2009 Annual ReportThe economic downturn notwithstanding, 2009 was a milestone year for the Authority and for San Francisco’s transportation program. We received $50 million

SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY 2009 Annual Report

2 2009SFCTAAnnualReport

ThisAnnualReport,preparedinfulfillmentofstatutoryrequirements,detailstheAuthority’sprogressindeliveringthelocaltransportationsalestaxprogramovertheprevioustwelvemonths.ItalsoprovidesanoverviewofprogressindeliveringprogramsandprojectspaidforwithotherfundsundertheAuthority’sjurisdiction.

The 30-year Expenditure Plan, put in place by San Francisco voters in November 2003 through Prop K, determines how funds, generated by Prop K’s half-cent local transportation sales tax, must be spent. The New Expenditure Plan includes specific projects and programs and stipulates the percentages of total revenues that must be spent on different kinds of improvements.

65.5% Transit

8.6% Paratransit

24.6 % Streets & Traffic Safety

1.3 % Transportation System Management and Strategic Initiatives

N OV E M B E R 2 0 0 3

THE VOTER’S MANDATE

2009SFCTAAnnualReport 3

To the Citizens of San FranciscoThe economic downturn notwithstanding, 2009 was a milestone year for the Authority and for San Francisco’s transportation program. We received $50 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, enabling us to move the first phase of the Doyle Drive Replacement Project into construction 18 months ahead of schedule. With the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in attendance, we broke ground in October, and renamed the project the Presidio Parkway. It was the culmination of a 15-year process to effectively partner with the State, initiated by the Authority, to break the impasse of decades of fruitless debate. Towards the end of the year, the second phase of the project was identified by the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency as a top-ranked candidate for a potential public-private partnership which, if implemented, could bring additional benefits and cost savings to the project. Working together with City departments, we also energized a coordinated reponse to the opportunities presented by ARRA, and captured an additional $14 million for “shovel-ready” projects around San Francisco.

The Authority Board approved the first major update to the Prop K Strategic Plan, which provides policy guidance and an essential funding strategy road map to leverage state and federal dollars with local sales tax for transportation resources. That was followed by the approval of 19 specific program documents, called 5-Year Prioritization Programs, to guide the implementation of Prop K-funded projects around the city in categories like traffic signals, street resurfacing, and bicycle projects. The combination of these documents amounts to the most comprehensive picture of investment in the city’s transportation infrastructure ever put together, and it constitutes both an essential tool for effective funding advocacy at a time of financial crisis in the nation, and a very important reference for the financial markets to evaluate the Authority’s credit-worthiness in the context of any future long-term borrowing.

We also were very active in energizing consensus on a regional strategy for high-speed rail advocacy, to which the success of the Transbay Transit Center project is intimately connected. We completed the state-mandated update of the Congestion Management Program, ensuring continued eligibility for state and federal transportation funds for San Francisco. We made significant progress on the Van Ness Avenue and Geary Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) environmental studies, and the Van Ness Avenue BRT project was again ranked highest in the nation by the Federal Transit Administration for competitive Small Starts federal funds.

We finalized several important studies addressing citywide policy issues, including a study of parking management and pricing; an analysis of the taxi medallion system; and a Strategic Analysis Report on the role of private shuttles in the city’s transportation system. At the same time, we made significant progress on the Mobility, Access, and Pricing Study, as well as on the study to adopt an alternative transportation impact measure under the California Environmental Quality Act CEQA, known as the Automobile Trips Generated Impact Measure. We continued to develop community-based transportation plans in Bayview and SoMa; energized a major effort to address Market Street safety and circulation issues; and finalized the Columbus Avenue Neighborhood Transportation Study. We spent significant effort on improving our travel demand forecasting model, already among the most advanced in the nation, and actively participated in the process to develop a Better Streets Plan for San Francisco.

We also worked closely with City departments to ensure that there is an inventory of bicycle projects cleared environmentally and fully designed and ready for implementation as soon as the full court injunction against the San Francisco Bicycle Plan is lifted. 45 individual capital projects have been cleared for implementation.

We closed the fiscal year with a clean audit with no findings. All in all it was a very productive and positive year, despite the many challenges afforded by the downturn.

We look forward to another productive year during 2010, and thank you for your support and the privilege to serve you.

The Authority Board and Its CommitteesThe Authority’s governing board consists of the eleven members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, sitting as commissioners of the Authority. The Authority Board is not a city commission. The Authority is a separate legal entity from the City and County of San Francisco, created under state law. The Authority Board has three standing committees and one special-purpose select committee. The Board members elect a chair every January. The chair appoints the members and chairs of the committees and serves as ex officio member of the committees.

Authority Board

Bevan Dufty, ChairRoss Mirkarimi, Vice-ChairMichela Alioto-PierJohn AvalosDavid CamposDavid ChiuCarmen ChuChris DalySean ElsberndEric MarSophie Maxwell

Finance Committee

Michela Alioto-Pier, ChairRoss Mirkarimi, Vice-ChairJohn AvalosChris DalyEric Mar

Plans and Programs Committee

CarmenChu,ChairDavidCampos,Vice-ChairDavidChiuSeanElsberndSophieMaxwell

Personnel Committee

Bevan Dufty, ChairMichela Alioto-Pier, Vice-ChairCarmen Chu

Select Committee on Paratransit

Michela Alioto-Pier, ChairBevan Dufty, Vice-ChairChris Daly

Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)

Brian Larkin, ChairPeter Tannen, Vice-ChairGlenn DavisChris JonesMichael MaFran MartinJul Lynn ParsonsJacqualine SachsRobert SwitzerWendy TranRosie West

Individuals Serving the CAC for Part of 2009

Vicki OppenheimCecilia Lim

José Luis Moscovich executive director


Our Mission: Optimize Mobilityin San Francisco


The San Francisco County Transportation Authority is the sub-regional transportation planning and programming agency for San Francisco County. Originally created to administer the proceeds of Proposition B, the first local sales tax for transportation, approved by the voters in 1989, the Authority has since been asked to take on a number of additional roles and responsibilities mandated by state law. These new roles complement the agency’s original purpose and contribute to its increased effectiveness. On April 1, 2004, the Authority became the administrator of the Proposition K sales tax for transportation, which San Francisco voters approved in November 2003, and which superseded Proposition B.

Pursuant to state law, the Authority is a separate legal entity from the City and County of San Francisco, with its own staff, budget, operating rules, policies, board, and committee structure. The Authority’s borrowing capacity is separate and distinct from that of the City and County of San Francisco.

PROP K ADMINISTRATOR

Prop K is the local sales tax for transportation approved by San Francisco voters in November 2003. The 30-year Expenditure Plan prioritizes $2.35 billion in funding and leverages another $9 billion in federal, state, and local funds for transportation improvements.

Administer the tax. Allocate funds to eligible projects. Monitor and expedite the delivery of Prop K projects. Prepare the Strategic Plan to guide the timing of Prop K expenditures and maximize leveraging. Optimize borrowing costs through debt issuance and funding strategy.

CONGESTION MANAGEMENT AGENCY (CMA)

State legislation establishing Congestion Management Programs was adopted in 1989. The Authority was designated as the CMA for San Francisco County.

Prepare the long-range Countywide Transportation Plan for San Francisco. Gauge the performance of the transportation system. Prioritize and recommend local projects for state and federal funding every year, and help local agencies compete for regional transportation funds.

TRANSPORTATION FUND FOR CLEAN AIR (TFCA) PROGRAM MANAGER

Funds come from a $4 per year vehicle registration fee surcharge, used for transportation projects that help clean up the air. The Authority was designated San Francisco program manager for TFCA in 1992.

Prioritize projects for San Francisco’s local share of TFCA funds. Help local agencies compete for regional discretionary TFCA funds. Oversee implementation of TFCA projects in San Francisco.

Role What we do


Transportation 2035 and Future Federal FundsSetting San Francisco Priorities for the Upcoming Federal Surface Transportation Act

In April 2009, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) adopted Transportation 2035 (T2035), the update to the Bay Area’s long-range Regional Transportation Plan. T2035 incorporated all of San Francisco’s key project priorities as advocated by the Authority, including the Central Subway; the Doyle Drive Replacement Project (now the Presidio Parkway); the Caltrain Electrification project; full implemen-tation of the Transbay Transit Center and right of way acquisition and design phases of the Caltrain Downtown Extension; and bus rapid transit (BRT) projects on Van Ness Avenue and Geary Boulevard. Inclusion of these projects is a significant step forward toward securing additional federal funds for a package of key transportation infrastruc-ture improvements for the city that amounts to over $7 billion.

