The 21-Hayes will cease to be, effective this Saturday, getting merged into a new line called the 6-Hayes-Parnassus, as five Muni lines are getting their routes snipped in hopes of cutting SFMTA’s ballooning budget deficit.
The SF Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA) that runs Muni is drowning in red ink to the tune of a $50 million deficit for the current fiscal year, which could skyrocket to a $320 million deficit in the following fiscal year. That's why some service cuts have already happened. But since March of this year, SFMTA has been discussing cutting 5-Fulton, 9-San Bruno, and 31-Balboa service so those routes would no longer run on Market Street during weekday business hours.
Well, the SFMTA approved those service cuts in April. And the Chronicle reminds us that the cuts go into effect this Saturday, June 21, at which point the 21-Hayes bus line will no longer exist.
Or rather, some remnants of its route will remain intact, as a new line called the 6-Hayes-Parnassus will be a merged version of the 21-Hayes and 6-Haight-Parnassus bus lines. Like the other bus lines mentioned, it will not go down Market Street, turning around at Hyde and Market streets. Furthermore, the 6 will go up Hayes Street to Masonic, rather than Haight Street.
Here is the full route map of the new 6-Hayes-Parnassus line, for those of you 21-Hayes and 6-Haight-Parnassus riders who may need to be aware of these changes.
And as noted above, the 5-Fulton, 9-San Bruno, and 31-Balboa will no longer traverse Market Street during weekday business hours. Though the 5R-Fulton Rapid and 9R-San Bruno Rapid bus lines will still go up and down Market Street, and the regular 5-Fulton and 9-San Bruno lines will cover Market Street during the early morning, evening, and weekend hours when the R buses aren’t running.
Meanwhile, the 31-Balboa will start turning around at Fifth and Market streets, and won’t be going up or down Market Street on evenings, weekends, or any time.
Altogether, these cuts are only expected to save the SFMTA $7.2 million per year.
“We are making small changes now to avoid devastating long-term cuts and changes,” SFMTA director of transportation Julie Kirschbaum told the Chronicle, saying the need to transfer on Market Street is “really the only trade-off that customers are making at this point.”
This in itself will not do much to reduce the SFMTA’s giant deficit. But you’ll be doing your part to cut that deficit soon, as the Examiner points out there’s another Muni fare hike coming July 1. One-way adult rides using a Clipper card or MuniMobile app will go up by 10 cents to $2.85, while those rides for seniors, adults with disabilities and low-income residents will go up by five cents to $1.40.
Image: Pi.1415926535 via Wikimedia Commons
