By Lorraine Meier

The N-Judah will likely be getting some upgrades between 2027 and 2031 and the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA) is asking riders, neighbors and local businesses to share their experiences. The public input will shape the draft plan that they will share with the SFMTA board at the end of this year.

“Our goal is to make the N-Judah faster, more reliable and safer for everyone,” explained Steve Boland, transit planner for SFMTA. “The current effort is focused on the segment between Church and Duboce and Ocean Beach.

“Based on data and customer feedback, we have identified a few areas like travel times, accessibility, comfort and crowding where we think there is room for improvement,” he said. “We want to hear from the community what their priorities and ideas are.”

The N-Judah is a legacy light rail that represents 30% of Muni ridership. It is one of the busiest, most important transportation lines in San Francisco and offers 24 hours a day service.

However, the route is slowed by the number of stops.

“There are 23 stops between La Playa and the Church and Duboce stop and the distance between stops is about three blocks encountering 20 stop signs and nine traffic signals. Travel time takes anywhere between 32 and 40 minutes,” Boland noted.

During a Zoom discussion this spring presented by Sunset United Neighbors and ConnectSF Institute, many of the approximately 25 people that joined voiced concerns that the project could turn into another iteration of the L-Taraval project, where construction lasted more than three years, and many businesses along the corridor claimed it took away parking and impacted their operations.

Nick Osbourne, the owner of Ruby’s at the corner of 48th Avenue and Judah Street, asked about what efforts are being made to address “the fact that when you cut off access to a neighborhood via construction, small businesses shoulder the burden associated with that construction.”

Boland replied, “We don’t think it will be as disruptive as other projects because the N-Judah project will be in the center of the street by the tracks.”

Nina Evans, public relations officer at SFMTA, encouraged community members to take their survey “to voice concerns about construction and impacts to businesses.”

Many of the other participants at the meeting voiced concerns about how the L-Taraval project completely tore up the street more than once to replace utilities.

The public works department is planning to repave Judah sometime in 2028 and Boland said “we would like to piggyback some of the improvements if the timing is right.”

Rider safety is a concern as some drivers improperly drive past the train, making it often dangerous as passengers board and exit often without a dedicated platform in many areas in the Sunset District.

California law requires drivers to stop behind any buses or light-rail vehicles and remain there until all passengers have boarded or exited.

During this community outreach period, Sunset residents and business owners are suggesting innovative ways to improve rider safety.

Community member Andy Olive questioned, “Why not add an arm that comes down off the back of the train to stop traffic?”

“I don’t know about putting crossing arms in the back of a train,” said Boland. “I’ve never seen an example of that anywhere.”

With state and federal COVID-19 pandemic relief money running out in July, SFMTA faces a $300 million annual deficit.

When asked how the project will be funded, Boland answered, “Primarily using state funding, along with some local sources.” He noted that capital funding is distinct from operating funds.

“This first round of outreach will be focused on listening to community priorities and ideas for improvements to the N-Judah,” said Boland.

“We’re currently meeting with a range of neighborhood organizations, including merchant associations, neighborhood groups, schools, churches and citywide organizations,” Evans said. “We’ve also been surveying riders at train stops and will continue doing pop-up tabling along the corridor and at community events. In the coming weeks, we’ll also be posting fliers along the corridor to encourage people to take the survey.”

The public will be notified of any plans approved by the board and asked for input before any improvements are made. SFMTA is looking to do any “quick fix” improvements that don’t require a lot of construction at the end of 2027 into 2029 according to Boland and anything that will require construction between 2029-2030 maybe into 2031. Find more information at sfmta.com/projects/n-judah-transit-safety-project.