In June 2009, MTC kicked off its process to establish the framework for programming federal transportation funds anticipated under the new and yet-to-be-developed six-year

federal surface transportation act, on the basis of the poli-cies and programs identified in T2035. The Authority advo-cated for near-term funding for high-priority San Francisco projects and actively participated in shaping new program guidelines to ensure that San Francisco projects will be competitive for discretionary funds. In December 2009, MTC approved the framework for the upcoming federal funding cycle, establishing funding levels for regional fund programs and for certain projects.

An important success in that area was the inclusion of $15 million for the Van Ness Avenue segment of the SFgo proj-ect, to support the Van Ness Avenue BRT project. SFgo is a comprehensive approach to traffic management through traffic signal coordination and control technologies, to optimize the capacity and efficiency of the street network to handle traffic, transit service, and pedestrian and bicycle flows.

Among the features of the new programming framework is a new Congestion Management Agency block grant program through which the Authority will receive an esti-mated $12 million to program to local streets and roads rehabilitation projects, regional bicycle network projects, and Transportation for Livable Communities (TLC) projects

ACCO M P L I S H M E N TS I N 2 0 0 9

PROGRAMMING OF FUNDS

Top: visualization of the California High-Speed Rail line at the new Transbay Transit Center. Middle: the Main Post tunnels for Presidio Parkway. Bottom left: Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit. Bottom right: conveyor for a tunnel boring machine, similar to that which will be used for the new Central Subway.


2009 Prop K Strategic Plan and 5-Year Prioritization Program UpdatesAn Updated Look at the Long Term and a Road Map for Progress in Five-Year Increments

In 2009, the Authority adopted the 2009 Prop K Strategic Plan, the first update to the initial 2005 Strategic Plan, which followed voter approval of Prop K. The requirement for periodic adoption of a Strategic Plan is part of the voter mandate. In addition to the large signature Prop K projects, the voter mandate also includes the adoption of 5-Year Prioritization Programs (5YPPs) for funding categories such as street resurfacing, traffic signals, and bicycle network improvements. During 2009, the Authority Board adopted 19 of a total of 21 5YPPs. Together, these documents reflect the full universe of priorities of all agencies responsible for delivering transportation improvements for San Francisco and establish a steady stream of grant-ready projects that can be advanced as soon as funds (including Prop K, federal, state, and other) are available. This is a major accom-plishment for the Authority, positioning San Francisco very well to receive state and federal funds in what has become a very competitive environment, and to deal with the budget challenges expected in 2010 and beyond. With adoption of the 2009 Strategic Plan, up to $648 million in Prop K funds is made available to capital projects in the period addressed by the 5YPPs, which covers fiscal years 2009/10 through 2013/14.

The voter-approved Prop K Expenditure Plan programmed a total of $2.35 billion (in 2003 dollars) in local transportation sales tax revenue to a number of eligible catego-ries of projects and programs, to leverage another $9.6 billion in federal, state, and local funds. The Expenditure Plan, however, does not specify in which years projects will receive funds, nor does it detail the specific projects to be funded from program-matic categories in a given year. The Strategic Plan reconciles the pace of collection of expected Prop K revenues with the timelines for project delivery by project sponsors. The document also sets policy for the administration of the program, to ensure prudent stewardship of the funds, and provides a solid financial basis for the issuance of future debt. The 2009 Strategic Plan continues the precedent of supporting the delivery of projects early on by advancing Prop K funding through financing. The 2009 Strategic Plan assumes slightly over $825 million in debt issuance, at a cost of about $853 million in finance costs in year-of-expenditure dollars. Despite increases to the cost of financing since 2005, delays to project delivery and favorable rates on the Authority’s existing commercial paper allowed a reduction in the projected need for debt issuance.

While the Strategic Plan provides the long-term road map for managing Prop K revenue, the 5YPPs ensure that the Authority Board, project sponsors, and the public have a clear understanding of how projects are prioritized for funding within each funding category. They also provide a clear sense of the overall program of projects anticipated to be delivered in the five-year period.

Community meeting at the Sunset Recreation Center on the Prop K Strategic Plan and 5-Year Prioritization Program updates.

(e.g. streetscapes, transit accessibility improvements). Authority staff have already been working with prospective project sponsors to prepare for a call for projects for the block grant program in early 2010 and to identify a short list of competitive projects for the discretionary regional TLC program, administered by MTC, which is anticipated to be released in January 2010. All of these programs require matching funds, which are expected to come mainly from Prop K.


American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)Federal Stimulus Funds Keep Transportation Projects Moving

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) into law in February 2009, directing billions of dollars to state, regional, and local agen-cies for transportation projects. These funds came with very tight deadlines, focusing on “shovel-ready” projects that would quickly expend funds and generate jobs. In total, the Authority programmed more than $14 million in ARRA funds for local streets and roads rehabilitation and enhancement projects. The Authority programmed funds as they became available throughout 2009 and reprogrammed cost savings realized by project sponsors due to a favorable bid climate. The Authority worked closely with project sponsors to ensure all ARRA deadlines were met, and its final ARRA project list is shown in the table below. Cumulatively, these projects will repave segments of seven local streets; construct almost 200 new curb ramps; install 60 new accessible pedestrian signals and 90 pedestrian countdown signals; and construct streetscape improvements in the Inner Sunset. The ARRA funds complement Prop K funds for street resurfacing, pedestrian circulation and safety, traffic calming, signal upgrades, and curb ramps.

In addition to the Authority’s programming efforts, the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) directly received $67 million in ARRA funds that it programmed to eli-gible transit capital projects. Another $50 million in ARRA funds went to the Presidio Parkway (Doyle Drive) project, and the State prioritized the project as a top priority for an additional $50 million from a national competitive ARRA-funded program. The State also prioritized elements of the Transbay Transit Center and Caltrain Downtown Extension projects for nationally competitive ARRA high-speed rail funds. Grant award announcements for both competitive ARRA programs are expected in early 2010.

ARRA Projects Programmed by the Authority in 2009Project; Sponsor Approved ARRA Funds

7thAveandLagunaHonda $2,787,467PavementRenovation;DPW

DivisaderoStreetPavement 2,395,831Renovation;DPW

BushStreetPavement 2,000,000Renovation;DPW

WilliamsAvenuePavement 1,500,000Renovation;DPW

JonesStreetPavementRenovation;DPW 1,410,277

TurkStreetPavementRenovation;DPW 1,195,042

VariousLocationsCurbRamps;DPW 1,075,000

VariousLocationsCurbRamps#2;DPW 651,921

InnerSunsetTrafficCalming 632,295andTransitEnhancements;MTA

GearyBoulevardIntersections 524,462Paving;DPW

PedestrianSignalUpgrades;MTA 300,000

TOTAL $14,472,295


Top: curb ramp construction in the Richmond. Bottom: SFgo traffic signal installation.


2010 State Transportation Improvement Program and Transit Enhancements

Lack of State Transportation Improvement Program Funds Puts Focus on Enhancements

As Congestion Management Agency for San Francisco, every two years the Authority is responsible for establishing project priorities for San Francisco’s county share funds from the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for the Regional Improvement Program (RIP) and Transportation Enhancements (TE) Program. Due to the ongoing state budget crisis, the 2010 STIP fund estimate adopted by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) contained almost no new funds for the five-year STIP period, which covers Fiscal Years 2010/11 through 2014/15, other than a small amount of TE funds.

TE funding is intended to support projects such as bicycle and pedestrian facilities, safety and educational activities, landscaping and scenic beautification, and historic preservation. TE projects must be above and beyond a normal transportation project and cannot be a required mitigation measure for environmental compliance. In November 2009, the Authority programmed over $3 million to six new projects.

As part of the 2010 STIP, the Authority has been working closely with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and project sponsors to avoid delays to existing RIP pro-gramming for major capital projects such as the Presidio Parkway and Transbay Transit Center.

The Authority also continued to monitor progress on previously funded STIP projects and assisted sponsors in complying with state and federal requirements.

Project Title; Sponsor Recommended TE Funding

AreliousWalkerDr.StairwayImprovementProject;SFRA $1,109,000

SunsetPedestrianImprovementsandSafetyEducation;MTA 611,000

PhelanLoopPedestrianandBeautificationProject;MTA 574,000

PointLobosPedestrianImprovements;DPW 461,000

Church/DubocePedestrianImprovements;MTA 388,000

SanFranciscoBikeParkingProgram,Valencia 235,000andMissionDistrict;MTA

TOTAL $3,378,000

19th Avenue, looking north from Holloway Street, during the evening commute.


Transportation Fund for Clean Air Making a Difference with Small Projects

The Authority is the designated Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) Program Manager for San Francisco. In that capacity, it programs approximately $800,000 every year to bicycle, pedestrian, and other transportation projects that help improve air qual-ity by reducing motor vehicle emissions. In 2009, the Authority expanded its role under a more thoroughly delegated program that places much of the project selection and oversight duties with the congestion management agencies rather than the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District). The Authority also provides assistance to proj-ect sponsors in applying for regional TFCA funds, programmed directly by the Air District.

Funded in 2009; Sponsor Total TFCA Fund Project Cost Amount

Light-dutyHybrid-electricTaxis;DOE $3,750,000 $243,600

WirelessTrafficSignalDetection 120,000 120,000Loops;MTA

PresidioShuttleCNGHeavyDuty 874,485 97,500Vehicles;PresidioTrust

17thSt.CorridorBikeLanesand 291,200 86,200SharedRoadwayMarkings;MTA

CommuterBenefitsProgram;DOE 426,000 86,000

SchoolRidematchingProgram;DOE 72,000 72,000

CityBicycleFleetProgram;DOE 41,500 31,500

ShuttleServicetoSanBrunoJail;SFSD 31,395 26,552

EmergencyRideHomeProgram;DOE 46,310 18,000

DieselTowTruckEngineRepower; 15,000 15,000GGBHTD

TOTAL $5,667,890 $796,352

Completed in 2009; Sponsor Total TFCA Funds Project Cost Expended

CNGHotelShuttles;SFO $933,835 $186,250

CleanAirVehicles;DOE 1,643,200 109,200

PresidiGoCNGShuttleFleetAddition; 277,394 46,884PresidioTrust

BicycleFleetProgram;DOE 26,678 26,678

EnforcementBicyclePatrolFleet;DOE 20,973 20,973

GuaranteedRideHomeProgram;DOE 39,494 9,494

TOTAL $2,941,574 $399,479


Top: hybrid-electric Yellow Cab. Middle: bicycle rack at City College. Bottom: carpooling with School Ridematching. Right: Emergency Ride Home logo.


Bicycle Program Coordination Limited Implementation in 2009

Due to a court injunction, the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) suspended construction of bicycle facilities and installation of bicycle parking in June 2006. The injunction was to remain in effect until there had been a satisfactory Environmental Impact Report (EIR) approved for the City’s Bicycle Plan. In Summer 2009 the Bicycle Plan was officially adopted by the MTA Board of Directors as well as the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The MTA obtained project-level environmental clearance for 56 bicycle projects through the Bicycle Plan EIR. On November 25, 2009, the San Francisco Superior Court issued an order modifying the injunction, allowing the MTA to implement a limited number of bicycle projects, including bicycle parking, sharrows (shared lane pavement markings), ten near-term capital projects, and pilot projects. The Superior Court has scheduled a hearing for June 1, 2010 to determine the adequacy of the Bicycle Plan EIR.

Throughout 2009, Authority and MTA staff met extensively with the Mayor’s Office and bicycle advocates to design a strategic approach to funding and implementing bicycle projects once the injunction is lifted. The goal is to ensure that adequate sales tax funds are available to leverage other discretionary fund sources to support implementation of a steady pipeline of the remaining bicycle projects identified in the Bicycle Plan, as well as to define and develop the next generation of bicycle projects.

Lifeline Transportation ProgramImproving Mobility for Low-Income Communities

The Lifeline Transportation Program (LTP) was established by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to improve mobility for low-income communities, and it is one of the few instances where the Authority has the ability to program funds for operating purposes.

In November 2008, the Authority programmed over $9.6 million in 2008 LTP funds for nine new projects. However, in early 2009 MTC sig-nificantly reduced the 2008 LTP fund estimate

due to the state budget crisis, and while the highest-priority projects could move forward, the Authority could not fund several of the lower-priority projects with the reduced funding levels. In July 2009, the Authority adopted a revised set of 2008 LTP priorities, as shown in the table at right. San Francisco’s revised 2008 LTP project list was adopted by MTC in December 2009. The Authority expects to have over $1 million in new state and federal funds to program to eligible LTP projects in early 2010.

In 2009, the Authority also worked with MTC to monitor grants approved during the 2006 and 2008 LTP grant cycles. Three first-cycle LTP projects were completed in 2009: prior service improvements on Muni Routes 108 and 29 (which received additional LTP funds in the sec-ond cycle), and the Lifeline Fast Pass Outreach Project.

Project; Sponsor Approved Lifeline Funds

BalboaParkStationEastside $1,906,050ConnectionsProject;BART

SanBrunoAvenueTransitPreferential 1,564,919StreetsImprovements;MTA

ShopperShuttle;MTA 1,560,000

PersiaTriangleTransitAccess 802,734ImprovementsProject;MTA

Randolph/Farallones/OrizabaTransit 480,000AccessImprovementsProject;MTA

Route29ReliabilityImprovement 727,200Project;MTA

Route108,TreasureIslandEnhanced 262,228ServiceProject;MTA

TOTAL $7,303,131

Mayor Gavin Newsom, Commissioner Bevan Dufty

and San Francisco Bicycle Coalition members celebrate

the partial lifting of the bicycle injunction in

December by painting the city’s first bicycle box,

on the Wiggle bike route at Oak and Scott streets.

Left: The Authority programmed Lifeline funds

to one of the first “shovel- ready” projects to receive

federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

stimulus money, at the Balboa Park BART Station.


Transportation for Livable Communities and Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian ProgramMore TLC Funds Mean Better Prospects for San Francisco Projects

The current federal funding proposal from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) has $85 million available to fund Transportation for Livable Communities (TLC) projects, with $57 mil-lion designated for the regional TLC program and $28 million available to the nine Bay-area counties for the county-share TLC program, to be distributed on a population basis. MTC plans to release a call for projects for the regional program in early 2010, and it

expects project applications to be submitted in Spring 2010. As a City and County, San Francisco will be allowed to submit up to four applications for a maximum grant amount of $6 million per application, with a 20 percent minimum local match requirement.

As Congestion Management Agency (CMA), the Authority will issue a combined call this spring for projects for the county-share TLC program, San Francisco’s county share is estimated to be about $3 million, plus an estimated $8 million in Local Streets and Roads Rehabilitation funds, and about $1 million in Regional Bicycle Program funds as part of a block grant program. This approach will allow for the flexible programming of up to 20 percent of the funding available to each one of the programs to any of the other programs.

Authority staff have already begun working with city agen-cies and regional transit operators to identify the most competitive projects for the regional TLC program and to coordinate on local match, some of which is expected to come from Prop K.


Top: sidewalk repair. Bottom: Leland Street sidewalk and street reconstruction.


Mobility, Access, and Pricing Study Evaluates Two Main OptionsFeasibility Study of Congestion Pricing Nears Completion

The Authority’s Mobility, Access, and Pricing Study (MAPS) made significant progress in 2009. Funded by a $1 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the study is assessing the feasibility of congestion pricing in San Francisco. Congestion pricing refers to a fee paid by motorists who drive on congested roads during peak peri-ods, with fee revenues re-invested into a multimodal package of transportation improve-ments. In December 2008, the Authority Board called for further analysis of the two highest-performing congestion pricing scenarios, the Double Ring and the Northeast Cordon. In 2009, the MAPS team conducted further detailed analyses of these two refined scenarios, continued outreach to business and civic organizations, and made

presentations at numerous neighborhood association meetings across the city and region.

The MAPS analysis shows that congestion pricing scenarios are technically feasible, and would contribute to local, regional, and state goals for managing congestion, facili-tating sustainable economic growth, and combating climate change. These benefits would include a 10 to 15 percent reduction in peak period automobile trips in the greater downtown with little to no change in overall daily trip-making. A fee level of

approximately $3, assessed during weekday peak periods only, would provide substan-tial benefits while minimizing program impacts and providing travelers with numerous options for when and how they travel to and from San Francisco. Fee revenues would be reinvested in local and regional transit services, along with roadway, pedestrian, and bicycle improvements, with an expenditure plan to determine how funds would be dis-tributed among various transportation needs.

In 2009, key technical tasks included an assess-ment of economic benefits and impacts at the local and regional scale, study of poten-tial payment and detection technologies, and refined analysis of transit improvements. The study team also coordinated with related efforts, including the Authority’s On-Street Parking Management and Pricing Study, and continued coordination with partner agencies and transit operators.

MAPS will be finalized in early 2010. The dis-semination of study results will commence with advisory committee meetings, followed by a series of public hearings and workshops. Authority planners anticipate presenting the Final Report in conjunction with com-mencement of the effort to update the long-range Countywide Transportation Plan.


