43 Masonic
| Company type | Public transit line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Route 14 Roosevelt |
| Founded | February 1949 (as route 43) |
Area served | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Products | Bus service |
| Owner | San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) |
| Website | www |
The 43 Masonic is a north-south transit line managed by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA or Muni). Known for its picturesque passage, this route links the Excelsior District with Fort Mason, passing through prominent neighborhoods such as the Presidio, Pacific Heights, Haight-Ashbury, Forest Hill, and Ingleside.
Service
Operating from early morning until late at night, the 43 Masonic is not a 24-hour or Owl Service line. Its primary garage is located at the Kirkland bus yard near Pier 39. Passengers often observe that this bus tends to be cleaner and less congested compared to other Muni routes, although it runs at a slower pace and some stops appear to lack clear rationale.
Route
Beginning at Munich Street and Geneva Avenue in the Excelsior District, the 43 proceeds along Chicago Way, then follows Munich (northbound) or Prague Street (southbound), and Naples Avenue. Both directions continue along Geneva Avenue towards Ingleside, making a stop close to Balboa Park station, where connections to four out of five BART lines are available. At the intersection of Geneva and Ocean Avenue, the route turns onto Frida Kahlo Way, traversing the campus of City College of San Francisco, then moves on to Monterey Boulevard via Judson and Genessee streets when heading southbound, or Judson and Forester streets northbound. After passing Monterey Avenue, the line skirts around Mt. Davidson Park before traveling along Portola Avenue toward Twin Peaks. Here, it intersects with the K Ingleside and M Ocean View metro lines at Forest Hill station. Approaching Twin Peaks, the bus follows Laguna Honda Boulevard and crosses paths with the N Judah line twice—first at Judah Street and 9th Avenue, then again at Cole Street and Carl Street. The 43 serves the Haight Ashbury neighborhood via Haight Street leading to Masonic Avenue, continues northward on Masonic through the Panhandle area and past the USF, proceeds along Presidio Avenue into the Presidio itself, then turns onto Lombard Street before concluding its journey at Fort Mason via Laguna Street.
History
Originally designated as route 14 Roosevelt, this bus line was renumbered to 43 in February 1949. Between 1979 and 1983, as part of efforts to modernize the Muni system, it was rerouted to operate as a crosstown service and rebranded as 43 Masonic. In 1997, concerns about passenger safety arose due to reports of muggings along this route.
By 2019, the 43 Masonic ranked 44th among 63 Muni lines in terms of performance, achieving an on-time rate of 54 percent while being classified as "very late" approximately 17 percent of the time.
During the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020, service on the 43 Masonic was halted but resumed in June with a truncated route ending at Masonic and Geary. This change generated discontent among residents of Cole Valley. By December 2021, ridership had only rebounded to about 31 percent of what it was before the pandemic. Plans for restoring services were announced in May 2022; by July, the full pre-pandemic routing was reinstated along with an additional stop at the Presidio Tunnel Tops.
Bibliography
- Perles, Anthony; McKane, John (1982). Inside Muni: The Properties and Operations of the Municipal Railway of San Francisco. Interurban Press. ISBN 0-916374-49-1
External links
- 43 Masonic — San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency