SFMTA Receives $3.6 Million Grant to Upgrade Bus Facilities
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all ground transportation in the city, announced that it has been awarded $3.6 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to replace, rehabilitate and purchase bus equipment and to enhance existing bus-related facilities. The grant was awarded under FTA’s Bus and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program to improve the condition of bus infrastructure nationwide by funding the replacement and rehabilitation of buses and related facilities.
“San Franciscans deserve a world-class transit system to transport them safely, affordably and reliably between home, work and schools in an environmentally-responsible manner,” said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. “Securing these funds will improve Muni for operators and riders and underline the crucial role of federal infrastructure investments to creating good-paying jobs and improving our transportation experience. House Democrats are fighting For the People with a bold, comprehensive plan to make a historic $1 trillion federal investment to rebuild America’s crumbling infrastructure and create more than 16 million American jobs.”
“Our bus system is the backbone of public transportation in San Francisco,” said Mayor London Breed. “This federal grant will provide much-needed funding to modernize our bus facilities, support critical bus operator training and help develop new electric vehicle infrastructure that will improve Muni’s reliability and help the City achieve our aggressive climate goals.”
By 2035, the SFMTA anticipates that electric bus technology will have progressed far enough to allow for the complete electrification of buses. To prepare for this transition, it is critical to ensure that Muni facilities are capable of charging a large fleet both in the bus yard and while buses are in service on the city streets.
“This grant allows us to lay the foundation for future bus electrification,” said Cheryl Brinkman, Chairman of the Board of Directors at SFMTA. “As an agency, we have always been forward thinkers when it comes to greening our fleet and we will continue to take steps to improve upon one of the already greenest fleets in the country.”
At Woods Bus Yard, the $3.6 million grant will allow for the implementation of new bus washing equipment, upgrading the facility to prepare for fleet electrification and construct a training room with a bus simulator for a more hands-on and thorough operator training experience. It will be matched by funds from SB 1 State of Good Repair Funding.
“We are excited to hit the ground running and implement much-needed upgrades at one of our largest Muni maintenance yards,” said SFMTA Director of Transportation, Ed Reiskin. “Facilities and training may not be the most exciting topic, but they are an essential part of our work to improving Muni and making it a more reliable service that people can depend on.”
This project reflects high priority areas for the SFMTA including the rehabilitation of aged facilities, the maintenance and state of good repair of the Transit Fleet and the transition of the fleet to electric buses.
Over the last several years, the SFMTA has made historic investments in the Muni transit fleet. However, the facilities that house the new, more modern vehicles are old, outdated and over-capacity. Modernizing facilities is necessary in order to keep Muni’s fleet of buses, trains, streetcars and cable cars operational and out on the street serving the public. Through the SFMTA’s Building Progress program, the agency is working to repair, update and expand its facilities, including the Wood Bus Maintenance facility located in Dogpatch, where grant funding will be deployed.
The award allows SFMTA to address high priority areas but often unfunded infrastructures such as the rehabilitation of aged facilities, the maintenance and state of good repair of the Transit fleet, and the transition of the fleet to electric buses.