Muni riders who have business along 19th Avenue have a speedy old friend coming back, as the long-suspended 28R-19th Avenue line will be reinstated for service two weeks from Monday.

It’s been awhile since the last time we saw Muni restore service to pandemic-suspended bus lines, and there are still 20 lines still suspended and not running. The vast majority of still-suspended lines are rapid (R) and express (X) lines, corresponding with lines whose normal service has been reinstated. But riders who frequent 19th Avenue are getting their rapid bus back, as the Examiner reports that the 28R-19th Avenue line will be restored on Monday, August 21.

According to SFMTA, this is all part of a “back to school” drive hoping to reduce congestion with the students’ return. “The return of the 28R 19th Avenue Rapid is a highlight of the upcoming August 19 Muni service changes,” SFMTA says in their announcement. “The restoration of the line since its suspension at the start of the pandemic will address crowding that riders on the 28 19th Avenue bus currently experience.”

You’ll notice they say “August 19 Muni service changes,” though the 28-R doesn’t return until August 21. That’s because August 19 is a Saturday, and the 28-R is a weekday-only line. So it would not return until Monday morning service begins.  

The resurrected 28-R will be scheduled to run every 12 minutes between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays. And the new version of the line will go further than just the Balboa Park BART station, it will now go all the way to Daly City BART.

There are 13 overall Muni route and service changes scheduled to be enacted on August 19. Most notably, there will be more buses added to the 14R-Mission and 38-Geary lines to reduce wait times. You can see a complete list of the August 19 Muni service changes on the SMFTA website.

Related: The 21-Hayes Returns Saturday, Along With Previously COVID-Canceled Buses 6-Haight-Parnassus and 2-Sutter [SFist]

Image: Light S. via Yelp