San Francisco Transit Riders

BART’s 50th Birthday Party Family Fun Festival
2022-09-10 11:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The Family Fun Festival at Lake Merritt Station Plaza is free to the public and will include food trucks, music, games, prizes, and the opening of a time capsule. Sign up here!

UC Berkeley Transit Forum
2022-09-07 09:00 - 14:00
UC Berkeley, AC Transit, and Amtrak will be promoting services, programs, and information geared to understanding transit options in and around the campus. Hosted by UC Berkeley Parking & Transportation.

San Francisco Ride Along & Rally
2022-09-07 08:00 - 10:00
Come show your support for public transit and your fellow transit riders at SFTR’s Ride Along & Rally, which also marks our Transit Month Kick-Off Event! You’ll meet up with other riders, city leaders, SFTR members, and more at locations across the city to ride Muni together to City Hall, where we’ll have speakers contextualize the state of public transit today and set the stage for our engagement on all things transit for the rest of September. Ride begins at 8am, Rally at City Hall at 9am. Sign up to get notified about the pick-up locations!

BART’s Throwback Arcade
2022-09-03 09:00 - 2022-09-09 17:00
As part of BART’s 50th anniversary celebration, vintage arcade games will be set up for free play in the free area at Powell St. Station. The event is a throwback to 1976, when BART partnered with Atari to place video games at Powell. BART has rented 4 vintage, full-size arcade games; Pong, Pac-Man, Asteroids and Galaga.

Transit megaprojects: What goes wrong, and how to fix it
2022-08-31 18:00 - 19:30
Join Transbay Coalition, SPUR and Seamless Bay Area for a two-part workshop series focused on why transit megaprojects tend to cost so much and take so long, and near term opportunities to help fix it. The first session will focus on understanding and recognizing the common challenges in project planning and delivery for megaprojects. The second session will focus on how you can shape MTC’s forthcoming major project advancement policy, which will set up a new risk management framework for megaprojects. The first session is August 31 6-7:15pm. Please sign up by August 24. We hope to see you at one or both sessions.

SFTR Local Funding Working Group
2022-08-18 21:00 - 22:30
Join us for the first meeting of our local funding working group, open to all active SFTR members. Sign up here: https://sftransitriders.salsalabs.org/workinggroupsignup By 2025 SFMTA will be almost half a billion dollars in debt. Over 40 lines have been indefinitely suspended and there is no budget to bring them back. It looks increasingly likely that San Francisco will move forward with a major transportation funding measure in 2022. This working group will be examining potential funding sources and building the political will to win at the ballot.

San Francisco Transit Riders Membership Summit
2022-04-26 17:30 - 18:30 | Park atop Salesforce Transit Center
Join us for our second annual Membership Summit. We’ll provide an overview of what we’re working on – what’s happening with local transit funding, regional transit integration and fares, service restoration, our community organizing efforts in the Tenderloin and Bayview, and how it all fits together for making the change we need. We will be meeting in-person, outside, on the park atop Salesforce Transit Center!
This is a chance to ask all your question, give our team your suggestions and feedback, and see how else you might get involved! Register here.

Prop A Campaign Kickoff
2022-04-20 10:30 - 11:30 | Portsmouth Square, 745 Kearny Street, San Francisco, 94108, United States
SFTR’s Executive Director Vinita Goyal will join Walk SF, Sup. Mandelman, President Walton, and Mayor Breed as panelists at the Prop A Campaign Kickoff. Prop A supports fast, safe, clean, reliable, and convenient transit for all by providing affordable travel options, enhancing public transit services, and more.

Bolstering State Leadership on Regional Transit Priority
2022-04-13 17:00 - 18:00 | SPUR Digital Discourse

Volunteer with SFTR at Sunday Streets
2022-04-10 11:00 - 15:00 | Tenderloin
Sunday Streets are great times to reach riders and non-riders, and engage in wide-ranging discussions about public transit in San Francisco. On April 10th, 2022, Sunday Streets SF will open up the streets of Tenderloin for an afternoon of fun for the whole family. Taking place on Larkin St, Golden Gate Ave and Ellis St, neighbors and visitors alike will have over a mile of car-free streets to enjoy.
Sunday April 10, 11:00am-3:00pm in the Tenderloin
Come join us to talk to riders about their experience riding transit and learn about San Francisco Transit Riders and our work.
Register here!

Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit Opening
2022-04-01 09:15 - 17:00 | War Memorial Veterans Buildin, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94102, United States
Join your fellow San Francisco Transit Riders members, the staff, and other members of the San Francisco community in celebrating the long-awaited opening of the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit! The red carpet bus lane will be faster, more efficient, and accessible, and we could not be more excited to cheer on the new bus and its riders. Register here!

