SFMTA is embarking on a multiyear project to improve the 1 California, one of the busiest Muni lines in the city. The stated goals: boost pedestrian safety, improve transit reliability, and make the corridor work better for everyone who uses it.

Sounds great on paper. But if you've ridden the 1 California anytime in the last decade — sardined between a stroller and someone's oversized backpack while the bus bunches three-deep at California and Kearny — you know that "improvement" has been a long time coming.

Let's start with what's reasonable. Pedestrian and transit safety upgrades along a heavily trafficked route are genuinely important. The 1 California cuts through some of the densest neighborhoods in the city, from the Richmond all the way downtown, and the mix of foot traffic, buses, and cars creates real hazards. If this project delivers better crosswalks, signal priority for buses, and smarter stop placement, that's a win.

But here's where the skepticism kicks in: "multiyear effort" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that description. SFMTA has a well-documented habit of turning straightforward transit improvements into bureaucratic odysseys that drag on for years, blow past budgets, and deliver underwhelming results. Remember Van Ness BRT? That project took over a decade from conception to completion and cost north of $300 million for what is essentially some red paint and a center lane.

The question isn't whether the 1 California needs improvement — it obviously does. The question is whether SFMTA can execute efficiently and on budget, or whether this becomes another slow-motion money pit wrapped in community engagement sessions and environmental reviews.

San Francisco riders deserve better transit. They also deserve agencies that respect their tax dollars. We'll be watching this one closely — and counting the years.