Waiting for a bus is rarely fun, and apparently, some San Franciscans aren’t keen on paying the fare, either. Now one part of the city has a free shuttle service you can hail through an app.
The on-demand shuttle brings a much-needed transportation option to Bayview-Hunters Point.
The shuttle is getting rolling at a tricky time for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. The system is expected to face a budget deficit of $239 million to $322 million by the 2026-27 fiscal year, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. To bring spending under control, Muni officials have warned of slashing bus and rail service and possibly shutting down cable cars.
I decided to road-test this seemingly too-good-to-be-true free service.
The bright purple-and-orange Ford vans, which officially began service Wednesday, can be summoned through the Bayview Shuttle app or by calling a dedicated phone line. That’s exactly what I did Tuesday morning, hailing the bus from Bacon Street just off the San Bruno Avenue retail corridor at 10:50 a.m. and waiting only eight minutes for my ride. (The vans began running a week before the official launch.)
All I had to do was hail the bus via the app and plug in a destination: I went to Hilltop Park — why not? I got in, fastened my seatbelt, and was driven uphill to enjoy the sundial and vantage point from one of the city’s finest playgrounds and skate parks. I was the only passenger, which felt oddly luxurious.
From there, I wanted to check out nearby businesses. I again waited eight minutes to be picked up and again was the only passenger for the ride to Keith and Wallace streets. There, I enjoyed a croissant from Craftsman and Wolves and a bit of people-watching.
Soon after, I opened up the app once more. The same driver from my first ride picked me up, like clockwork, after eight minutes. It was no surprise that I had the van to myself. While I boarded, Bayview resident Ronald Turner stopped his gardening to inspect the shuttle.
“This is great,” Turner said. “We need something like this over here for folks!”
Business owners hope the shuttle will attract customers. Olton Rensch, owner of Tallio’s Coffee and Tea on Third Street, participated in community discussions that shaped the service.
“The conversation was about bringing more residents from the top of the hill down here to really explore the corridor,” Rensch said as I bought a light-roast coffee and a bottle of ginger brew. “That was the whole idea, to bring more traffic for us merchants.”
The shuttle project is funded by a $10 million grant from the California Air Resources Board, through its Sustainable Equity Transportation Project.
The service operates in partnership with Via, an on-demand transit program. After the free trial period ends in December, fares are expected to match the regular $2.50 Muni bus rate (which increases to $2.75 per ride on Jan. 1).
The launch comes as Muni faces financial challenges, including a $227 million budget deficit that has led to reduced rider discounts and increased parking fines, even as the agency last month announced some of its highest ridership levels since the start of the pandemic.
Users can download the Bayview Shuttle app from the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store, or call 415-873-1801 to book rides via a live representative.
The service operates weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., connecting residents to businesses, parks, and transit hubs, or wherever they wish to go inside the coverage zone. Wheelchair-accessible vans are available.
“For too long, this neighborhood has needed safer and easier access to transportation,” said Supervisor Shamann Walton, whose district includes the Bayview. “I’m proud that we’re rolling out a shuttle service that can help break down the obstacles that our residents have historically had to navigate on their own.”