Can an express bus bring downtown San Francisco to life?

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A week after the restoration of the express bus line from the west side of the city to the city center, passengers said that the 1X-California Express will be key to the restoration of downtown, but only if the city’s transportation agency makes some major corrections.

“If the initiative is to regenerate downtown, you need infrastructure,” said Richmond County resident Dennis Maxson. “If you don’t build it, [workers] I can’t come.”

“I see more people downtown, yes,” passenger Sylvia Tam said. “There is a need for this [bus]give him some time.

READ MORE: Downtown San Francisco is dead. Here’s a plan to save him

1X-California Express, downsized due to the pandemic, began operating as a pilot program on February 21st. It is the first express bus on the city’s west side to be returned to service after 1AX, 1BX, 38AX and 38BX were suspended during the pandemic.

Greg Perez believes that even though offices are still mostly empty, 1X-California Express will be key to relaunching downtown and surrounding areas.

“Here is the embankment, the theater, the Warriors, SFMOMA. There are so many things to do in Downtown,” Perez said.

The City billed the 1X-California Express as part of downtown San Francisco’s revitalization. But while the city and passengers agree it’s important to get people there easily, many 1X-California Express passengers feel the express bus needs improvement.

“I’ve been waiting for this”

Many passengers said they were delighted with the restored express bus.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” Maxson said on his way to work at the St. Anthony Foundation in the Tenderloin.

Maxon said the 1X-California Express made his trip a lot less stressful – he used to take two overcrowded buses as well as the subway to get from Richmond to the Civic Center.

“After that, I will have to decompress,” Maxon said. “With this new bus, two-thirds of the trip runs smoothly.”

The 1X-California Express starts at 33rd Avenue and Geary Boulevard, ends at Davis and Pine Streets, making several stops in Richmond before driving through downtown to downtown San Francisco. The bus runs only on weekdays during peak hours: three buses from 8 to 9 am and three buses from 16:30 to 17:30.

READ MORE: Express bus to downtown San Francisco, canceled due to pandemic, will return

Perez, who was driving to the Ferry building, said the restored 1X-California Express saved precious minutes on his morning commute from the Richmond area to Alameda.

Perez said the bus ride to the Ferry building used to take about an hour, but now it takes about 30 minutes.

“It’s much calmer and less stressful because there are fewer stops,” Perez said.

“It leaves people out of sight”

But while commuters were excited about the return of the express bus, some said the 1X-California Express in its current form was not enough for it to contribute to Downtown’s recovery.

“I think it would be better if there were more buses,” Tam said. “It doesn’t really save me much time because there’s no flexibility, it only comes in every 30 minutes. 1AX or 38AX came every 10 minutes; there were options.

“I think it’s leaving people unattended because it doesn’t come early enough,” Maxon said. “I hope it settles down and gets the required number of passengers.”

Shehriar Chaudhry said the service should make additional stops near Pacific Heights, noting that the express line traverses the area non-stop, but 1-California is often too crowded to get there by the time it gets there.

“California 1 was so crowded that the bus drivers didn’t even stop,” Chaudhry said. “I know there aren’t really many people downtown, but if people are going to work downtown, they should be able to get to work.”

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will review the bus service and make adjustments as it progresses – the transportation agency has been contacted for comment.

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