Not a great track record for Muni buses serving Glen Park

The best and worst on-time performing Muni bus lines, ranked

Last week Curbed SF examined SFMTA’s latest data dump about Muni light rail’s on-time performance—or rather, its lack thereof.

By comparison, Muni bus service is far more reliable than its trains. And yet, not a single bus line in the city is even close to Muni’s stated goal of an 85 percent on-time rating (a target that’s mandated by the city charter).

These figures represent performance for January of 2019. Note that, for Muni purposes, “on time” means no more than four minutes late and no more than one minute early.

The best performing bus line in the city: The 66 Quintara, which runs from Eighth Avenue to Vicente Street, which was on time 70 percent of the time in January and late just seven percent of the time. The 66 is also the only line to have never been deemed “very late” all month.

The worst line in SF: The 81 Express to Caltrain, which was on time an abysmal 35 percent of the time and late or very late 52 percent of the time, the only line in the city to break the 50 percent late barrier in January, all of which undermines the entire express concept.

From best to worse, here’s how all 63 active Muni bus lines performed last month. The first figure represents a line’s on-time rating, the second how often it was late or very late. (The question of whether early buses are better or worse than late ones is a judgment call and so did not factor into the rankings.)

1. 66 Quintara: 70 percent/seven percent
2. 88 BART Shuttle: 69 percent/21 percent
3. 6-Haight/Parnassus: 65 percent/11 percent
4. 25-Treasure Island: 65 percent/26 percent
5. 41-Union: 64 percent/11 percent
6. 5R-Fulton: 64 percent/17 percent
7. 38AX-Geary: 64 percent/18 percent
8. 30-Stockton: 63 percent/9 percent
9. 38R-Geary: 63 percent/10 percent
10. 30X-Marina: 63 percent/11 percent
11. 21-Hayes: 63 percent/12 percent
12. 67-Bernal Heights: 63 percent/12 percent

13. 52-Excelsior: 63 percent/15 percent

14. 39-Coit: 62 percent/9 percent
15. 3-Jackson: 61 percent/17 percent
16. 22-Filmore: 61 precent/13 percent
17. 14R-Mission: 61 precent/14 percent
18. 7-Haight/Noriega: 61 percent/18 percent
19. 57-Parkmerced: 61 percent/20 percent
20. 33-Ashbury: 60 percent/12 percent
21. 18-46th Avenue: 60 percent/16 percent
22. 1-California: 60 percent/19 percent
23. 49-Mission/Van Ness: 59 percent/9 percent
24. 24-Divisadero: 59 percent/12 percent
25. 31-Balboa: 59 percent/16 percent
26. 2-Clement: 59 percent/19 percent
27. 47-Van Ness: 58 percent/15 percent
28. 48-Quintara: 58 percent/22 percent
29. 1AX-California: 58 percent/22 percent

30. 35-Eureka: 58 percent/24 percent

31. 5-Fulton: 57 percent/19 percent
32. 37-Corbett: 57 percent/27 percent
33. 83X-Mid Market: 57 percent/28 percent
34. 12-Folsom: 56 percent/14 percent
35. 54-Felton: 56 percent/17 percent
36. 1BX-California: 56 percent/27 percent
37. 31AX-Balboa: 56 percent/28 percent
38. 55-16th Street: 56 percent/29 percent
39. 14-Mission: 55 percent/18 percent
40. 9-San Bruno: 55 percent/19 percent
41. 56-Rutland: 55 percent/22/percent
42. 31BX-Balboa: 55 percent/36 percent
43. 28-19th Avenue: 54 percent/16 percent
44. 43-Masonic: 54 percent/17 percent

45. 44-O’Shaughnessy: 53 percent/20 percent

46. 23-Monterey: 53 percent/24 percent

47. 36-Teresita: 53 percent/25 percent

48. 38X-Geary: 53 percent/30 percent
49. 14X-Mission: 52 percent/16 percent
50. 9R-San Bruno: 52 percent/29 percent
51. 10-Townsend: 51 percent/15 percent
52. 8-Bayshore: 50 percent/14 percent
53. 38-Geary: 50 percent/16 percent
54. 28R-19th Avenue: 49 percent/six percent.
55. 29-Sunset: 49 percent/20 percent
56. 76X-Marin: 48 percent/eight percent
57. 19-Polk: 48 percent/20 percent
58. 27-Bryant: 47 percent/25 percent
59. 82X-Levi Plaza: 47 percent/27 percent
60. 7X-Noriega: 47 percent/30 percent
61. 8BX-Bayshore: 41 percent/19 percent
62. 8AX-Bayshore: 41 percent/25 percent
63. 81X-Caltrain: 35 percent/52 percent

Across all routes, Muni buses were on time 57 percent of the time in January, early 27 percent of the time, late for 12 percent of stops, and very late four percent.

The system’s overall on-time rating across buses and trains together was 55 percent. The city has not released data for the historic cable cars since January of 2018.