Public Invited to Help Geary BRT Plan

The SF Transportation Authority is convening a Geary Citizens Advisory Committee to give advice based on environmental and engineering studies the department is conducting in its effort to implement a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program for Geary Boulevard. An earlier advisory committee was disbanded after working on the Geary Corridor BRT Study.

The goal of the BRT program is to improve ridership on the Muni #38 Geary bus line by decreasing travel time and increasing system reliability. Buses would have a dedicated bus lane, traffic light priorities and there would be pedestrian and streetscape improvements. There are several options on the table, including two plans that would locate the dedicated bus lanes in the middle of Geary Boulevard and two that would use the right-hand lanes, as it is currently configured.

The plan ranges in cost to a high of $200 million. In May 2007, the Transportation Authority voted to proceed with the studies.

The location of the transit lanes is controversial. Geary merchants and some neighborhood groups want to proceed with a plan that would use the right-hand lanes on Geary and implement the changes in stages.

The Transportation Authority favors a plan that would use the center lanes.

The new advisory committee will provide input on competing alternatives and select a preferred alternative. The Transportation Authority, which is comprised of the members of the SF Board of Supervisors, will make a final decision on which route to pursue.

Applications are due by March 4. For more information or to download an application form, go to the Web site at www.GearyBRT.org.