18-46th Avenue Spared from 30 Minute Frequencies (Except Late Night)

This is a bittersweet victory for those who ride the 18-46th Avenue and/or have also advocated to SFMTA to prevent the outrageous 30 minute frequencies (non-peak service hours) originally proposed in February by management to their board.

I wrote back on March 1st on my blog about the 18-46th Avenue by giving an in-depth look at how much the line has already changed (especially with the reroute via Balboa), and how ugly 30 minute frequencies would be to a line that serves various communities and a major higher educational institution. I have argued that by allowing Muni to force 30 minute frequencies on non-peak service hours, why should the line take a 33% cut, while others are getting next to nothing?

In today's bittersweet victory, Muni caved in, however... the 18 line did get get some cuts that are not as bad as originally planned. Let's take a look:

• Current weekday frequencies: Peak service - 15 minutes, mid-day service - 20 minutes, and late night - 20 minutes. Last bus just past midnight.
  
• Revised weekday frequencies: Peak service - 20 minutes, mid-day service - 25 minutes, evening - 25 minutes, and late night (at 11PM) - 30 minutes. Last bus at approximately 11:30PM.
• Current weekend frequencies: All hours - 20 minutes.
• Revised weekend frequencies: All hours - 25 minutes.

Service changes effective May 8, 2010. That's right folks, it's officially May 8th, while others have argued it's May 1st.

I'm still against any service frequency cuts to the 18-46th Avenue due to its importance to connect with major downtown lines, and being the sole service that serves the western edge of the city, the apartments on John Muir Drive and Lake Merced Hills, and the Janet Pomeroy Center. Since the changes to the 88-BART shuttle removing service to the secluded apartments at John Muir Drive, it has been a large impact on those commuters that now depend on their car or the (worsening) frequencies of the 18-46th Avenue bus line.

Be warned: 511 and Google Maps online trip planning program websites are not ready with Muni's frequency changes when you set the date on or after May 8th, 2010. Also, 511's time schedules are not published, so it is unknown of when buses will depart/arrive based on Muni's modified frequencies schedule.

It is my expectation that Muni will publish the new time schedules and have the trip planning programs ready with at least two weeks before changes happen. I will be watching Muni very carefully and publish updates as we approach "fail day."

To view the upcoming weekday and weekend frequency changes, click here.