Prop L Transportation Sales Tax Investments: BART Fare Gates, Tree Planting, Vision Zero, and More

During the October 24 Transportation Authority Board, board members approved over $13 million in funding from San Francisco’s Prop L half-cent sales tax for transportation to support several projects. This is the second set of projects approved to be funded by Prop L, since the renewal of the sales tax program. 

The five projects in this round of investments include: 

• BART Next Generation Fare Gates - $12 million to upgrade fare gates at all eight San Francisco BART stations to improve reliability, access, rider experience, and reduce maintenance costs. New fare gates will feature a swing-style design with sensors to detect patrons, wheelchairs, children, luggage, and bicycles. Construction of new fare gates is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. This effort is part of a larger $90 million capital project to replace more than 700 fare gates throughout the BART system that have reached the end of their useful life. 
• Tree Planting and Establishment - $1 million to plant and establish 408 trees in the public right of way and water them weekly for three years during the tree establishment period. The trees will receive lifetime maintenance care through SF Public Works’ StreetTreeSF program. The program prioritizes planting in Districts 5, 6 and 10 based on tree census data in order to focus on districts with the lowest canopy coverage.
• Inner Sunset Multimodal Safety and Access Study -  $350,000 to conduct the Inner Sunset Multimodal Safety and Access Study, as requested by District 7 Board Member Myrna Melgar. The study will identify recommended improvements to traffic safety and multimodal access in the Inner Sunset commercial area. The project will include community outreach and the study will be conducted in 2024. Learn more about the study at the project page. 
• Vision Zero Ramp Intersection Study Phase 3 - $150,000 to study 14 freeway ramps in the southeast and western parts of San Francisco along the city’s Vision Zero High Injury Network. Improvements at these locations would improve safety, close gaps in the pedestrian and bike networks, and improve connections to transit and key destinations. Transportation Authority staff anticipate completing the study in June 2025.
• Walter U Lum Place Public Space Study - $350,000 requested by District 3 Board Member Aaron Peskin to study various scenarios for a people-first Walter U Lum Place in Chinatown, such as options for a shared street, traffic-calmed street, or time-restricted vehicle access. The project will also develop an urban design strategy to connect Walter U Lum Place with other cultural destinations in Chinatown. The project includes two rounds of public and stakeholder outreach. Transportation Authority staff anticipate completing the study by June 2025. Learn more about the study at the project page.

See the allocation request forms (PDF) or review the presentation from the October 17 board meeting (PDF) to learn more.