Big Changes for Castro Muni Service in Transit Effective Project Plan

On February 29, the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP) released its draft plan for service changes that will affect every Muni line and neighborhood in San Francisco. The goal of the project is to evaluate and reshape the entire system for the first time in a quarter century, to provide service that responds to current travel needs and is faster and more reliable, with current levels of funding.

The plan proposes several levels of service. The Rapid Network would have faster and more frequent service on major lines, like the Muni Metro lines. The Local Network includes cross-town lines like the 24-Divisidero and 33-Stanyan., while Community Service provides less frequent service on lines like the 35-Eureka and 37-Corbett.

In the Castro, two alternate plans are proposed. Alternate “A” significantly reroutes lines 24, 33, and 37. The 24 would run to the 24^th St. BART station and General Hospital, and the Route 33 would serve the current route of the 24 through Bernal Heights. The 37-Corbett would replace the 33 on 18^th St. to the 16^th St. BART station, and no longer serve Market and Church Streets or Buena Vista. In Alternate B, the 24 and 33 are basically unchanged in the Castro, the 33 would be rerouted from Portero Ave. to 3^rd and 20^th Street, The eastern terminus of the 37 would be at Castro.

In both alternates, the 35-Eureka would terminate around 24^th Street and would take over parts of the current 37 route in Buena Vista and Cole Valley. The Castro Shuttle would be eliminated, but additional trains on the K-Ingleside and M-Oceanview lines would provide more service overall.

The earliest changes to any route would be in July 2009, but the Castro community will have a chance to express its needs and wishes for transit service at a community forum that the TEP will host this spring at the LGBT Center (dates TBA). You can also weigh in and get specific information about the proposals at the TEP website, www.sftep.org.

CAPA’s meeting on Thursday, March 13 will focus on detailed review of the proposals and how they will affect transit service and like in general in the Castro, and draft a response to the plan. If you can’t come to the meeting, send your ideas to CAPA at info@capasf.org with your thoughts.

Castro Business Survey On-Line

The San Francisco LGBT Community Center, with the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District and the Merchants of Upper Market & Castro, has launched a Business Attraction Campaign to bring new businesses to fill the many vacant stores in the Castro.

In January, you received a printed version of a survey from the Campaign, seeking your input regarding what types of businesses you would like to see, and those you don’t want, in the Castro. Now that survey is available online. Go to www.sfcenter.org, and look for the Rainbow Flag link under “Featured Center Events”.

Market Octavia Plan Hinges on Amendments

The Market Octavia Plan which will enact new planning rules on a large part of Upper Market and Hayes Valley was introduced in the Board of Supervisors with several amendments from the Supervisors Land Use and Economic Development Committee. The Committee added amendments that would enact the plan’s original regulations for residential parking, increase development fees on new projects for affordable housing, and to conduct an historic survey of the plan area.

The full Board has sent the amendments back to the committee for revision, and the development fees are expected to face some revision to make them more palatable to developers.