San Francisco may extend commuter shuttle program

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which is responsible for all ground transportation within San Francisco, said Tuesday it wants to improve its regulation of private commuter shuttles.

The SFMTA suggests that it continue its current regulatory role past January 31, 2016, which is when its Commuter Shuttle Pilot Program ends.

Extending the program would develop the successes of the pilot phase and the lessons that have been learned since the program began, which were outlined in an evaluation report earlier this month.

"The SFMTA’s Commuter Shuttle Pilot Program showed encouraging results in improving order and safety on San Francisco’s streets,” SMTA Board of Directors Chairman Tom Nolan said. “Commuter shuttles get thousands of people to work every day without a car. We must do everything we can as a city to improve the flow of the traffic, reduce congestion and cut pollution while improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods.”

This program's extension is crucial because of the integration of the San Francisco transportation network.

“Every aspect of our transportation network is connected,” SFMTA Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin said. “The Commuter Shuttle Pilot Program demonstrated that a regulatory framework can help ensure the city realizes the transportation benefits the shuttles provide while minimizing impacts to Muni (Municipal Railway) and our neighborhoods. These proposed enhancements will strengthen our ability to realize benefits and minimize impacts. For every person who rides a shuttle, that’s one more open seat on transit or one less car clogging traffic or competing for a parking space.”