PLANS AND STUDIES

Left: congested street segments in San Francisco, shown in red (transit) and yellow (auto), with two potential congestion pricing scenarios shown in green (Northeast Cordon scenario) and in blue (Double Ring scenario).

Congestion pricing was successfully implemented in central London several years ago.


Automobile Trips Generated Impact MeasureLocal and Statewide Coordination

This year, Authority staff continued to support the City’s transition to a new transpor-tation impact measure based on Automobile Trips Generated (ATG). Working collab-oratively with several city agencies, Authority staff are participating in a Transportation Nexus Study, which will identify the fee level for the Auto Trip Mitigation Fee, a key com-ponent of the move to ATG. Together, these reforms are anticipated to greatly streamline and improve transportation analyses within the environmental review process.

As the Nexus Study proceeded, two other significant changes were advanced in 2009 that support the change from Level of Service (LOS) to ATG.

In November 2009, the State Resources Agency released revised recommended lan-guage for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. The revisions are intended to help support the implementation of SB 375 by guiding the CEQA analysis of greenhouse gas emissions; in addition, the revisions modify Appendix G (transpor-tation). In partnership with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the City Attorney’s Office, the Authority provided comments on and recommended language for Appendix G, intended to remove explicit references to automobile LOS as the recommended measure of transportation impact. The State Resources Agency’s recommended language, as revised, incorporates San Francisco’s comments. The revi-sions remove explicit reference to capacity-based measures of transportation impact, and instead allow flexibility for cities to adopt non-capacity based measures—such as ATG—as appropriate for local context. The revisions also remove reference to parking capacity as a measure of impact, further supporting the City’s practice. These develop-ments demonstrate the statewide interest in moving away from automobile LOS as a measure of environmental quality and further support local initiatives to adopt more appropriate measures.

In December, the Board of Supervisors acted to desig-nate portions of San Francisco as an Infill Opportuntiy Zone (IOZ). SB 1636 provides Congestion Management Agencies the option to use an alternative to automo-bile LOS in monitoring the performance of the city’s transportation system in portions of the city with fre-quent transit service in close proximity to housing. In December 2009, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution establishing an IOZ, enabling such an alter-native method in order to make congestion monitoring more consistent with the City’s Transit First policy.

San Francisco is moving to replace the way it measures transportation impact.

PLANS AND STUDIES


Columbus Avenue Neighborhood Transportation StudyDraft Final Report Completed

In 2009, the Authority completed the Columbus Avenue Neighborhood Transportation Study, a joint effort of the Authority and two community partners, Revitalize and Energize the Northeast and Waterfront of San Francisco (RENEW SF) and the Chinatown Community Development Center. The study identifies design changes for Columbus Avenue, focusing on the core stretch between Filbert and Broadway streets, which enhance the livability and economic viability of the street and benefit residents, merchants, and visitors alike.

This year, the study team completed tech-nical and outreach activities, and drafted the study’s Final Report. The Final Report documents the three Columbus Avenue design alternatives evaluated by the team, including three design configurations for the central intersection of Columbus Avenue and Stockton/Green Streets.

The study recommends Design Alternative 3, which would prioritize pedestrians by transforming the street into two mixed travel lanes with a permanently widened side-walk. Additionally, the study calls for anchoring the “crown” of Columbus Avenue by redesigning the intersection of Columbus Avenue, Stockton Street, and Green Street with a central plaza.

The spacious sidewalk would include a “flex space,” or an outer zone serving pedestrian uses as well as retail loading/unloading, and (as a phasing strategy), “flex lanes.” The study team broke new ground in advancing shared space concepts such as flex lanes and flex space in San Francisco, working with the Planning Department, the Department of Public Works, and the Mayor’s Office on Disability.

The study recommendations also encompass parking management and transit service. As 2009 concludes, the study team is working with the MTA transit engineering group to confirm transit delay reduction measures, and concur on a detailed Alternative 3 design that could be advanced for funding in early 2010.

Shared use of parking lanes during North Beach festivals and parades.


Bi-County Area Transportation Projects AdvanceAuthority Plays Major Project Planning and Coordination Role

The Bi-County area, near the border between southeast San Francisco and northeast San Mateo County, is the subject of multiple major current planning efforts. Several pieces of currently vacant, formerly industrial land are envisioned for redevelopment as high-density, mixed-use residential neighborhoods and employment centers.

To support these transformative land use changes, the Authority is leading a Bi-County Transportation Study, in partnership with multiple land use and transportation agencies on both sides of the county line. The study envisions multiple improvements to the transportation system, including a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line and an extension of the T-Third Light Rail Transit (LRT) line, both connecting to Caltrain at the Bayshore Caltrain Station; a re-configured US-101 Candlestick Point interchange; and a new local east-west street connection (Geneva Avenue Extension/Harney Way) to provide access to both the enhanced station and the re-configured interchange. Activities in 2009 included documentation of existing conditions, development of a priority list of projects and evaluation criteria, and transportation modeling and analysis of alternative packages of improvements. The goal of the Bi-County Transportation Study is to develop agency and community consen-sus on a list of priority projects and a funding and implementation plan to deliver the desired program of projects.

The Authority has also launched the Bayshore Intermodal Station Access Study, in recognition of the critical importance of the Bayshore Caltrain Station as a future regional transit hub in the area. This study, focused on the design of the station area itself, aims to develop consensus among stakeholder agencies in San Francisco and San Mateo County on a vision and conceptual design for future proposed multimodal connections to the Bayshore Caltrain Station. The goal is to ensure strong connections between the station and future transit-oriented land uses in the area. Activities during 2009

included selection of a consultant team, creation of an evaluation framework, and assessment of existing conditions. This work includes interviews between the project team and individual stakeholders. Key issues identified for further exploration include: the optimal location of the Bayshore Station; how bus rapid transit and light rail will access the station for convenient transfers; and how those riding transit from the station will access it via foot, bicycle, and vehicles. Next steps include an initial phase of com-munity outreach, completion of the existing conditions assessment, and development of alternatives for agency and community discussion.

Finally, the Authority coordinated several individual project development efforts in the Bi-County area in 2009. The Candlestick Point and Hunters Point Shipyard Phase 2 land development projects developed multiple refinements of their transportation plan, which describes the local street and transit improvements that will accompany the land use projects. And the US-101 Candlestick Interchange reconfiguration project, led by the City of Brisbane, conducted traffic operations analyses and conceptual designs for the Project Study Report (PSR), a required document by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for changes to state highway facilities.

PLANS AND STUDIES

Top: Geneva Avenue will be extended through this area to the Bayshore Caltrain Station (bottom), and from there to Harney Way.


Neighborhood Transportation Plans Commence in Bayview and Western SoMaCommunity-based Planning Efforts Focus on Innovative, Near-term Transportation Solutions

The Authority initiated the Bayview Hunters Point (BVHP) and Western SoMa Neighborhood Transportation Plans (NTPs) in 2009. The Authority’s NTP program is focused on developing near-term solutions to transportation needs and challenges in San Francisco’s neighborhoods, with a focus on low-income and minority neighbor-hoods. Public involvement and community capacity-building are the central elements of the Authority’s NTP program, which is an outgrowth of the 2004 Countywide Transportation Plan.

During 2009, the Bayview Hunters Point NTP study team directly engaged well over 100 community members in a discussion of transportation issues through a grassroots public involvement approach that included focused group discussions, youth and senior-focused workshops, and direct outreach to individual BVHP stakeholders. This rich input guided project development efforts on three key transpor-

tation needs in the BVHP neighborhood: improvements to the pedestrian environment, particularly along Third Street and for those accessing transit; parking management to address parking concerns in the neighborhood; and mobility services for commu-nity members with little or no automobile access. The NTP will be finalized in early 2010 following a final phase of public outreach to review draft plan recommendations. Thereafter, the Authority will work with implementing agencies to seek funding for prioritized projects.

The Authority also led a community-based transportation planning pro-cess in Western SoMa in 2009. Working with the Western SoMa Citizen Planning Task Force, which produced the draft Western SoMa Community Plan in 2008, the Authority is developing conceptual designs for pedestrian and streetscape improvements in the area bounded by 4th Street, 12th Street, Mission Street, and Howard Street. The emphasis is on enhancing multimodal travel conditions, particularly on pedestrian travel, and near-term transportation improvement opportunities. The purpose of the study is to support implementation of the Community Plan by developing a pipe-line of grant-ready projects that can compete for funding.

Based on the technical review and feedback from the community and the study’s inter-agency technical advisory committee, the study identified Minna and Natoma Streets, between 7th and 9th Streets, as a high-priority improvement project. The goal of the project is twofold: to calm traffic in these alleys and create new, usable pedestrian open space. The study also recommended new signalized mid-block pedestrian crossings at 7th, 8th, or 9th Streets to support the alley improvements, the exact locations of which will be determined through further analysis.

