Muni inches back to pre-pandemic service with several route returns

After a long wait, San Francisco Muni passengers Saturday will see several bus routes return to service.

During a party attended Saturday by city officials and transit advocates, District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston announced that the 21-Hayes will finally resume operation after a hiatus forced by the pandemic. The 21 travels through Preston’s district, including the Western Addition and Haight-Ashbury neighborhoods.

While the 21 route has been shortened, running only between Fulton and Shrader streets to Hyde and Grove streets, Preston celebrated the relief it will bring passengers and his constituents.

He said via Twitter:

”This restoration is a big deal. And I can’t say it enough: these lines are coming back because riders, operators, Supervisors, seniors, people w/ disabilities, activists & others demanded they come back. Let’s build on this momentum.”

Other Muni routes returning for the first time since the pandemic include the 2-Sutter (formerly the 2-Clement) and the 6-Haight/Parnassus. The 2 will also run a modified route from Presidio Avenue and California Street to the Ferry Plaza. The 6 will return to its full pre-pandemic route.

The 52-Excelsior and 66-Quintara, which have covered neighborhoods normally served by the 6, will return to pre-pandemic routes. Other routes, such as the 23-Monterey, 43-Masonic and 49-Van Ness/Mission also return to pre-pandemic routes on Saturday.

There will be new connections for passengers who live on the west side of The City with an extension of the 28-19th route to Fisherman’s Wharf and rerouting of the 58-Lake Merced to serve Brotherhood Way instead of Westlake Shopping Center. The 57-Parkmerced will return to West Portal station.

To address crowding, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will increase frequency on the 29-Sunset, 45-Stockton/Union and L-Taraval bus, though the L will no longer make trips downtown and instead will terminate at West Portal station.

Since subway service came back on line, transit officials said most L passengers are getting off and transferring to West Portal station, adding that passengers are taking more trips within Taraval Street. Still, some passengers asked the agency during a board meeting last month to not shorten the route.

Muni passengers can expect another round of outreach sometime in the fall or early winter related to more service changes, according to a statement made in May by SFMTA Transit Planning Manager Sean Kennedy. Muni routes without a return date include the 3-Jackson, 10-Townsend, 28R-19th Avenue, 47-Van Ness and 76X-Marin Headlands.

Several morning and express commute routes are still out of operation.

More information about changes coming Saturday changes can be found on the SFMTA website.

Jerold Chinn

Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.