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SFMTA, Mayoroffice and cultural institutions debut eco-friendly —74x Culture Busto Golden Gate Park
Summary
City and cultural partners on Sept. 23, 2008 unveiled the new 74x Culture Bus, a hybrid/biodiesel route designed to connect downtown San Francisco to Golden Gate Park and major cultural institutions. Officials said the service will operate seven days a week, feature multiple downtown stops, and offer discounted fares for Muni pass holders.
SAN FRANCISCO City officials, cultural institutions and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency unveiled the new 74x Culture Bus on Sept. 23, 2008, presenting a dedicated transit connection between downtown and Golden Gate Park aimed at boosting museum and visitor access while reducing car trips to the park.
The service and service details
Deborah Johnson, chief of staff and director of administration for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, said the agency expects the 74x Culture Bus to carry in excess of 200,000 riders in its first year. The route will run seven days a week from roughly 8:40 a.m. to 5:50 p.m., operate in both directions with multiple downtown stops (including New Montgomery and Howard, Civic Center and Union Square) and five to seven stops out to the Music Concourse area of Golden Gate Park. The one-way fare announced at the event was $7; SFMTA fast-pass holders or passport holders pay an additional $3 to board.
Wade Crowfoot of the mayor's office said the service will run on biodiesel and hybrid technology and was intended both to reduce car trips to the parkincluding for touristsand to improve the visitor experience for cultural destinations such as the De Young and the California Academy of Sciences.
Representatives from participating organizations
John Buchanan, director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (including the de Young Museum), and Greg Farrington, executive director of the California Academy of Sciences, joined SFMTA and the Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote the lines' cultural access benefits. Joe D'Alessandro of the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau said the bus will help increase foot traffic for museums and the small businesses around bus stops.
Why it matters
City leaders framed the culture bus as a transit-first alternative to driving to major cultural attractions and as a modest environmental measure, using biodiesel and hybrid vehicles to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions compared with private cars. Officials said the service fills a longstanding gap in direct transit service from downtown to Golden Gate Park and surrounding cultural institutions.
Ending
Officials invited the public to "hop on board" and to treat the route as an affordable, convenient option for visiting the city's cultural destinations. The first runs and rider counts will determine whether the route is expanded or adjusted in coming months.
