Muni to get $4.6M for accessibility upgrades

Muni stops get federal money for accessibility upgrades

San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency is getting a $4.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to make changes and improve access for riders with mobility challenges.

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency is getting a $4.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to make changes and improve access for riders with mobility challenges.

At the MunI stop at Church and Market streets, the platform isn't level with the street.

To board a rail car, passengers must walk up steps or use a ramp.

Christine Lawrence, a San Francisco resident, noted the difficulties her friends and fellow riders in wheelchairs have faced.

"Even getting to the ramp is confusing. There's a bike lane right in the middle of the ramp. If there's a lot of bikes, who has the right of way?" Lawrence said.

Now, millions of dollars in federal funds will help the agency fix problems like that.

"What this will allow us to do is construct platforms and wheelchair boarding islands," said Erica Kato, SFMTA's chief spokesperson.

The money will also pay for other improvements, like narrowing the gap between the platform and the rail car to make boarding easier for people using wheelchairs or canes.

Ali Chiu, a transit advocate and long-time senior and disability rights advocate, is legally blind and uses a mobility cane. She said the improvements will help the entire community.

"It benefits so many people, including mothers who use strollers, people who use shopping carts, and those who injure their leg and have to use crutches," Chiu said. "We really have to take that into consideration."

Kato said some of the construction is already underway, and that federal funds will help the agency recoup some of the costs. "This is a priority for us, we're really excited to hit the ground running," she said.

Five stops are on the J Church line and three on the M-Ocean View line. All improvements are expected to be complete within the next two years.

"It will make a difference," said Troy Brunet, a San Francisco resident and long-time Muni rider who also uses a mobility cane. "We need access and we need it to look like an actual platform that can be accessed easily, and not looking dangerous."

The stop locations that will benefit from these accessibility improvements are:

M Ocean View terminus final outbound stop at the San Jose Ave./Niagara Ave.
M Ocean View inbound stop at 19th Ave./Monticello St. (new stop location from stop consolidation)
M Ocean View outbound stop at 19th Ave./Randolph St. -north (new stop location from stop consolidation)
J Church outbound stop at San Jose Ave./Santa Rosa Ave.
J Church inbound stop at San Jose Ave./Santa Ynez Ave.
J Church outbound stop at San Jose Ave./Santa Ynez Ave.
J Church inbound stop at Church St./Duboce Ave.
J Church outbound stop at Church St./Market St.