Steps ahead include development of conceptual design options for Minna and Natoma and the mid-block pedestrian crossings, a community meeting to receive input on the options, selection of a preferred alternative, and a funding and implementation plan for the preferred set of projects.

Left: Bayview senior center transportation workshop. Below: residences and businesses characteristically share the street, Clementina Street in this case, in Western SoMa.


Strategic Analysis Report on The Role of Shuttles in San FranciscoStudy Calls for Increased Management and Coordination

At the request of Commissioner Bevan Dufty in Fall 2008, the Authority initiated a Strategic Analysis Report (SAR) on the role of shuttles to investigate the reasons for, and benefits and impacts of, the growth in shuttle activity in San Francisco. During 2009, two focus areas emerged for analysis: how best to respond to the rapid expansion of regional employer-based shuttle operations in San Francisco neighborhoods; and how best to manage local downtown circulator shuttles, including the issue of consolidation

of multiple private operations into fewer or perhaps a single opera-tion. Authority staff conducted field observations, literature review, and extensive outreach to various stakeholders including shuttle providers, operators, users, public agencies, and the general public, particularly in neighborhoods with high shuttle activity. A draft SAR was presented to the Authority Plans and Programs Committee in November 2009. The study found that regional shuttles provided widespread and significant public benefits but that local impacts exist and should be better managed. The study also found that there was a strong rationale for consolidation of local circulator shuttles, with potential for a public-private partnership involving the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA).

The Draft SAR recommends a voluntary “Muni Partners” certifica-tion program, in which a dedicated shuttle coordinator at the MTA would assist shuttle sponsors with service planning and provide operational guidelines, as well as act as a point of contact for the public. Operators would pay fees to support the administration of

the program, and benefit, in terms of more optimized shuttle services and an improved relationship with the MTA and the public. The shuttle coordinator would assist in estab-lishing and disseminating clear planning and operating criteria or thresholds, in col-laboration with operators and the public. For example, shuttles would adhere to a set of guidelines designed for their operations to be “no more impactful” than Muni vehicles in terms of noise, idling times, and other parameters. Shuttles would also adhere to pre-approved routes and layover locations established through the Muni Partners discussions.

Following a period of public review and comment, Authority staff will present a revised Final SAR to the Authority Committees and Board in early 2010.

PLANS AND STUDIES

A private company shuttle picks up commuters at the Glen Park BART Station.


Authority Adopts 2009 Congestion Management Program UpdateUpdate Includes Designation of a San Francisco Infill Opportunity Zone

As the Congestion Management Agency (CMA) for San Francisco, the Authority is responsible for developing and adopting a Congestion Management Program (CMP) for San Francisco on a biennial basis. The Authority Board adopted the 2009 CMP in December. As the CMA, the Authority is required to monitor the performance of the city’s street network for conformity with automobile level of service (LOS) standards through the CMP. Under state congestion management law, LOS—a scale representing delay to automobiles—is required to be used as the transportation performance stan-dard for San Francisco, but given the city’s rich network of alternative transportation modes, the LOS standard is an unsuitable method for assessing the performance of San Francisco’s transportation system.

State law provides a mechanism to allow a more locally-sensitive and multimodal approach to congestion management in jurisdictions whose current efficient land use and transportation patterns support high shares of non-automobile travel. Within a des-ignated Infill Opportunity Zone (IOZ), the CMA must use an alternative to automobile LOS for CMP purposes. This alternative standard must be supportive of the performance of multiple transportation modes. The Authority’s Final Report on the Automobile Trip Generation Impact Measure, adopted in 2008, recommends changing the way the City measures transportation impacts pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by moving away from an LOS impact measure to a measure of the automobile trips generated (ATG) by a proposed project. The City and the Authority are

partnering to implement this recom-mendation through the San Francisco Transportation Nexus Study currently underway.

In completing the 2009 CMP, the Authority provided technical and policy guidance for the designation of a San Francisco IOZ. On December 8, 2009, the Board of Supervisors approved a resolution designating all eligible areas of San Francisco as an IOZ. The des-ignation of a San Francisco IOZ will

allow the Authority’s CMP practices to support the move to ATG as well as better reflect local transportation and land use policies and priorities.

The Authority will continue monitoring system performance, including automobile LOS, in future CMP cycles (i.e., 2011+) on all CMP network segments for planning and evaluation purposes, including those network segments within the IOZ. In addition, the Authority will further its ongoing efforts to enhance the monitoring and reporting of alternative system performance measures. The Authority will also develop the alterna-tive to LOS—which must meet certain requirements specified in state law—in consulta-tion and coordination with partner agencies.

19th Avenue is one of San Francisco’s most heavily congested corridors.


Authority Identifies Transportation Options for a Better Market StreetInitial Pilot Projects Meet with Success

In the fall of 2008, Supervisor Chris Daly requested a Strategic Analysis Report (SAR) on the advisability of auto restrictions on Market Street, and other means to revitalize Market Street. After interviewing more than 30 community and agency stakeholders and conducting research and field studies, Authority staff presented a draft SAR to the Authority Board in May 2009. The report recommended piloting auto restrictions at 8th Street coupled with other transportation and placemaking pilot projects, including implementation of the Calm the Safety Zone project.

Following adoption of the SAR by the Authority Board in July 2009, a number of the SAR’s recommendations have been undertaken by city agencies, including mandatory right turns for automobiles traveling eastbound at 8th (later changed to 10th) and 6th streets, implementation of a Green Pod outside the Hotel Whitcomb at 8th and Market streets, art installations in select vacant storefronts along Market Street, and an extension of sidewalks on Powell Street between Ellis and Geary streets in

December. In addition, Phase I of Calm the Safety Zone was implemented in the final months of 2009 along with a separated bicycle lane between 9th and 10th Streets on Market Street. More separated bicycle lanes and innovative pavement treatments such as green paint and additional sharrows intended to clarify car/bicycle conflict points have since been implemented. The pilots and near term improvements have generated many benefits and few impacts. Potential near-term implementation projects include the piloting of more auto restrictions, food/vendor cart clusters in plazas, additional green pods, additional separated bicycle lanes, and other innovative bike treatments.

Parallel to the efforts of the above projects, Authority staff have continued working as mem-bers of the Better Market Street interagency team to initiate the larger visioning, urban design, economic development, and transportation planning process for Market Street. The end of the year included a staff charrette to clarify goals for the planning process, and the team expects to initiate a vision and planning process in 2010, followed by environmental and design work in 2011.

Central Freeway and Octavia Boulevard Circulation StudyStudy Seeks to Deal with Previously Unaddressed Circulation Issues

The Authority kicked off the Central Freeway and Octavia Boulevard Circulation Study in Summer 2009. The study is intended to improve local and regional transportation circulation through the Central Freeway/Octavia Boulevard area, following completion of the Central Freeway Replacement/Octavia Boulevard project in 2005. Following

opening of that facility, some multimodal transportation problems and issues remain, including transit routing and reliability through the area, automobile traffic circulation, pedestrian crossings and travel demand management (such as parking management).

As a starting point, the study will build off of the 2008 Market and Octavia Better Neighborhood Plan which included improved pedestrian circulation and transit facilities as well as conversion of streets from one-way to two-way operation. New project proposals may also arise during public outreach, particularly with regional stakeholders. Study activities in 2009 included a large origin-destination (O-D) survey designed to update a 2001 Caltrans O-D survey, extensive outreach

PLANS AND STUDIES

Signage prepares drivers for the mandatory turnoff for private vehicles at 10th Street and Market Street.

Pruning trees on Octavia Boulevard.


with neighborhood groups, other public agencies, and the Market and Octavia Citizen’s Advisory Committee (convened by the Planning Department), and a walking tour of the area to develop and refine the range of potential projects to address circulation concerns. Ongoing stakeholder and public outreach will assist in prioritizing these projects. The study team will guide selected projects through the funding and approval process. The final report is expected in Fall 2010.

On-Street Parking Management and Pricing StudyBenefit Districts Proposed to Fund Neighborhood Transportation Improvements

On September 22, 2009, the Authority Board approved the Final Report of the San Francisco On-Street Parking Management and Pricing Study. The policy-level report recommends a comprehensive approach to neighborhood-level parking management, with the opportunity for neighborhoods to share directly in the additional revenues from future increases in parking rates through the creation of Parking Benefit Districts (PBDs).

