• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Russian Hill Neighbors

Russian Hill Neighbors

Creating Community in the Russian Hill Neighborhood of San Francisco

  • Shop Local
  • Join RHN
  • Member Login
  • Donate
  • Volunteer
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • About
  • Board
    • Board Of Directors
    • Bylaws
    • Policies
    • Past Presidents
    • Liaison to Neighborhood Coalitions
    • Nominating Committee
  • Our Work
    • Communications
    • Design, Zoning & Land Use
    • Families
    • History
    • Local Businesses
    • Membership
    • Neighborhood Enhancement
    • Parks
    • Safety
    • Social
    • Transportation
  • Event List
  • Event Calendar
  • Explore The Hill
    • Parks In and Around Russian Hill
      • Alice Marble Tennis Courts
      • Allyne Park
      • Fay Park
      • Francisco Park formerly Russian Hill Park
      • George Sterling Park
      • Helen Wills Park
      • Ina Coolbrith Park
      • Michaelangelo Playground
      • Mini Park on Broadway
      • Mini Park on Hyde
      • Washington-Hyde Park
    • Stairway Gardens
      • Chestnut Street Stairway Garden
      • Green Street Stairway Garden
      • Greenwich Garden Path
      • Havens Place
      • Macondray Lane
      • Marion Place
      • Sterling Park Stairway
      • Vallejo Stairway Garden
    • Greening of the Broadway Tunnel
    • Architecture and Houses
      • The Alpheus Bull and Bertram Alanson Houses
      • The Fay-Berrigan Residence
      • Norwegian Seaman’s Church
      • Examples of Architectural Styles
    • Walking Tours
      • Russian Hill I Summit Walk
        • Walk Notes
        • Early Residents
        • Chronology
        • Reference Sources
      • Russian Hill II – The North Slope
      • Russian Hill III North Slope
      • Russian Hill IV Green Street and Macondray Lane
      • Historical and Architectural Walks
    • Oral Histories
      • Home Drug Company
      • Fellowship Church
    • Research Resources
  • Gallery
  • Archives

Van Ness BRT…Now Central Subway Extension?

You are here: Home / Latest News / Van Ness BRT…Now Central Subway Extension?

May 4, 2022 by communications Leave a Comment

VAN NESS BRT OPENS

After years of planning, missed schedules and cost overruns, the Van Ness Avenue bus rapid transit line officially opened on April 1, providing improved transit service (via the No 49 bus) to the West side of Russian Hill.

The opening of Van Ness bus rapid transit line marks a significant improvement, bringing faster service, via exclusive bus lanes and signal overrides, to connect Russian Hill to the Civic Center and, via the Muni Metro subway connection at Van Ness and Market, to the Southwest part of the city. Its history, however, demonstrates how slow and difficult it is to in provide significant transit improvements in the city. It was years behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget.

The project was first conceived in 1989, as one of four rapid transit corridors slated for financing using the then-new ½ cent sales tax. The other three corridors were Geary, North Beach, and Bayshore. When the Central Subway is opened to Chinatown, hopefully later this year, we will have completed 2-1/2 of the four corridors. The half is the central subway, for which the extension to North Beach and Fisherman’s Wharf (with a station at Washington Square) only now being pursued. Rapid transit on Geary may not be accomplished for decades.

Transit development is complex and expensive. However, San Francisco has not approached the development of a rapid transit system in anything close to a coordinated and comprehensive basis. This is starkly exhibited in the recent project to build a bus rapid transit line on outer Geary, notwithstanding that a rail line for that corridor is also being proposed.

As to Russian Hill, now that we have the Van Ness BRT in place, our attention should turn to the Central Subway extension to Washington Square (supported by RHN), which would provide much needed transit access residents on the East side of the hill.

Category iconLatest News,  Transportation

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Join our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest news.

To see our most recent and past e-newsletters click here »

Footer

Quick Links

  • About
  • Shop Local
  • Subscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Our Work

  • Communications
  • Design, Zoning & Land Use
  • Families
  • History
  • Local Businesses
  • Membership

 

  • Neighborhood Enhancement
  • Parks
  • Safety
  • Social
  • Transportation

 Contact Us

  • 415-993-1808
  • rhn@rhnsf.org

 

1819 Polk Street, #221
San Francisco, CA 94109

RHN is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
with Federal Tax Id #94-2751092

© 2023 Russian Hill Neighbors // All Rights Reserved // Powered by babaLucas