Over the past year, we have heard from more and more neighbors who are concerned with buses and shuttles traveling and parking illegally in and around the Marina. Sightings include tour buses, shuttle buses, trucks, and commercial vehicles over a certain size and or seating capacity. The increased traffic, emissions and congestion have been problematic to many of us. On one hand, we understand the benefits of commuter buses taking passengers down the peninsula to work, thus reducing traffic and pollution. On the other hand, the increased traffic and congestion are challenging, especially when shuttle buses park in those areas reserved for Muni buses, causing Muni to double and triple park on busy streets at the height of traffic.

The Marina Community Association (MCA) has formed a committee to investigate the problems, and I am happy to chair that committee. We urge members of the community to get involved, as we always welcome volunteers. Over the last year we have been collecting data from residents on these issues, and last month, supported with this data, we met with the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). SFMTA is responsible for the installation and upkeep of street signage in San Francisco and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) provides permits for vehicles to drive in and around the city. After a couple of meetings, it became clear that city entities involved were not necessarily communicating with each other on this subject.

California Transportation Code Section 503 defines the vehicles and streets in question, and this information is now located on our website (www.sfmca.org). This code section prohibits the operation of a commercial vehicle with seating capacity of nine or more persons (including the driver), used or maintained for the transportation of persons for profit, upon any specific street listed. A link to a map showing the streets in question is also located on the MCA website. Certain exceptions define those vehicles that are allowed to travel on our streets – as an example, school buses are exempt from the restrictions. At the suggestion of SFMTA, we conducted a tour along with SFPD, noting the different signs pertaining to oversized vehicles at various locations in the Marina. The city has not kept records of the various types of signs nor their locations. A few of the signs were located so high on street posts that it is impossible for drivers to locate them. The lack of signage on our main thoroughfare, Lombard Street, was also noted. SFMTA documented the inconsistencies and lack of signage and submitted several work orders to add, replace and upgrade signs.

Additional steps were also identified for investigation by SFMTA, which may take up to 90 days to implement. Another area for improvement is the need for a more uniform message and reducing the different types of signs currently in use. It would appear the biggest issue is the lack of education for drivers (many are from out of town) on where they are allowed to drive and park. Many commercial drivers simply follow written directions or their GPS and are not familiar with restricted streets. In some instances, new legislation may be required to modify current laws to address what is lacking and inconsistent with current signage. We have been in contact with Supervisor Mark Farrell’s office and they are working with us to understand the concerns in the neighborhood.

With the help and support of our neighbors, we will continue to monitor the bus and shuttle activity and provide details to the proper authorities to address the issues. Please send information (photos are welcomed) when you see buses and shuttles traveling on restricted streets in the Marina to the MCA via email at [email protected]. You can also post information on our Facebook page. We ask that you note the license plate number or any numbers on the vehicles, the street they are traveling on, the direction they were traveling, the cross street, and the date and time.