Red Carpet Party
2021-12-10 17:30 - 19:30 | Local Maker Mart, 580 Green Street, San Francisco, CA, 94133, United States
Join us to celebrate another year of our important wins for transit!
We built deeper connections with communities across the city, successfully fought together to restore Muni service, launched our Youth Cohorts, and so much more. Help launch us into 2022, when our fight for crucial transit funding will be front and center.
We’ll provide beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, and some nibbles, along with a fabulous community of people who care deeply about transit – from planners to advocates to everyday riders. We’ll recognize our amazing volunteers, and thank you all for your support! You make it possible for us to keep going.

Rights in Transit Book Talk
2021-12-08 17:30 - 19:00
We well know how the threats from rising sea levels, extreme fires, and worsening pollution are real and disproportionately impact marginalized communities. That impact is multiplied as our federal dollars also continue to prioritize suburban commuters on highways that pollute poorer neighborhoods in urban areas such as in San Francisco. Prioritizing these highways heavily impacts travel for transit dependent people – the majority of whom are low income. These communities are then more reliant on cars, which worsens air quality in the immediate neighborhoods and ultimately has broader implications for public health and sustainability for San Francisco and the region overall.
Professor Kafui Ablode Attoh’s book Rights in Transit elevates the idea of transportation as a right not as merely a ‘civil right’ or even a ‘socio-economic right’ but as a fundamental right to the democratic city where urbanization politics has often alienated, excluded, and betrayed the economically disadvantaged, many of whom ride public buses.
Reform only happens in the moments of systemic risk.

How can we tap into these lessons and move forward? How can we root and anchor our disadvantaged communities? How can we scale ideas that are a shift from venture capitalism, carbon capture and zero emission vehicles (as are discussed recent #COP26 conversations in Glasgow), to energy democracy and to expanding public transit?
Without such a shift, as our recent pandemic approaches have shown, we can continue to focus on combating the symptoms and never on the root causes of our deteriorating nature and health. Please join us for an insightful conversation with Professor Kafui Attoh from City University of New York School of Professional Studies, San Francisco Transit Riders Interim Executive Director Vinita Goyal, and lifelong Muni rider and SFTR member Regina Islas.

Vinita Goyal

Kafui Ablode Attoh

Regina Islas

Member Discussion: 2022 Muni Service Proposals
2021-10-07 17:30 - 19:00
SFMTA is seeking feedback from the public – and SFTR – on where to invest an additional 10% service in February 2022. Learn about their proposals on the SFMTA website.
We have significant concerns around the timeline and process for outreach around these proposals, and we remain committed to full service restoration. However, the 2022 service plans provide a framework to discuss the future of Muni service. This member-only discussion will inform SFTR’s advocacy on the 2022 plans and future service recommendations.
Complete our quick survey before 5:00 p.m. to get the zoom link and join the discussion.

Take Our Survey

Become a member today to join the discussion!

Bay Area Rider First Awards Party
2021-10-01 17:00 - 20:00 | Mariposa Hunters Point Yacht Club, 405 Terry A Francois Blvd, San Francisco, CA, 94158, United States
Join San Francisco Transit Riders, Seamless Bay Area, and East Bay Transit Riders for an * in person * outdoors * vaccinated * celebration of public transit!

Mariposa Hunters Point Yacht Club405 Terry A Francois Blvd, San FranciscoBetween Oracle Park & Chase Center

Transit Month is a time to celebrate transit riders, transit drivers, and the importance of public transit. Our Rider First Awards celebrate transit heroes who fight for better transit, who work for better transit, and who have made life better for riders in the past year.
We’ll also be presenting awards to winners of our Transit Ride Contest – for pictures, stories, rides taken, and transit agencies used!
The Rider First Awards Party caps off a month of events, rallies, and our Transit Ride Contest. Come see old friends and make new ones, with a great group of people who believe in the power of public transit!

Register by September 29 so we know how many tacos and burritos to have!

4-minute walk from Mission Rock T Third station
5-minute walk from Mission Bay Blvd North terminal of 22 Fillmore
12-minute walk from Caltrain
11-minute bike ride from Embarcadero BART

Bring proof of vaccination. Cash bar, cash only. Hosted taco truck!

The Bay Area Rider First Awards Party is made possible with the generous sponsorship of Transport Workers Union Local 250A, which represents 2,200 men and women throughout the city and county of San Francisco. Local 250A members are the Municipal Transit Operators, Transit Fare Inspectors, Automotive Service Workers, Museum Conservators, City Department Health Inspectors, Disease Control Investigators, and Curators.

