Transit-Oriented Residential Development (SB 79 Implementation)

Overview

California Senate Bill 79 (SB 79), the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, set statewide minimum standards for the amount of housing that must be allowed near major transit stops. As permitted by the law, San Francisco adopted an Implementation Ordinance (Board File 260132) on May 8, 2026, that meets the requirements of the law through a locally tailored approach (an “Alternative Plan”) instead of applying the SB 79’s default zoning standards for transit-oriented residential development.

The Implementation Ordinance does the following:

• Permanently excludes certain parcels in three Industrial Employment Hubs from being subject to SB 79.
• Temporarily exempts from SB79 parcels in some “Low Resource” census tracts, including all such parcels south 16th street, in Mission Bay, and in areas overlapping with the Industrial Employment Hubs. This exemption will expire in January 2032, one year following the due date for the City’s next Housing Element update.
• Amends the Planning Code to add a new Section 207.11 to permit additional residential density on parcels meeting certain criteria (see below).
• Adopts an Alternative Plan under SB 79, including demonstrating that San Francisco’s housing capacity under existing zoning, when factoring in the permanent exclusions, temporary exemptions, and Planning Code Amendment, meets the Alternative Plan requirements. The Alternative Plan covers the entire city. All parcels covered by an Alternative Plan are exempt from SB79 until one year following the due date for the City’s next Housing Element (i.e. Jan 2032). As a result, no parcel in San Francisco is subject to the default provisions of SB 79.

What changed?

The City amended the Planning Code to allow at least 50% of the housing density permitted by SB 79 and up to 40 feet in height for residential projects on parcels within ½ mile of qualifying transit stops, where existing zoning does not already permit such density or height.

Projects must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

1. All or partially located within ½ mile of a “transit-oriented development stop,” as defined in SB 79 (see PIM information below).
2. Not a parcel that is permanently exempted from SB 79 in an Industrial Employment Hub or within a temporarily exempted (until 2032) low-resource area. The permanently and temporarily exempted parcels are flagged on PIM.¹
3. Located in a zoning district that principally permits residential uses.
4. The permitted density for the site is less than 50% density of that allowed for the parcel under SB 79 or has a height limit of less than 40 feet
5. Located outside of the R-4 height and bulk district
6. Not a parcel with a Historic Building that is individually designated as a landmark or listed as a contributor to a historic district under Article 10 of this Code, or listed as a Significant or Contributory Building under Article 11 with a Category I, II, III, or IV rating

^1. All parcels meeting the applicability criteria in Sec 207.11 are eligible for the density and height provisions of 207.11. While all parcels within the Alternative Plan area, which covers the entire city, are exempt from the direct applicability of SB79, this does not affect a parcel’s eligibility for the density and height exceptions under Section 207.11, as Section 207.11 is part of the City’s Alternative Plan.

Transit-oriented development stop

The qualifying transit stops are divided into two tiers with different zoning requirements within three different distances of each stop: 200 feet, ¼ mile, and ½ mile. Tier 1, which includes existing and planned BART and Caltrain stations, allows for slightly denser housing at each distance than Tier 2, which includes Muni Metro and major bus stops that are immediately adjacent to dedicated transit lanes.

The densities allowed under Section 207.11 (i.e. 50% of the SB 79 densities) by transit stop Tier are as follows:

Transit Stop Tiers

Note that for any parcel that is partially located in the Coastal Zone, the calculation of permitted density pursuant to the exception shall apply to the entire parcel, however residential development pursuant to such exception shall be limited to the portions of the parcel located outside of the Coastal Zone.

To see if a parcel is within an applicable station area visit PIM

The City’s Property Information Map (PIM) identifies parcels as Transit-Oriented Residential Development Areas. If your parcel is in one of the areas, it will state the applicable station area, station tier, and the parcel’s distance from it. It will also state whether the parcel is permanently or temporarily exempt from the provisions of SB 79.

This information will help you to determine if a parcel meets the eligibility criteria listed above for the density and height exception in Section 207.11 and which densities would be allowed on the parcel under this exception.

Check out the project website for more information: Senate Bill 79 Implementation in San Francisco