In partnership with the Planning Department and the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), the Authority undertook the study to explore the potential for utilizing innovative approaches, including variable pricing of on-street parking, to improve the management of parking in San Francisco’s diverse neighborhoods. San Francisco’s neighborhoods confront different on-street parking issues, but low availability and inefficient utiliza-tion are consistent challenges across the city. The City’s on-street parking management toolkit has historically relied upon conventional strategies, including metering along local commercial corridors and nominally-priced residential permits.

The study recommends improvements to parking management in order to value scarce on-street space more appropriately, help better support Transit First policy goals, and return tangible benefits to neighborhoods that are willing to proactively address on-street

parking challenges. A neighborhood-specific approach is supported by dedicating a significant portion of net new revenue from parking pricing programs to investments in the area in which the parking funds are generated. This helps ensure that tangible benefits accrue to areas that are priced, mitigates local impacts, and generates public sup-port for improved parking management. Parking benefit districts have been successfully implemented in other cities to facilitate neighborhood-level design of parking

management policies and community prioritization of a portion of parking-related revenues. PBDs receive some of the net parking revenue generated within a district and choose how to invest the funds from a range of transportation-related uses.

Following the Authority’s successful application for federal Urban Partnership Program grant funds, the MTA has developed the SFpark program to demonstrate variable park-ing pricing. The SFpark pilots will test and evaluate management approaches gener-ally consistent with those explored in the On-Street Parking Management Study. The pilots are exciting opportunities to test innovative strategies and technologies, and to introduce pricing as a tool for transportation system management and investment. The implementation of demand-responsive parking pricing heightens the need for coordi-nated parking management at the neighborhood level.

Following the adoption of the study’s Final Report in September, Authority staff made presentations to interested community groups and civic organizations. Diverse stake-holders, among them neighborhood merchants, are interested in pursuing a PBD approach to parking management—both to enhance local access through better parking conditions and as a mechanism to support neighborhood improvements.

Left: one of the new generation of pay-by-space meters. Above: one solution to the perennial problem of finding a parking place in San Francisco.


Geary Corridor Bus Rapid Transit Plans Take ShapeEnvironmental Review and Preliminary Design Process Continues

Following the conclusion of the public and agency scoping period in December 2008, the Geary Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) study team entered a busy year of activi-ties developing the Environmental Impact Report/Statement (EIR/EIS) and preliminary designs for the project. The Authority is leading the environmental analysis, in partner-ship with the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA). The scoping process resulted in

a large set of alternatives suggested for analysis in the EIR/EIS. In May 2009, the Authority Board adopted the Geary BRT Alternatives Screening Report, which identifies the limited set of alternatives to be carried forward in the EIR/EIS. The Board’s action was preceded by an intensive screening analy-sis, which was guided by the input of the Geary BRT Citizens Advisory Committee (GCAC) over the course of three consecu-tive meetings in early 2009.

Various technical tasks advanced in 2009. Chief among these was the development of refined conceptual designs for the corridor’s complex intersections at Fillmore Street and Masonic Avenue. In April, the study team joined the Planning Department in a public workshop at the Japanese Community Cultural Center of Northern California. The Authority also

initiated existing conditions analysis for the EIR/EIS, for both the transportation evalua-tion and other elements of the environmental document.

The Authority and the MTA continued coordination with partner agencies through meetings of the project Technical Advisory Committee and focused meetings with the MTA Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP) staff and the Planning Department’s Major Environmental Analysis (MEA) division regarding the planned development of the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) site at Geary and Van Ness Avenue. The study team also continued public involvement efforts through ongoing GCAC meetings and other efforts, including on-foot direct outreach to corridor businesses in July, which was followed by a public workshop in the Richmond District.

In December, several early-action recommendations from the Authority’s 2007 Geary BRT Feasibility Study were implemented as part of the Muni service changes. These included more frequent 38L-Limited service and longer service hours. These will help alleviate some of the service conditions in the Geary Corridor.

Work on the EIR/EIS will continue through 2010, with completion of the draft document expected late in the year.

Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid TransitTrailblazing Project Moves Closer to Reality

The Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project stands out as both a San Francisco and a regional Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Small Starts priority. The project enjoyed a designation as the highest-rated project in the nation in terms of cost-effectiveness, according to the FTA’s annual recommendations to Congress in 2008. This year, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission included the Van Ness Avenue BRT in the financially constrained portion of the 2009 Regional Transportation Plan. The Commission also recommended the addition of Van Ness Avenue BRT as a Small Starts Priority in the Regional Transit Expansion Plan (Resolution 3434).

Project development progressed steadily in 2009. The Van Ness study team has com-pleted a number of technical tasks pertaining to the Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS), including the construction plan, geologic,


BUS RAPID TRANSITCORRIDOR STUDIES

The intersection of Geary Boulevard and Masonic Avenue presents special challenges for designing the BRT line.


hazardous materials, natural resources, land use, community, and water quality impacts. Project engineering has been completed to a 12 percent design level, and prototypical station designs and overhead contact system (OCS) support pole/streetlight designs have been generated to support the visual impact assessment.

In addition to the environmental submittal, the Authority has convened an interagency Task Force, including the Public Utilities Commission, Department of Public Works, the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), and the Planning Department to develop a Conceptual Engineering Report for assessing the existing OCS support poles/street-lights that line both sides of Van Ness Avenue and designing specifications for replace-ment poles. Analysis indicates that the poles will need to be replaced in coordination with the BRT project.

The Authority continues to lead the charge working with California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 4 management and staff, who are fully committed to working with the Authority to expedite this showcase project. Caltrans provided a courtesy review with helpful suggestions for the Historic Property Survey in support of the cultural resources impact assessment. As the year was ending, Authority staff were completing supplemental technical studies requested by Caltrans as part of its approval process. Authority staff plan to submit the Project Study Report/Project Report (PSR/PR) to Caltrans in the first quarter of 2010; the approval of this document will coincide with final approval of design exceptions.

On September 4, the Authority, in partnership with the MTA, issued an Annual Submittal for the Van Ness Avenue BRT project to the Federal Transit Administration. This year’s submittal focused on refined cost estimates and the construction and imple-mentation plan, elucidating the process from the completion of the EIR/EIS through groundbreaking in 2012, in time for Muni’s Centennial. The project received a positive review by the Federal Transit Administration’s Project Management Oversight team, who assessed project cost estimates and the implementation plan for reasonableness.

The MTA, working with the Authority, has made progress on vehicle selection and procurement, and on storage and maintenance issues. Staff should have a storage and maintenance approach in the first quarter of 2010, and a vehicle bid package in the second quarter.

As 2009 came to a close, the project entered the final phases of environmental review, as the two key environmental impact analysis areas, transportation performance and cultural resources, reached their last stages. To date, the project has held 14 CAC meet-ings and 8 technical advisory committee (TAC) meetings; the December meeting focused on photorealistic visualizations, transporta-tion impact analyses, and vehicle selection. Circulation of the DEIR/DEIS is planned for the second quarter of 2010, with selection of the Locally Preferred Alternative scheduled to occur in the third quarter.

Visualization of a transit stop on the Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit line.


The Travel Demand Forecasting ModelA Powerful Planning Tool

The Authority’s travel demand forecasting model, the San Francisco Chained Activity Modeling Process (SF-CHAMP), is nationally recognized as one of the most advanced planning tools used for decision support in major planning efforts. Its activity-based “full-day pattern” design takes the task of predicting future travel to a level of precision unattainable with older, traditional models.

In addition to working closely with planners on the Van Ness Avenue and Geary Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) studies, Authority modelers continued to support several other major studies and projects, including the Mobility, Access, and Pricing Study (MAPS), the Presidio Parkway, and the Bi-County Transportation Study. The Authority also provided modeling support to the Planning Department, the Redevelopment Agency, and the Municipal Transportation Agency.

2009 saw many groundbreaking enhancements to the SF-CHAMP model. A new technology known as “Dynamic Traffic Assignment” was used for the first time, in devel-oping the Presidio Parkway construction management plan. Fine-grained sensitivities to travel costs and time-of-day choices continued to be honed for the Bi-County Transportation Study and MAPS. The Authority also devel-oped CycleTracks, an innovative iPhone/Android smart-phone data collection app. CycleTracks enables Bay Area bicyclists to track and map the routes they bike, and every bike trip is automatically uploaded to the the Authority’s modeling team for analysis. A new and unique bicycle route-choice model is now being created with the data.

TO O LS O F T H E T RA D E

TRAVELFORECASTING

Above: Principal Transportation Planner Elizabeth Sall monitors a run of the SF-CHAMP model. Right: an enthusiastic San Francisco Bicycle Coalition CycleTracks user.