Reducing Emissions, Improving Transit
2021-09-29 17:30 - 19:00
Transportation contributes 45% of all emissions in San Francisco but only 0.1% comes from Muni, which served over 700,000 daily trips before the pandemic.
Join us for a panel discussion on San Francisco’s climate goals and the essential role of public transportation in meeting them. Our panelists are:

Sarah Jones is the Planning Director of the SFMTA’s Sustainable Streets division. She has been a planner in the Bay Area for over 20 years, and is responsible for the creation of plans and programs that promote SFMTA’s vision, mission and Strategic Plan.
Teresa Whinery is a Transportation Engineer and Planner at Fehr and Peers. She is a statewide leader on the relationship between transit, land use and climate.
Debbie Raphael is the Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment. Named one of the world’s 100 most influential people in climate policy, Debbie leads the City’s efforts to address climate change and build resilience.

This panel is free and open to the public as part of Bay Area Transit Month this September.

Measure RR Party Train!
2021-09-26 12:00 - 14:00
Back in 2020, after all our work to win an extraordinary transit funding victory, we couldn’t celebrate in person. Now that the vast majority of people are vaccinated, we can meet and celebrate!
Come join others who helped with the Measure RR victory by riding the train! People will gather at stations for celebration and selfies, starting with the train leaving San Jose Diridon at 12:12pm, and continuing to 4th and King by 1:52.
If you like, get on the celebration car with your mask and spent some time with other Measure RR champions. When you RSVP you will see a list of the party train station stops and times at each stop.

Measure RR Party Train

Connect the Bay: Virtual Game Night
2021-09-23 17:30 - 19:00
Paint transit lanes, remove transfer penalties, and strategically build job and housing centers to create the Bay Area transit network of your dreams!
Join us for a festive virtual gathering where we’ll play a lively round of Connect the Bay – The Seamless Bay Area Transit Game. This will be a fun and engaging event for people who supported our Connect the Bay Kickstarter this spring, or those who are 100% new to the game!

Connect the Bay Virtual Game Night & Happy Hour

Transit Safety For All
2021-09-22 17:30 - 19:00
Rider safety is a key feature of a well-run transit system. Incidents of harassment, crime, and violence on transit vehicles and near transit stops compromise riders’ safety, degrade their sense of dignity, and dissuade many from using transit. But these incidents and their solutions are not universally felt. Three-quarters of female riders have experienced harassment or theft on transit. Asian Americans have increased concerns about using transit as incidents of hate crimes and violence against them have risen, including multiple high-profile recent incidents on Muni. Undocumented riders, black and brown riders, and youth’s safety concerns include fear of crimes committed against them but also extend to freedom from harassment from police officers and security.
Join us for a panel discussion on innovative approaches to transit safety in the Bay Area, and how it must center the diverse experiences and needs of those who ride. This discussion is generously sponsored by Spin, and is free and open to the public as part of Transit Month

How Does Bay Area Transit Stack Up? A Conversation with Christof Spieler
2021-09-21 17:00 - 18:00
Join Seamless Bay Area for a conversation with transit and urban planning expert Christof Spieler about how Bay Area transit compares with the systems of other North American regions.
We’ll get Spieler’s insights on a range of issues covered in the newly-issued second edition of his book, Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit, including fare policies, wayfinding, transit governance structures, customer experience, how to create inclusive transit systems that work for all riders.
The event is free and open to all.

Conversation with Christof Spieler

2022 Muni Service Plan
2021-09-14 17:30 - 19:00 | Zoom
SFMTA has a structural deficit, which grows year after year as revenue sources just don’t keep up with expenses (like cost-of-living for bus operators and maintenance workers). Before the pandemic, Muni was only delivering about 92% of promised service hours – which riders experience as missing busses, unreliable transfers, crowded vehicles, and ever longer travel times.
As SFMTA absorbs federal relief funding to keep operating and roll out more coverage around the city, the agency is figuring out how to allocate resources that continue to be insufficient as revenue (from rider fares, sales taxes, and parking) stays low. The agency is looking at three possible paths forward: a high-frequency network that would sacrifice some parallel service; a return to the pre-pandemic map; or a hybrid of the two.
Come hear directly from Director of Transportation Jeff Tumlin and his planning staff about these scenarios in depth, what the trade-offs are, and what future each might build for Muni service. Bring your questions!

Turn Up For Transit
2021-09-13 18:00 - 19:00
Come learn about the importance of transit in our community and the state of transit in the pandemic at this online workshop hosted by Voices for Public Transportation.

Turn Up for Transit with VPT

East Bay Transit Month Kickoff Rally
2021-09-10 09:00 - 22:00
Join other transit riders, advocates, and elected officials for an East Bay kick-off event to celebrate Transit Month 2021!

Transit supporters will be coming together in Latham Square in Oakland at 9am to:

Show our support for public transit for its vital role for our communities
Thank operators and employees for their tireless work
Call everyone to use transit more
Support the post-pandemic restoration and further expansion of transit, including redesigning our streets to prioritize transit.

Riders, advocates and elected officials will be speaking about the importance of service restoration and transit priority. Masks will be required for this event in Latham Square, Oakland, one block from 12th St. Oakland City Center BART Station (14th St. exit).
Hosted by East Bay Transit Riders Union with Seamless Bay Area, Genesis, and SPUR Oakland.

East Bay Transit Month Kickoff Rally

Ride-Along and Rally for Transit at City Hall!
2021-09-08 08:00 - 10:00
Meet up with us and your district supervisor and ride Muni to City Hall together! This is a great opportunity to meet your supervisor and let them know how important public transit is to you. We have the locations below, all meeting at 8:00 a.m. unless otherwise noted. Please sign up so we know to expect you!
Geary/Masonic (38R Geary)Mason/Greenwich (Cable Car)9th Ave/Irving (N Judah)Divisadero / Eddy (31 Balboa – 8:15 a.m.)West Portal Station (Muni Metro)24th Street / Church (J Church to Muni Metro)30th Street / Mission (49 Van Ness)3rd Street / Palou (15 Express)

Let Us Know You'll Be There

Can’t make the ride-along? Be at City Hall by 8:30 a.m. to rally with us for the public transit future we need!
Let’s come together as a city to put transit first. We need transit priority on our streets, we need transit service that connects us all, and we need to build support to fund the future of transit!

Speed up the T Third: Permanent Transit-Only Lane on 4th Street Bridge
2021-09-07 14:00 - 16:00
The SFMTA Board of Directors will vote to approve or reject permanent transit-only lanes on the 4th Street Bridge, a major bottleneck for the T Third light rail.
Currently, Muni tracks share the northbound lane and one of the southbound lanes with all other vehicles, meaning the T Third often gets stuck in traffic, causing delays and bunching throughout the entire line. This legislation would add transit-only lanes and remove a left turn for cars going northbound.

Sign Up To Take Action

Transit Month Kick-Off!
2021-09-01
Let’s launch our 2021 Transit Month with a blast!
We’ll be celebrating the start of Transit Month at five transit stops across San Francisco. Come say hi to SF Transit Riders staff and volunteers and pick up free Transit Month swag.
Share pictures of your transit rides – use hashtags #TransitMonth, #RebuildMuni, and tag @SFTRU to let folks know you think transit is important.
Help us tell the story of all the people who love transit, who depend on transit, and who want to see San Francisco and the Bay Area build the transit future we need!

Geary Transit Lanes
2021-07-20 14:00 - 16:00
The SFMTA Board of Directors will vote on whether to make transit-only lanes on Geary Boulevard permanent. These temporary lanes were put in as a response to the pandemic, to protect people making essential trips on Muni from being stuck in traffic. We need these transit-only lanes to be permanent, to continue to make Muni service faster and more reliable for all riders!
You can call in and make your voice heard:SFMTA Board Meeting – Geary Transit-only LanesTuesday 7/20 – Meeting starts at 1pmCall in number: (888) 808-6929Enter the code 9961164# to give public comment
Note: The SFMTA Board of Directors Meeting starts at 1pm. We expect this item to be discussed closer to 2pm. For live updates, please sign up & we will notify you when to call in.

Community Meeting: 4th Street Bridge Transit Lanes
2021-07-15 17:00 - 18:00
SFMTA installed temporary emergency transit lanes on the 4th Street bridge in February this year to assist the T Third. Results showed that the project improved travel times on the T Third, without slowing down traffic.
Now SFMTA is considering making these changes permanent, based on both community input and our technical evaluation. Join SFTR to speak up in support of making these improvements permanent! Talking points.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83136902311?pwd=[REDACTED]
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Or One tap mobile :US: +16699006833,,83136902311#,,,,*[REDACTED]# or +13462487799,,83136902311#,,,,*[REDACTED]#
Or Telephone:Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799Webinar ID: 831 3690 2311Passcode: [REDACTED]

Weigh In On Congestion Pricing
2021-07-14 17:30 - 18:30
Congestion pricing involves charging drivers a fee to drive into congested areas of northeast San Francisco during peak hours.
Public input is a crucial part of the study process. The Transportation Authority has updated the study’s policy proposals based on technical analysis and public feedback. Join project staff to learn more and share feedback on these updated proposals, including: boundaries for congestion pricing; price, discounts, and exemptions; implementation timing, and more.
This presentation is part of SFCTA’s ongoing public outreach, and will feature new information not covered in past presentations to SFTR or other stakeholders.
This event is free and open to all SFTR members. Want to participate? Join San Francisco Transit Riders today by selecting ‘become a member’ during checkout.

Speak Up: Make Mission St. Transit Lanes Permanent From 3rd-11th Streets
2021-06-15 13:00 - 15:00
