Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit | Environmental Review

Project alignment map

ON THIS PAGE: Public Hearing, Introduction, How to Obtain the EIS/EIR, Download the EIS/EIR, Public Comment Period, Project Alternatives, Staff Recommendation of a Locally Preferred Alternative, Public Outreach, Other Documents and Information

PUBLIC HEARING

The public hearing took place on November 30, 2011.

INTRODUCTION

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report (EIS/EIR) was available for public comment through December 23, 2011. It compares BRT alternatives to conditions without BRT and documents how the BRT alternatives would affect a range of issues:

  • Transit travel times and delays
  • Regional and local tripmaking
  • Pedestrian safety
  • Traffic diversions and traffic delays
  • On-street parking
  • Noise
  • Energy consumption
  • Greenhouse gas emissions
  • Historic resources
  • Trees and landscaping
  • Construction
  • Affordability and funding
  • Operations and maintenance costs
  • Golden Gate Transit operations

The three BRT build alternatives and one design variation analyzed for environmental review all include:

  • Dedicated bus lanes, helping reduce transit travel time by 32%.
  • Transit signal priority, giving buses more green lights and helping increase transit reliability by up to 50%.
  • Faster, level boarding through all doors to reduce transit delays by more than 40%.
  • These benefits are estimated to contribute to a 35% increase in transit ridership along the corridor.

BRT build alternatives also include full replacement of the existing overhead contact system support pole/streetlight network between Mission and North Point streets.

Depending on the alternative, the cost is between $90M and $130M (in 2014 dollars), of which up to $75M will come from Federal Small Starts and up to $45M from Prop K and other local sources. (The Federal Transit Administration has given Van Ness BRT a "high" rating for cost-effectiveness—one of only two projects in the nation to receive this designation.)

HOW TO OBTAIN THE EIS/EIR

Due to the large size of the complete document, you have the option of downloading it in its entirety or by individual chapter. Hard copies and CD are available for review at the Authority's offices (address below). You can also call us at 415.593.1655 to request an electronic copy by phone (415.593.1655), email (vannessbrt@sfcta.org), or mail (Van Ness BRT EIS/EIR, Attn: Michael Schwartz, San Francisco County Transportation Authority, 1455 Market St., 22nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103).

For special needs assistance or translation services, please call 415.593.1655; Para ayuda especial o servicios de traducción por favor llame al 415.593.1655; 如或需要特殊協助或翻譯服務，請電 415.593.1655.

DOWNLOAD THE EIS/EIR

PUBLIC COMMENT period

The Draft EIS/EIR, describing the project and potential environmental impacts, was available for public review and comment for 45 days, ending on December 23, 2011. It is still available for download (see above). You can also download a PDF copy of the Executive Summary. The entire document may be viewed on CD or as hard-copy at the Authority's offices (see address below).

Although the public comment period is closed, we encourage members of the public to contact us about the project via email or letter, addressed to Van Ness BRT EIS/EIR, Attn: Michael Schwartz, San Francisco County Transportation Authority, 1455 Market St., 22nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103.

PROJECT ALTERNATIVES

See the Alternatives Screening Report for a Summary of Altnernatives Considered and Withdrawn as well as evaluation of the Alternatives under reivew in the Draft EIS/EIR.

Build Alternative 1: Future-year conditions without BRT (“No Build”)

  • Conversion of rightmost traffic lane in both directions to bus-only lanes
  • Cars allowed to cross bus lane for curb parking or to turn right
  • Sidewalks widened at transit station locations (bus bulbs)
  • Center landscaped median remains as is

Existing conditions

 

Build Alternative 2: Side-Lane BRT with street parking

  • Conversion of rightmost traffic lane in both directions to bus-only lanes
  • Cars allowed to cross bus lane for curb parking or to turn right
  • Sidewalks widened at transit station locations (bus bulbs)
  • Center landscaped median remains as is

Build Alternative 2

 

Build Alternative 3: Center-lane BRT with right-side boarding and dual medians

  • Creation of dedicated bus lanes separated from traffic by two parallel landscaped medians
  • BRT stations located on side platforms
  • Use of right door buses

Build Alternative 3

 

Build Alternative 4: Center-lane BRT with left-side boarding and single median

  • Conversion of inside traffic lane in both directions to dedicated bus lanes on either side of single center landscaped median
  • Center landscaped median maintained as is
  • BRT stations located on center median
  • Use of left/right door buses

Build Alternative 4

 

STAFF-RECOMMENDed LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE (LPA) UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED BY THE AUTHORITY BOARD

Van Ness Ave. Locally Preferred Alternative recommendation visualization

After incorporating significant analysis and public feedback on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR), San Francisco County Transportation Authority (Authority) and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) staff prepared a report recommending a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project.

The LPA recommendation was considered and approved by the SFMTA Board on May 15 and was unanimously adopted for inclusion in the Final EIS/EIR by the Authority Plans and Programs Committee on June 19 and the Authority Board on June 26. Download a copy of the final report, as adopted by the Board.

As a reminder, the Draft EIS/EIR reviewed three build alternatives for consideration (see visualizations, above), one on the side (Alternative 2) and two center lane options (Alternatives 3 and 4), as well as a reduced left turn variant. The staff report will recommend a hybrid of Alternatives 3 and 4: Center-running BRT with Right Side Boarding/Single Median and Limited Left Turns (see graphic directly above). Under this proposal, BRT lanes would flank the center median except at stations where the BRT vehicles would transition to the center of the roadway and be protected by right side boarding platforms. This alternative would have the best attributes of Alternatives 3 and 4 (e.g., faster, more reliable performance) while avoiding the need to acquire left-right door vehicles or rebuilding the entire median. This alternative would also eliminate all left turns from Van Ness Avenue between Mission and Lombard streets with the exception of a southbound (two lane) left turn at Broadway in order to gain the most transit travel time benefits.

The staff recommended LPA will be incorporated in the Final EIS/EIR, which is scheduled to be completed in spring, 2013. SFMTA will approve the project and the Authority and FTA will approve the Final EIS/EIR in late spring, 2013. Project construction could begin as early as 2016 with revenue service beginning in 2018.

PUBLIC OUTREACH

As noted above, the LPA recommendation was considered and approved by the SFMTA Board on May 15 and will be voted on by the Authority Plans and Programs Committee on June 19 and the Authority Board on June 26. Please see the listing of dates and locations of upcoming meetings where the LPA will be discussed, and re-visit that page to see updates and additional meetings.

OTHER DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION