What is an Express Service for the Muni?

Question

I saw on a Muni map that part of the route the 9AX follows in the Visitation Valley is an "Express Service", according to the Muni map key. What is an Expresss Service?

Answer 1

MUNI's express service means that it will not make any stops for a certain segment of its route bypassing the area.

9X, 9AX & 9BX are express routes of route 9.  9AX is an express service that runs from City College to Downtown and North Beach via Visitacion Valley.  

Its an express service because in the morning, it makes all stops from City College to Geneva/Santos and then no stops until Bayshore/Arleta.  Then it makes all stops until  Bayshore/Silver, and then doesnt make anymore stops until Bryant/6th. Compared with route 9, route 9 makes all stops on its route from Visitacion Valley into downtown.

The reason why 9AX skips Geneva/Santos until Bayshore/Arleta in the Visitacion Valley is because that area is already covered by 9BX.  If both 9AX and 9BX covered that area, then the 'express service' would slow down by the people getting on/off.

Hope this helps!