San Francisco residents who live in the city's Western Addition, Hayes Valley and Tenderloin neighborhoods celebrated the return of 21-Hayes bus service to Golden Gate Park Saturday, while park visitors took their first spin on adaptive bicycles on car-free John F. Kennedy Drive.
Saturday's celebration was announced by the San Francisco Recreation and Park District and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
Advocates for transit riders, seniors, and people with disabilities boarded the 21-Hayes bus at Alamo Square for a community ride with SFRPD and SFMTA representatives and Supervisor Dean Preston, who supported reinstatement of the line, which had been suspended since March 2020. The slightly modified new route runs every 20 minutes from Grove and Hyde streets near Civic Center Station and the Main Library to St. Mary's Hospital, just across the street from Golden Gate Park's east end, including car-free JFK Drive. It is one of three major routes brought back into service, which also includes the 6-Haight-Parnassus and 2-Sutter lines.
"After a long-anticipated wait, I'm happy to welcome back these neighborhood bus lines," said Mayor London Breed. "As our city continues to bounce back from the impacts brought on by the pandemic, we need to ensure that it's easier for all residents to access everything San Francisco has to offer, especially our public spaces. Restoring Muni to pre-pandemic levels and providing equitable alternative modes of transit will help us deliver on our promise to create a more accessible San Francisco."
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"Public transit is crucial to our City. I'm thrilled to celebrate the return of these essential bus lines, including my daily ride: the 21 Hayes," said Supervisor Preston. "This has been a difficult time for transit riders, operators, and all the workers who make public transit run. I greatly appreciate the remarkable coalition of advocates that successfully pushed for the return of these lines, and I look forward to continuing to champion efforts to restore and expand public transit across our City."
Saturday, once at Golden Gate Park, community members hopped on the park's free shuttle to see a demonstration of the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program Adaptive Cycling Program, which launched.
The free program matches people with disabilities to adaptive bicycles by advance reservation. BORP Cycling Center hosts one of the largest collections of adaptive bikes in the world, including handcycles, recumbent bikes, side-by-side tandems, and other models. The program serves children, youth and adults with physical disabilities and visual impairments, as well as their family and friends.
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"Golden Gate Park belongs to everyone, and we are delivering on our promise to improve access to its treasures," said Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park District.
"The Adaptive Cycling Program means park visitors, regardless of disability, can reap the benefits of nature while enjoying exhilarating exercise on car-free JFK", he said.
"We're listening to the community and know there's strong support for both a robust transit system and improved park access," said Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA transportation director. "We're happy to support healthy transportation options for all San Franciscans getting to and around Golden Gate Park--especially those with limited mobility options."
The Adaptive Cycling Program will run 1-4 p.m. by appointment from April through October. Locations will alternate between the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park next to the new accessible bandshell lot and the Great Highway at Judah Street.
To reserve a bike, contact BORP Cycling Center at (510) 848-2930 or cycling@borp.org
