SFMTA Modernizes Muni Metro Light Rail and Accelerates Presidio Yard Zero-Emission Facility in San Francisco

SFMTA Accelerates Muni Core Capacity Upgrades to Safeguard Transit Reliability

SAN FRANCISCO, California — Marking a major turning point for public transportation across the Bay Area, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has advanced pivotal phases of its multi-year Muni Core Capacity Program. Following annual ridership reports surpassing 158 million passenger journeys—representing a steady 75 percent rebound toward pre-pandemic volumes alongside twenty-year high customer satisfaction scores—the agency is delivering critical mechanical, track, and communications upgrades to ensure long-term system resilience.

Capital engineering focuses on optimizing Muni Metro light rail flow through the high-density Market Street subway tube and key surface junctions along the J Church, K Ingleside, M Ocean View, N Judah, and T Third Street corridors. By implementing advanced computer-aided dispatch and automatic vehicle location (CAD/AVL) signaling alongside reinforced traction power substations, transit operators are cutting bottlenecks at the Embarcadero and West Portal portals, unlocking faster turn-around times and minimizing platform crowding during peak business hours.

$100M+ Presidio Yard Modernization Drives 100% Zero-Emission Fleet Transformation

Concurrently advancing San Francisco's statutory climate goal to achieve a fully zero-emission municipal fleet by 2040, the SFMTA Board of Directors has accelerated procurement for the historic Presidio Yard Modernization Project:

• Multi-Level Electric Depot: Demolishing century-old maintenance sheds to construct a state-of-the-art, seismically reinforced facility equipped with high-capacity fast-charging gantries for battery-electric and hybrid-trolley coaches.
• Fleet Electrification Milestones: Preparing infrastructure to maintain and recharge over 150 next-generation electric coaches, slashing regional diesel particulate emissions in western neighborhoods.
• Preserving Transit Heritage: Integrating specialized indoor maintenance and restoration bays for San Francisco's world-renowned historic trolley and cable car fleets.
• Workforce Technology Labs: Establishing dedicated on-site diagnostic simulation centers to upskill municipal mechanics in high-voltage electric drivetrain and solid-state battery maintenance.

Transit-Priority Corridors and Multi-Modal Urban Housing Synergy

Synchronizing transit upgrades with regional housing density, the City and County of San Francisco is integrating Muni corridor enhancements directly with the San Francisco General Plan Housing Element. Protected transit-only lanes and pedestrian bulb-outs along Mission Street, Geary Boulevard, and 16th Street ensure that thousands of planned affordable transit-oriented housing units enjoy frictionless, rapid transit access.

Through disciplined capital prioritization, sustainable zero-emission fleet facilities, and relentless operational improvements, San Francisco is setting a national standard for livable, transit-first urban mobility designed to support economic vibrancy and equitable community access.