Planning staff outline Connect SF transportation update, including a 5-minute bus network and targeted rail projects

Planning staff presented the Connect SF transportation program and an overview of the transportation element update on Oct. 7, describing priorities for frequent transit, rail capacity, street-level improvements and resilience.

Staff said the transit strategy centers on improving overall system performance and moving toward a "5-minute bus" network with frequent, reliable service and complementary rail projects where capacity demands require it. "Service would be fast, frequent, and reliable," Doug Johnson said while describing the proposed frequent-network concept.

The presentation highlighted candidate rail investments — including a Geary corridor project and other rail projects assessed for capacity and equity needs — and a streets-and-freeways package intended to repair past harms, prioritize transit and improve climate resilience. Staff emphasized the work is coordinated with SFMTA and SFCTA and will feed into the transportation element and implementation planning.

Commissioners pressed staff on congestion pricing, the likely effects of transportation improvements on displacement and how new technologies (ride‑hail, micro-mobility, autonomous vehicles) will be analyzed. Staff said the SFCTA congestion-pricing study and forthcoming work on transportation network companies will be inputs to the element, and that anti-displacement strategies would be considered early in project development.

Next steps: staff will develop policies and an implementation plan in 2022, coordinate the transportation element with the housing element and environmental-review work, and continue public outreach.

Attribution: Direct remarks are taken from the Oct. 7 Planning Commission hearing for Connect SF.