39-Coit: The Little Bus That Should

As our previous posting illustrates, there are several Muni bus lines running through North Beach. But only one bus can rightfully lay claim to being "North Beach's bus," and that's the 39-Coit.

This cranky little bus has been grinding its way up Telegraph Hill for decades now, providing service both for tourists headed to Coit Tower and hill residents who are either too old to make the climb or too laden with groceries to hump them up the steep streets.

From the old stubby Whites of the 1940s and '50s to the more recent Orions, the 39, designated a community service line by the Muni, has always used the smallest coaches in the fleet. This is due in part to navigational issues, such as the tight turnaround at Union and Montgomery, but it also reflects the line's relatively light ridership.

It's this last bit that sticks in Muni's craw, and as they get ready to make the most substantial overhaul to the route system in years, Muni officials would dearly love to lose the 39-Coit. They can't, though, without risking a political firestorm, so Muni's proposing instead to lop off the Union Street leg and cut back from two buses to one.

They've got the logic all wrong – completely ass backwards, if you will – and members of the parking and transportation committee of the Telegraph Hill Dwellers would love to help them get it right. The answer, the THDers say, is not contraction but expansion of the 39-Coit. And they've got a plan.

By extending the route as a loop around the northeast corner of town (see THD's proposed route here), ridership would certainly increase as the bus would now hit most major points of interest: Coit Tower, Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Crooked Street, Washington Square and the heart of North Beach. It would also connect to the two major North Beach parking garages on Vallejo Street, making it handy for tourists to park and ride.

The THD proposal would necessitate keeping two buses running at all times, but committee member Gerry Hurtado says the waiting time for an expanded 39 would be no greater than it is now. The Muni's single-bus proposal, even with the elimination of the Union Street leg, would result in wait times of up to a half an hour. That's not a move likely to build ridership.

THD's plan has the support of other groups, including the Coalition for S.F. Neighborhoods, RenewSF and San Francisco Tomorrow. Even North Beach Neighbors, which generally enjoys a Hatfield-McCoy relationship with THD, is backing the idea. The next step, says Hurtado, is to get the proposal in front of the Muni's Transit Effectiveness Project, which is overseeing the entire route-system overhaul.

This is a good idea for all concerned. The Muni should get on board ... pun intended.


Topics: Telegraph Hill