ConnectSF Transit Corridors Study

The project is helping deliver a five-minute transit network that will benefit all San Franciscans.

The ConnectSF Transit Corridors Study (TCS) is a critical element of a broader effort in San Francisco to identify current and future transportation needs and craft a unified vision for transportation that will support equitable, sustainable growth and meet demand for quality transit service into and within the city. Nelson\Nygaard led a team to support the multi-agency ConnectSF partnership, which includes the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), Planning Department, and Transportation Authority (SFCTA). Building on several recent studies that identified potential transit improvements and expansion projects, the goals of the TCS were to prioritize local transit investments, identify regional transit priorities for the city, and articulate how these local and regional investments would support the ConnectSF vision and values.

Our team used a sequential, iterative process to identify and analyze 26 potential mode and profile (e.g., surface vs. grade-separated) concepts within 13 major transportation corridors in San Francisco as well as regional connections. The evaluation framework, grounded in the ConnectSF vision and goals, stressed allowing decision makers to fully understand and consider the tradeoffs and transit network implications of screening and prioritization decisions and how measurable outcomes relate to broader city values. Model-based evaluation criteria were analyzed to understand transportation outcomes for low-income households and equity priority communities as compared to the overall city population.

The overall recommendations that emerged from the TCS were synthesized into the ConnectSF Transit Strategy. It prioritized long-term transit capital investments focused on the corridors where lower-cost treatments cannot deliver the capacity needed to meet current and future demand and where additional capacity and connectivity are most needed. Lower-cost improvements would address citywide capacity and performance needs for the current bus and rail system, including transit priority, street safety, and accessibility quick-build projects to support a citywide “five-minute network” of frequent, reliable service. Targeted upgrades and network reconfiguration would optimize the rail system and address reliability and capacity issues.

The City will advance prioritized concepts through detailed local studies and coordination with regional partners, including the Link21 process that is studying a new transbay crossing.