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San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) officials are considering a pilot project designed to increase capacity during peak hours on the Municipal Railway’s (Muni) N Judah light-rail line.

With daily ridership of nearly 40,000, the N Judah line handles 30 percent of all Muni’s rail ridership. The plan, which SFMTA staff recommended to the board on Tuesday, calls for using buses to alleviate overcrowding and improving reliability on the line during morning and afternoon commutes. Dubbed the Nx Judah Express, the service would provide N Judah riders in the outer avenues the choice of an express bus with limited stops into and out of downtown San Francisco.

“We are continually looking for opportunities to improve the Muni system,” said Nathaniel Ford Sr., SFMTA executive director, in a prepared statement. “As a pilot, this program will show us if this is a feasible solution. … In the absence of additional rail vehicles, we want to provide some much needed expanded capacity along this major commuting corridor.”