Visitacion Valley Grapevine - Mailbox - April 1999

 
Proposed Change of Muni's 56 Rutland Line

Dear Muni Rider and Neighborhood Resident:

I am writing to describe a proposed change in Muni line 56-Rutland to curtail service to Mansell and extend service to Visitacion Valley Middle School. This proposal will be discussed at two public meetings:

*Monday, April 19, 7 p.m. at Schlage Lock Auditorium, 2401 Bayshore Blvd.

*Tuesday, April 27, 7 p.m. at Visitacion Valley Community Center Gym, 66 Raymond Ave.

Over the last few years, the line has had very low ridership; also over the last few years, a new program has been located at the Visitacion Valley Middle School. This program is called the Beacon and serves residents in Visitacion Valley. It operates six days a week and also at night.

Muni service to the Middle School has always been a problem because of the school's location on a hillside. Muni lines 9X and 15 operate two blocks downhill from Raymond Avenue; the school is actually uphill from Raymond and a difficult walk for many people. There are also safety concerns for students and others walking to and from the nearest stops on those lines. Muni line 29-Sunset is further away and is uphill from the school.

Several years ago, Muni was approached by the school staff and the Beacon and asked to consider whether any improvements in access to the school could be made. Working with school staff, a recommendation was proposed to reroute line 56-Rutland. Unlike the 9X and the 15, the 56 serves only Visitacion Valley, the northern part of the Portola district, and Little Hollywood.

Muni and the school district have agreed that the school district would improve the edge of its upper parking lot, which is on the same level as the second floor of the school, and Muni would propose a reroute of line 56. Because Muni's current budget provides for only one bus on this line, Muni cannot afford to retain the entire current line and also extend the line. Therefore, we are proposing the following:
Extend the line from Rutland and Visitacion west along Visitacion and continuing along Visitacion as the road turns uphill through McLaren
Park as far as the entrance to the upper parking lot of Visitacion Valley Middle School.

To allow this, but still keep the current schedule without having to use additional buses, the line would no longer operate on San Bruno north of Wilde or on Bayshore between Arleta and Sunnydale, or on Sunnydale between Bayshore and Rutland. Other Muni lines operate on all of these streets so that no one would be left without service. Riders who now use the 56 to reach Mansell could transfer either at Arleta and Bayshore or Wilde and San Bruno. Riders who now use the 56 to reach Sunnydale Avenue would have to walk one additional block.

If you have questions or comments, please contact Michael Cronbach of Muni's Service Planning Department at 923-6091 or 923-6100, or write him at Muni Service Planning, 949 Presidio Avenue, Room 204, San Francisco, CA 94115.

Sincerely,
Peter Straus
Manager of Service Planning