The 29 Sunset Improvement Project – Phase Two now has updated proposals to improve the 29 Sunset. These proposals include revisions that we made to our summer 2025 proposals based on feedback that we received from hundreds of residents, merchants, Muni riders and other community members.
Together, these proposals are designed to achieve:
- More reliable bus service, with fewer service gaps and pass ups and less crowding,
- Shorter travel times,
- More well-furnished and visible bus stops, and
- Improved traffic safety for everyone who travels on the corridor.
These proposals will be considered at the March 20 Public Hearing. We encourage you to share your feedback at this Public Hearing.
Key proposals:
More efficient transit priority
Transit Signal Priority
Transit signal priority reduces the amount of time that buses spend at red lights by extending the green light when a bus is approaching. The project would add transit signal priority for the 29 Sunset at traffic signals on Bayshore Boulevard, Ocean Avenue and Holloway Avenue.
Bus stop moves
Bus stop removals
At twelve intersections, we would remove bus stops. Many bus stops on the 29 Sunset are closer than the 800-foot minimum distance recommended by the SFMTA’s bus stop spacing guidelines. The distances between almost all of the remaining bus stops would be under the 1,360-foot recommended maximum for relatively level areas. The recommended distances are shorter where grades are steep. Most bus riders would not be affected because most are not the closest stops to major destinations like schools, senior centers, groceries, or transfers to other lines. All riders benefit from improvements to reduce transit delays, improve travel times and reliability and reduce overcrowding. Stop removals will not require parking removal.
One pair of bus stops proposed for removal, on Mansell Street at Goettingen Street, is on a steep grade, but the nearest bus stops are only around 260 to 300 feet away.
What’s new in these February 2026 proposals: based on feedback received, we are proposing new bus stop locations on Persia Avenue. In our summer 2025 proposals, we proposed changing the number of bus stops on Persia Avenue from seven bus stops each way to four. We received feedback that locating bus stops four blocks apart could be difficult given the street’s incline and destinations nearby. Instead, we are proposing to have five pairs of bus stops at the following locations:
- Persia Ave & Mission St
- Persia Ave & Lisbon St
- Persia Ave & Naples St
- Persia Ave & Moscow St
- Persia Ave & Prague St
This would mean that bus stops would only be two or three blocks apart. They would maintain transfers to routes like the 54 Felton and connections to destinations like Cleveland Elementary School.
Bus stop relocations
At several locations, we would adjust the spacing of the bus stops to reduce delays or provide a more comfortable waiting environment.
What’s new in these February 2026 proposals? Based on feedback that we received on our summer 2025 proposals, we have several new proposals.
- At Third Street and Paul Avenue, we are no longer proposing to move the inbound stop (toward Baker Beach) across the intersection. By keeping the stop on Gilman Avenue current location, we will avoid potential impacts to traffic at this complicated intersection and the operations of Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church. We would move the stop slightly away from Third Street and remove two parking spaces so that the bus could fully pull to the curb. This change would improve safety and accessibility for people with disabilities.
- At Mission Street and Persia Avenue, we would move the both the inbound stop (toward Baker Beach) and outbound stop (toward Bayview) to the other side of the intersection. Moving these stops to the west side of the intersection would place them on less of a hill, which would improve accessibility for riders with disabilities. At the current outbound location east of Mission Street, the bus is often blocked by double parked vehicles. That slows down the bus and makes it difficult to pick up and drop off riders directly at the sidewalk. Additionally, the new location west of Mission is on less of a hill, which would improve accessibility for riders with disabilities. Both stops would have transit shelters at their new locations.
Red curbs
At two locations in the Bayview, red curb no-parking zones would be added or extended to allow buses to access the sidewalk or more easily turn:
- On Ingerson Avenue at Griffith Street, we would add a no-parking zone at the existing bus stop. This would improve safety and accessibility for people with disabilities and remove three parking spaces.
- On Hawes Street at Ingerson Avenue, we would add a no-parking zone on the southeast corner. This would improve bus reliability since, at times, there is not enough space for the bus to turn onto Hawes Street here. It would remove one parking space.
Stop Improvements and Other Changes
Improved Bus Stops for Riders
Bus Stop Shelters
Bus stop shelters would be added at several bus stops. Shelters can provide seating, real-time arrival displays, Muni maps and shelter from weather. Some locations where shelters might be added, pending further analysis, include:
- The westbound (inbound) bus stop at Ocean Ave/I-280 On Ramp. Riders on both the 29 Sunset and 49 Van Ness/Mission could use the shelter at this busy bus stop next to the Balboa Park BART station.
- The westbound (inbound) bus stop at Persia Ave and Mission St. This shelter would be added at the proposed new bus stop location across the intersection.
- The eastbound (outbound) bus stop at Mansell St and Visitacion Ave. This shelter would offer some protection from windy weather at the top of the hill near McLaren Park. We’ve heard that this bus stop is well-used by students transferring between the route and the 56 Rutland.
Note that these locations are subject to further technical analysis of feasibility.
Bus stop lighting pilot
As part of our Muni Stop Lighting Project, we would pilot new solar lighting at three to four bus stops. Improving lighting at Muni stops has been found to improve safety and increase feelings of safety. There are limitations to where solar lights can be added. For example, they need enough sun exposure to charge the light.
