Dear Taxi Industry,

The SFMTA proposes to implement temporary transit only lanes (TOLs) under the emergency order on several streets.  The purpose of these TOLs is to preserve transit and taxi speeds and capacity, which will allow greater social distancing and decrease the amount of potential exposure time passengers have to one another. These temporary TOLs will also help save taxis and transit from the impending traffic congestion that will occur as more businesses reopen and as the SFMTA has seen increasing private car usage.

At the San Francisco Transportation Authority hearing tomorrow, SFMTA will present on the Transportation Recovery Plan, which includes information regarding the temporary emergency transit only lanes. Those lanes that work well and have community support could become permanent.

• The agenda and instructions on calling in to provide comment are here: https://www.sfcta.org/events/transportation-authority-board-june-23-2020
• The SFMTA’s presentation of the Transportation Recovery Plan is item 12.

The TOLs listed below will be presented for approval at the June 30th meeting of the MTA Board of Directors.  If approved, the TOLs would be installed in phases starting in August and continuing into the fall.  The lanes will either be removed following the end of the declared emergency or proposed for permanent installation, which would include a regular (non-COVID-19) TASC review process.

• 7th Street – Townsend to Market
• 8th Street – Market to Brannan
• Bosworth Street – Arlington to Elk (Westbound), Elk to Diamond (Eastbound)
• O’Shaugnessy Blvd – Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts driveway to Portola
• Woodside Ave – Portola to Laguna Honda
• Laguna Honda Blvd – Woodside to Forest Hill Station (Westbound), Clarendon to Woodside (Eastbound)
• Masonic Ave – Haight to O’Farrell (Northbound), Geary to Haight (Southbound)  
• Presidio Ave – Sutter to Pine (Northbound), Sacramento to Sutter (Southbound)
• Mission Street – 11th to 1st (conversion of existing peak-hour transit only lane to 24 hours, lane width adjustments on most blocks, removal of parking on one side of street).

The proposed TOL installations consist only of signage and white “Bus/TAXI Only” (or similar message) stenciling in existing general purpose lanes.  No objects other than paint are proposed in the roadways. Red colorization is not proposed as part of these temporary TOL installations.