leaders. Stockton Street is the major commercial artery and bus route that brings life into the heart of District 3,” said Supervisor Aaron Peskin. “For many residents in Chinatown and North Beach, this throughway also represents equitable and undisrupted access to downtown jobs and services. The celebration of this milestone, right before the Lunar New Year Parade and Celebration, is a symbol of hope for all of us that the final completion of the Central Subway is close at hand.”

The reopened street allows the 8, 8AX, 8BX, and 91 OWL routes to return to their previous alignments on lower Stockton and 4th Street starting on Monday, February 25. Transit riders will save about five minutes on their rides from Chinatown to SoMa and on to Visitacion Valley. The 45 Union/Stockton and 30 Stockton will continue to reroute around the area, and will return to lower Stockton and 4th streets later this spring.

“The Central Subway will bring together neighborhoods that have long been in need of improved public transit,” said Ed Reiskin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “The SFMTA has committed itself to building this vital link between two of San Francisco’s most iconic communities. The reopening of Stockton Street represents a significant milestone in the growth of a world class transportation system.”

Once in operation, the Central Subway will cut travel times in half along congested Stockton Street and 4th Street while enhancing connections to BART, Muni Metro and Caltrain. The route will move along Fourth Street, through a tunnel near Harrison Street, beneath Market Street, and un­der Stockton Street to the intersection of Stockton and Washington streets. With stops in SoMa, Yerba Buena/Moscone Center, Union Square, and China­town, Central Subway will vastly improve transit access for the residents in areas of the city with limited transportation options.

The Central Subway will directly serve some of San Francisco’s most densely populated communities including: the Visitacion Valley in the Southeast, east to the Bayview/Dogpatch, and west to the city’s center. For more information about the Central Subway, visit sfmta.com/CentralSubway.