PROJECT DELIVERY SUPPORT AND OVERSIGHT

Presidio Parkway: San Francisco’s GatewayLong-Planned Project Moves into Construction

Doyle Drive has been re-envisioned as the Presidio Parkway—a roadway tucked into the natural contours of the Presidio of San Francisco and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, one of the nation’s largest urban parks. The Presidio Parkway will create a spectacular regional gateway between the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and the City of San Francisco. After years of intensive regional coordination, environmental reviews and careful planning, construction of the Presidio Parkway is under-way more than a year ahead of schedule, thanks to exemplary interagency cooperation and an infusion of economic stimulus funds from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As a result, the region will receive a safer roadway sooner, as well as many new jobs for San Francisco and Bay Area workers. Construction of the Presidio Parkway began in December 2009, with substantial project completion expected in 2013.

The Presidio Parkway project is jointly led by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). In addition to funding provided from the Authority’s Prop K transportation sales tax and the State of California, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District have committed regional funding to the project.

The Presidio Parkway is to be constructed in two major phases as part of a strategy to both speed construction and provide more contracting and subcontracting opportuni-ties to small and disadvantaged businesses. The first major construction contract in the amount of $48.4 million was awarded to contractor C.C. Myers in November 2009 and work under this contract will build the southwest section of the corridor and includes construction of a new southbound high viaduct. The Authority and Caltrans are now evaluating the feasibility of completing the latter phase of the project via a public-private partnership (P3).

The Presidio Parkway was carefully designed to be context sensitive, improve access to the Presidio of San Francisco, and include the unique features of a parkway, rather than a freeway:

Ω A parkway design including two short tunnels, a wide landscaped median and traffic calming transitions to city streets.

Ω A spectacular regional gateway that respects the natural contours of the surrounding area and complements the unique environment of San Francisco and the Presidio, a national park.

Ω New direct access to the Presidio and enhanced views.

Ω A more centralized location for transit connections.

Ω Enhanced pedestrian connections within the Presidio to the Main Post, Crissy Marsh, the National Cemetery, and historic batteries.

Ω Reduced light and noise intrusion at Crissy Field.

Top: the Main Post tunnels for Presidio Parkway. Middle: Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the October celebration of the start of construction. Bottom: native plant and seed collection took place before construction began.


Transbay Transit Center and Caltrain Downtown ExtensionConcept Validation Phase Completed and Schematic Design Underway

The Transbay Transit Center/Caltrain Downtown Extension (TTC/DTX) project is a visionary trans-portation program that will transform downtown San Francisco and regional transportation well into the next century. It consists of three inter-connected elements: 1) replacing the outmoded Transbay Terminal with the modern Transbay Transit Center; 2) extending Caltrain 1.3 miles from 4th and King Streets to the new Transbay Transit Center at 1st and Mission Streets, with accommodations for future High-Speed Rail; and 3) creating a new transit-friendly neighborhood with 3,400 new homes (35 percent of which will be affordable) and mixed-use commercial develop-

ment. The total program budget is currently estimated at $4.2 billion in year-of-expen-diture dollars. In November 2007, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) Board approved a $1.2 billion Baseline Budget for Phase 1 (TTC, ramps and rail foundations). The current estimate for Phase 2 (the DTX) is $3 billion.

The Prop K Expenditure Plan includes $270 million (in 2003 dollars) for the project. Of this amount, $237.7 million is designated as Priority 1 and $32.3 million as Priority 2 funds. The Expenditure Plan specifies that the downtown rail extension and the termi-nal, known as the Transit Center Building, are to be built as a single integrated project. To date, the Authority has allocated $104 million in Prop K funds to the project.

During calendar year 2009, the TJPA continued its efforts on Program Management/ Program Controls (PMPC), design and engineering for the TTC, preliminary engineering for the DTX, survey and environmental consulting work, and Right of Way acquisitions. In April 2009, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects entered into the design development phase for the Transit Center building, which is scheduled for completion in January 2010. A contract for Construction Management/General Contractor (CMGC) was awarded in March 2009 to Webcor-Obayashi, through which the $600 million in construction subcontracts for the Transbay Transit Center building will flow. The CMGC is currently providing pre-construction services. Additional Geotechnical testing was conducted on the Transbay Transit Center site to evaluate various methodologies for the construction of the shoring wall and bracing systems. In parallel, TJPA closed escrow on five real estate parcels for the Transbay Transit Center.

For the Caltrain Downtown Extension, Parsons Transportation Group continued with Part 2 of Preliminary Engineering, which began in July 2008; it is scheduled for completion in August 2010. Coordination continued with Caltrain and the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The project team also completed the Design Criteria and the Contract Packaging Strategy.

In October 2009, the TJPA awarded a con-tract for the demolition of the Transbay Terminal and ramps at a cost significantly lower than the baseline budget and engi-neer’s estimate. The Temporary Terminal was completed in October 2009 and opera-tions are scheduled to commence in early

PROJECT DELIVERY SUPPORTAND OVERSIGHT

Above: view of the park atop the proposed Transbay Transit Center. Below right: workers begin construction of the Temporary Terminal.


Central SubwayProject Receives Favorable Federal Rating

The second phase of the Third Street Light Rail Project will extend service north from King Street along 4th Street, entering a tunnel near Harrison Street, crossing beneath Market Street, and running under Stockton Street to Stockton and Clay Streets. A sur-face station will be built near Bryant Street, and underground stations will be located at Moscone Center, Union Square, and near Clay Street in Chinatown.

2009 was another successful year for the Central Subway Project. In February, the proj-ect once again received a medium-high rating from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on its New Starts Report. It was one of only six projects nationally to receive the highest rating given to projects in the Preliminary Engineering Phase.

In early 2009, the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) approved a contract with the Central Subway Partnership (AECOM and EPC Consultants) to provide Program Management and Construction Management services for the project. In May, the project team completed the Preliminary Engineering Phase and the construction documents for the Utility Relocation Contract Package No. 1. The project team also issued Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the three Final Design contracts (tunnels, stations, and systems), selected the three teams, and completed negotiations with two of them, with the last one expected to complete in January 2010. The project team completed the FTA’s comprehensive Risk Assessment Review and continued its success with the FTA Quality Assurance/Quality Control program. The project team also reached its first construction milestone: the bid and award of the construction contract for Utility Relocations Package No. 1, for which construction is scheduled to start in January 2010. Also in 2009, the San Francisco Arts Commission, with the participation of MTA and Authority staff, started the artist selection for the $15 million public art program for the project. The MTA also launched the Central Subway’s social media program.

As the year came to a close, FTA had completed its Financial Capacity Analysis of the MTA, and the project team had completed all the deliverables required for FTA’s autho-rization to enter into Final Design. The authorization from FTA is expected in late December 2009 or early January 2010.

The total project budget is $1.58 billion, and the MTA has identified full funding from a combination of local, state, and federal sources. The primary funding source for the Central Subway is anticipated to be federal New Rail Starts dollars. To date, the project has received $16.8 million in funds programmed by the Authority and $45 million in federal funds. Revenue service is scheduled for 2018.

2010 at which time demolition of the existing terminal will commence. Construction of the new Transbay Transit Center building will commence in July 2010 and is expected to complete in 2014. The DTX is scheduled for completion in 2019.

In the fall of 2009, the State of California submitted its applications for American recov-ery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, which included $657 million for the project. In December 2009, the TJPA ratified the Federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act (TIFIA) Loan Agreement for $171 million, culminating a years-long pro-cess and securing the final revenue source in the Phase 1 funding plan.

A tunnel boring machine, similar to the one shown above, will make its way from 4th and Harrison Streets to Stockton and Clay Streets.


Muni Vehicle Fleet RenovationIn 2009, Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) completed the rear wheel safety guards project and the installation of 820 DriveCams on its fleet. Work continued on the Trolley Coach Rehab Project for 40 articulated coaches, where all vehicles have been retrofitted with Graham-White twin tower air dryers. The lithium-ion battery replace-ment has been completed on 42 out of 56 40-foot hybrid buses and on 18 out of 30 of

the 30-foot hybrid buses. In October 2009, the MTA issued notice-to-proceed to the contractor for the Historic Streetcars Rehabilitation project. MTA also awarded a contract to Complete Coach Works for the repair of two heavily damaged light rail vehicles, and, as the year came to a close, the work was under-way. An additional eight heavily damaged vehicles are undergoing an evaluation of their condition in preparation for repairs.