What’s new in these February 2026 proposals? Based on community feedback and additional engineering, we are proposing to add new solar lighting at the following bus stops:
- Lake Merced Blvd & Middlefield Dr (toward Bayview). This bus stop is shared with the 18 46th Avenue and 58 Lake Merced bus routes and sees many riders from nearby destinations like Lowell High School. Due to its location on the Lake Merced side of the street, this stop isn’t well lit by streets lights and could be improved.
- Grafton Avenue and Plymouth Avenue. This intersection has bus stops on all four corners for the 29 Sunset and 54 Felton but has limited lighting. We will further evaluate adding lighting to some or all of the bus stops.
- Ocean Ave/I-280 On Ramp (toward Baker Beach). In addition to adding a shelter, we would add lighting to this busy bus stop at Balboa Park BART next to the park.
- Gilman Ave & Bill Walsh Way (toward Baker Beach). Lighting is limited at this stop next to Gilman Playground Park and Alice Griffith housing.
- Note that these locations are subject to further technical analysis of feasibility.
Bus stop signage
Metal signs will be added at all 29 Sunset bus stops in the project area. Some bus stops are currently only marked by a band of yellow paint on nearby utility poles, or on the street. Signage would help new or infrequent riders find bus stops more easily.
Transit bulbs
Up to 15 transit bulbs would be added or lengthened. The bulbs extend sidewalks at bus stops into the curbside parking lane. This allows buses to avoid having to pull back into traffic, which improves reliability and travel time. They also allow buses to pull closer to the curb, making loading and unloading more accessible. Additionally, they improve safety for people walking by making them more visible, narrowing the crossing distance and slowing turning vehicles. Each transit bulb would remove approximately one to three parking spaces.
Transit boarding islands
Transit boarding islands would be added at two bus stops on Gilman Avenue near Bret Harte Elementary School and Gilman Playground. Similar to transit bulbs, they allow buses to avoid pulling back into traffic. That improves reliability and travel time. Each transit boarding island would remove approximately three to four parking spaces.
New or longer bus zones
At seven intersections, we would add or lengthen bus zones. Bus zones are the dedicated space at the curb where buses can pull over to let passengers on and off. These zones improve accessibility by allowing riders to step or roll directly between the bus and the sidewalk instead of loading or unloading in the street. Each new or longer bus zone would remove between zero and four parking spaces.
One of the lengthened zones would be at Ocean Ave & Cayuga Ave, where we are collaborating with the Cayuga Slow Street 2.0 team. The Slow Streets Team is working with neighbors and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to propose traffic calming and green infrastructure upgrades for this intersection. This includes closing a short segment of Santa Ynez Avenue between Cayuga and Ocean avenues.
Improved traffic safety
New crosswalks and traffic calming
At four intersections, we would paint new high-visibility crosswalks. These markings help improve safety by making people walking more visible. At three intersections, we would add median dividers. These small, raised islands improve safety by narrowing the crossing distance and encouraging drivers to slow down.
What’s new in these February 2026 proposals? At the intersection of Garfield and Head streets, we are proposing to pilot a new way of improving traffic safety at this intersection. We would add three traffic islands (one in the middle of the street and one on each side) that would narrow the traffic lanes on Garfield Street. This would require people to drive more slowly and carefully. There would still be one lane of traffic each way on Garfield Street. This would require removing four parking spaces at the intersection. This proposal would be a pilot project. We would evaluate how it’s working and consider any changes within one year after installing it.
Traffic lane removals
At two locations, we would remove one lane of traffic in one direction for several blocks. These changes would improve traffic safety and transit reliability.
San Bruno Avenue lane removal. On San Bruno Avenue between Mansell Street and Paul Avenue, we would remove one northbound lane of traffic. Removing a lane would allow us to increase the width of the remaining lanes, allowing buses to more easily pass through. Additionally, bike lanes might be added. Both north and south of this section of San Bruno Avenue, there is only one lane of northbound traffic, but in this section, there are two lanes. There would continue to be a right turn lane for northbound San Bruno Avenue traffic onto Paul Avenue. It would also not affect parking or southbound traffic on San Bruno Avenue.
What’s new in these February 2026 proposals? Gilman Avenue lane removal. Based on community feedback, we are also proposing to remove one westbound traffic lane on Gilman Avenue between Hawes Street and Arelious Walker Drive. This will decrease bus delays and allow cars to pass double-parked vehicles. On these three blocks of Gilman Avenue, we would remove one of the two westbound travel lanes, shift the center divider to the north and use the extra space on the south side of the street by Bret Harte Elementary School to widen the shoulder. After this change, there would still be one lane of traffic in each direction. We know that there are often double-parked vehicles on Gilman Avenue near the school. This change would help reduce delays from when the bus is blocked by double-parked vehicles. Gilman Avenue would still have three traffic lanes between Hawes and Third streets.
Share your feedback
Learn more by watching an eight-minute recorded presentation, and share your feedback as part of our upcoming March 20 Public Hearing.
Questions? Reach out to the project team at Better29@SFMTA.com or 415.646.2410.