Transit agency restores some Muni service as city slowly reopens

San Francisco is entering its next phase in reopening the economy, and transit officials are planning around the progress by resuming additional Muni starting on Saturday.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Monday announced full restoration of the 30-Stockton, a shortened community route on the 7-Haight/Noriega and several other modifications to bus routes already in service.

Muni officials said the service changes will improve transit access for essential trips in Chinatown, South of Market and Excelsior neighborhoods. 

N-Judah buses will begin using 60-foot buses beginning Saturday to give passengers more space physically distance. Frequency on the N will run each 10 minutes or less.

Service on the 5-Fulton will run the full route between downtown San Francisco and La Playa Street.

The 7 will return as a shortened community route with between Ocean Beach and the Inner Sunset neighborhood to better serve commercial business passengers on Noriega Street and allow rider to connect to N and 28-19th Avenue bus routes.

Service on the 28 will extend to California and Seventh Avenue, enabling connection to the 1-California and 38-Geary.

Based on the public feedback, the 43-Masonic will run a modified route between the Crocker-Amazon and Excelsior neighborhoods and also at Geary Boulevard and Masonic Avenues, the SFMTA said.

Frequencies on the L-Taraval bus, T-Third bus and 14R-Mission will improve by one to two minutes, and additional modifications will be made to local service for the 38.

The transit agency cut Muni service back to bare bones at the end of March as Covid-19 shelter orders brought ridership to a near halt.  Services are recently and slowly restoring. Some partial service was reestablished last month when city officials loosened restrictions and allowed select businesses to reopen with health and safety modifications.

The City will allow additional business types to reopen June 15, including most indoor retail, outdoor dining, summer camps and religious services.