San Francisco County Transportation Authority
Moving the City

As of October 2008, San Francisco has received $87 million from the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) to launch a multi-faceted program to address congestion and improve transportation in the city. The Urban Partnership Program provides the opportunity to apply new technologies and pricing tools to improve commute conditions and encourage the use of alternative travel modes. San Francisco is among seven metropolitan areas selected by USDOT from more than 30 proposals from across the nation.

Program Overview

The San Francisco Urban Partnership Program brings an innovative parking management system that incorporates demand-responsive pricing and next-generation parking payment and information technology, as well as support for rehabilitating the southern approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, called Doyle Drive, and improvements to regional ferries:

SFpark ($27 million)

SF park is a 'smart' parking system that uses variable pricing and new technology to manage on- and off-street parking to increase parking turnover and availability in several neighborhoods in San Francisco. The system will enable monitoring of parking availability and adjusting of prices to meet availability goals, using:

• Variably priced, networked multi-space meters and in-street sensors
• Variable pricing in 13 City-owned parking garages
• 19 variable message signs to communicate parking availability and prices
• Web- and phone-based information systems
  

This project is being led by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. Visit the SFpark website for more information. Funding also provides for improved methods of parking payment, enhancements to the regional 511 traveler information system, and vehicle infrastructure integration technology pilot testing.

Doyle Drive Replacement ($47 million)

The funds will help pay for a new Doyle Drive parkway to improve the seismic, structural, and traffic safety of the roadway. Replacing Doyle Drive with a modern, earthquake-safe facility is a high priority safety project. Visit www.doyledrive.org for current information on the Doyle Drive Replacement Project.

Marin-San Francisco Ferry Improvements ($13 million)

Transit capacity in the Marin-San Francisco commute corridor will be expanded by improving parking at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. Since the inception of fast ferry service in 1998, passenger demand for parking spaces at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal (LFT) has far exceeded its current capacity, especially during special events and baseball home games. This project includes providing additional parking spaces and improving parking, traffic and pedestrian circulation around and within LFT.

Program Evolution and Related Pricing Efforts

San Francisco's Urban Partnership Program has evolved over time. The original proposal included congestion pricing on Doyle Drive and a new traffic signal management system, but due to the lack of regional consensus on the role of congestion pricing in the Doyle Drive Corridor, these projects are not part of the final Program. On a related note, the Transportation Authority is moving forward with a more comprehensive, city-wide feasibility study of congestion pricing, entitled the Mobility, Access and Pricing Study, which will produce recommendations in November 2008.

Chronology of San Francisco Urban Partnership Events

Links and Further Information

Visit USDOT's Urban Partnership website for information on all selected Urban Partners or visit each city's project website:

• Chicago, IL
• Los Angeles, CA
• Miami, FL
• Minneapolis, MN
• New York, NY
• Seattle, WA

For more information on the San Francisco Urban Partnership Program, please contact:

Tilly Chang, at 415-522-4832, or via email.
Chester Fung, at 415-522-4804, or via email.
To send a comment or question on the program, send an email.