AT A G L A N C E


Caltrain Electrification The Caltrain Electrification project will electrify the 52-mile peninsula corridor between San Francisco and Tamien (San Jose). The project includes the installation of traction power substations; an overhead contact system to supply power to the trains, signal and grade crossing circuitry changes; and related communications improvements. In 2008, the project team updated the 2005 Draft Environmental Assessment/Environmental Impact Report (EA/EIR), to reflect current operating assumptions. The 35 percent Preliminary Engineering plans were also completed in late 2008. Right-of-Way activities for electrification included surveys, minor work to enable electrification construction, and onsite investigations. Several surveys, such as overhead structures and tunnel clear-ances, have been completed.

Contract award for the Overhead Contact System and Traction Power Sub-stations was originally planned for mid-2011 with revenue service in the second quarter of 2015. However, in mid-2009 Caltrain entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the California High-Speed Rail Authority for the joint development of both projects in the peninsula corridor. This agreement has resulted in a delay to the Caltrain Electrification project until alignment and operational aspects of high-speed rail are resolved.

The estimate for the total program is $608 million in 2008 dollars, or $793 million in year-of-expenditure dollars. The Authority has programmed $28 million in Prop K funds and $20 million in State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funds for this project.

Right: visualization of electric Caltrain at the 4th and Townsend Street Station.

The Historic Streetcars Rehabilitation project.


MTA Radio System Replacement ProjectThe Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) has embarked on a program to replace and modernize its Radio Communications System, some ele-ments of which date back to the 1970s. In addition to providing verbal commu-nication, the Intelligent Transportation System will incorporate up-to-date tech-nological features such as expanded data transmission and simulcasting. It will integrate the vehicle information systems, including the Vehicle Logic Unit, Automated Vehicle Location, Wireless Local Network, Digital Vehicle Announcement System, Automated Passenger Counting, Transit Signal Priority, Fare Collection, Video Surveillance, and Vehicle Health Monitoring, with the Computer-Aided Dispatch, Mobile Dispatch, Reporting System, Traveler Information, Closed-circuit television (CCTV), and Personal Interactive Information systems.

Preliminary Engineering for the project has been completed. The MTA issued a Request for Qualifications for Final Design and Implementation on December 18, 2009; the qualified bidders will be invited to submit proposals in late February or early March 2010. The MTA expects to send the Notice to Proceed to the successful vendor in July 2010 and complete the project in 2013.

The project is estimated at $83 million, of which the Authority is contributing $72 mil-lion in Prop K funds.

Muni’s Central Control and Communications CenterIn 2008, the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) initiated the Central Control and Communications Center project (C3) to expand and modernize the MTA’s transportation central control capabilities and facilities, and pro-vide the systems necessary to meet the MTA’s strategic objectives of improv-ing transit reliability, accommodating current operational needs, and satisfy-ing the future needs of the Central Subway and the MTA’s Strategic Plan. It seeks to improve transportation service delivery by leveraging information technology, and provide an improved work environment. The C3 Program will be developed in three phases. Near-term improvements are specific to the existing Operations Control Center (OCC) and systems, which are required to maintain existing levels of service delivery. These improvements are needed irrespective of whether a new C3 is constructed and will contribute to improved service delivery. They will also support the long-term objective of developing a redundant facil-ity to a future new C3 primary facility. Interim improvements are intended to expand OCC operational capabilities in advance of a new C3 to enhance communications, enable new methods in the OCC’s business practices, and accommodate the transition to a new C3 primary facility. Interim improvements will include new systems—which can be implemented in advance of the C3 facility’s completion—to develop the capabili-ties of the existing OCC, which will ultimately serve as a functional secondary control center. Long-term improvements will complete the new C3 facility and systems, which will include capabilities required for the operation of the Central Subway. Although the overall project is currently in the planning stages, near-term improvements to the existing OCC are underway. In addition, tenant improvements at the interim facility are scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2010. This project is estimated at $275 million and scheduled for completion in 2015.

The MTA and Cisco System’s pilot Connected Bus project, which ended in May, contained many of the features to be installed on the regular service fleet, in addition to on-board real-time transit information and wireless internet for riders.

New York City’s state-of-the-art Rail Control Center, similar to what the MTA would like to see in San Francisco, on a somewhat smaller scale.


19th Avenue Signal Improvements and Bulb-outs ProjectImplementation of 2008 Transportation Plan Recommendations Underway

Since adoption of the 19th Avenue/Park Presidio Boulevard Transportation Plan by the Authority Board in May 2008, the Authority and its partner agencies have been busy implement-ing the Plan’s recommendations. This year saw delivery of the first phases of the Signal Upgrade Project, encompassing new traffic signals, street lighting, curb ramps, and crosswalk advance limit lines at 26 of the corridor’s 34 signalized intersec-tions. The striped Edge Line project delineated the rightmost travel lane from the parking lane on 19th Avenue to encour-age cars to park fully in the street rather than on the sidewalk. And, design for the 19th Avenue Transit Preferential Streets Bulb-Outs Project got underway. This project will install bus and pedestrian bulb-outs at 22 intersections along 19th Avenue to improve bus waiting and loading conditions, and improve pedestrian crossing of this busy street.

The ultimate vision for the bulb-outs project is for all bus stops along 19th Avenue to be located on the far side the intersections—at the northeast and southwest corners—in order for buses to take advantage of signal priority technology and “green waves.” Bus stops would have expanded waiting areas, and intersections with no stop would have corner bulbs to increase pedestrian visibility and shorten crossing distances.

Steps in the coming year include confirmation and prioritization of bus stop locations by the Municipal Transportation Agency, traffic operations analyses with Caltrans, and preliminary designs of bulb-outs by the Department of Public Works.


Above: 19th Avenue, looking north from Sloat Boulevard, during the evening commute. Below top: parking partly on the street and partly on the sidewalk was common on 19th Avenue before striping the parking lanes, bottom.


Bicycle FacilitiesGearing Up for Project Implementation

Progress on bicycle projects in 2009 included Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) bicycle safety education and outreach, maintenance of existing bicycle lanes, and instal-lation of sharrows (shared lane) and other pavement markings. The Authority also allocated Prop K funds to the MTA to procure and install 16 automated bicycle coun-ters. The San Francisco Department of the Environment continued implementation of the City Bicycle Fleet Program and provided outreach on bicycling to City and County of San Francisco employees. The bicycle storage facility at the 4th and King Caltrain Station continued in its second year of operation and averages a daily occupancy rate of approximately 80 percent.

The MTA obtained project-level environmental clearance for 56 bicycle projects through the Bicycle Plan’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR), building an unprecedented list of projects ready to advance to construction once the injunction is fully lifted. Prop K funds helped fund the EIR as well as the design of many of the bicycle projects cleared at the project-level in the EIR. Many of these Prop K allocations served as matching funds to Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) grants programmed by the Authority. The planning and design phases have been completed for most of these projects and any remaining unspent Prop K funds were de-obligated and made available for future allocation for bicycle projects through adoption of the 2009 Prop K 5YPP for Bicycle Circulation and Safety.

Paratransit ServicesProp K provides nearly $9.7 million per year to the operation costs of Muni’s para-transit program. In 2009, Muni provided approximately 1.1 million paratransit trips. Services are available to persons with disabilities, including seniors who are unable to use Muni’s bus or light rail services. The City-owned paratransit van fleet consists of 60 vans, 40 of which were procured with Prop K funds. 15 of the 40 vans were placed into service in 2009.

In 2009, the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) neared completion of its Prop K funded transition to a new debit card system to replace the paper-based scrip system for payment of taxi fares. A $1.56 million grant from the Authority-programmed Lifeline Transportation Program will fund a new shopping shuttle service for seniors and

people with disabilities in targeted neighborhoods and public housing sites. Service is expected to start in Spring 2010.

Top: an experimental block of Market Street with a bike lane physically separate from traffic lanes. Bottom: the U.S. has some catching up to do, to more bicycle-friendly Europe: a Copenhagen automatic bicycle counter keeps a daily and yearly tally.

Left: riders board paratransit vehicles outside a senior center.


Streets and Traffic Safety and Transportation System Management ProjectsProp K funds are available for a variety of programs and projects to improve the effi-ciency and safety of the transportation network in San Francisco. During 2009, the Department of Public Works (DPW) delivered almost $7.2 million in Prop K-funded

street resurfacing projects, as selected by the DPW according to the city’s Pavement Management and Mapping System, including paving thirteen blocks on Balboa Street. We allocated another $2.9 million this year to pave 18 blocks on Harrison Street. The DPW also continued its work to improve the streetscape of Leland Avenue (1) and Valencia Street with previously allocated Prop K funds. The DPW built 98 curb ramps (2) with $736,000 in Prop K funds, and we allocated $731,000 for the future construction of 85 curb r

Documents

2009 Annual ReportThe economic downturn notwithstanding, 2009 was a milestone year for the Authority and for San Francisco’s transportation program. We received $50 million