The K Ingleside is a hybrid light rail/streetcar line of the Muni Metro system in San Francisco, California. It mainly serves the West Portal and Ingleside neighborhoods. The line opened on February 3, 1918, and was the first line to use the Twin Peaks Tunnel.
The outer terminal of the K Ingleside is at Balboa Park station, where it shares a terminal loop plus loading and unloading platforms with the J Church. The line runs in a dedicated median in Ocean Avenue as far as Ocean Avenue/CCSF Pedestrian Bridge station, then in mixed traffic to Junipero Serra and Ocean station. Surface stations are typically boarding islands located between the tracks and the outer traffic lanes. The line again has a short dedicated median on Junipero Serra Boulevard. It joins the M Ocean View at St. Francis Circle station, from where the lines run in mixed traffic to a junction with the L Taraval outside West Portal station. The K Ingleside runs through the Twin Peaks Tunnel and Market Street subway to its inner terminal at Embarcadero station.
The K Ingleside begins service at 5 a.m. on weekdays, 6 a.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. Sundays, with the end of service occurring around 12:30 a.m. each night. Weekday daytime headways are 10 minutes. [2] Weekend daytime headways are 12 minutes. [3]
Service is provided by overnight Owl buses during the hours that rail service is not running. The L Owl serves the portion between West Portal and Embarcadero, and the 91 Owl serves the portion between Balboa Park and West Portal. The K Owl bus runs a limited number of trips during late nights and early mornings.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, on weekends, service is provided by K Ingleside Bus, which runs from 5 a.m. until the start of rail service. The bus line largely follows the rail line, but it uses surface streets to parallel sections where the rail line has dedicated rights-of-way. [4]
The Market Street Railway opened a branch – built in just six days – of its Mission Street line along Ocean Avenue to Victoria Street on December 4, 1895, to serve the new Ingleside Racetrack. [5] The line was extended to the Ingleside House (where Ocean Avenue now meets Junipero Serra Boulevard) shortly thereafter. [6] The 1906 earthquake damaged many cable car and streetcar lines; in the aftermath, the United Railroads (URR) – successor to the Market Street Railway – closed many cable cars lines and expanded the electric streetcar system. The URR resumed service on the Ocean Avenue line on May 6, 1906; the line (route 12) was soon extended to Ocean Beach via Junipero Serra Boulevard and Sloat Boulevard. [7]
The San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) opened its K line along with the Twin Peaks Tunnel on February 3, 1918. The line originally ran from St. Francis Circle station along West Portal Avenue, through the tunnel, along Market Street to Van Ness Avenue (joining the J Church at Church Street), and along existing tracks on Van Ness Avenue to Pine Street. On June 1, 1918, the J and K lines were removed from Van Ness Avenue and extended along Market Street to a loop at the Ferry Building. [7]
The existing URR streetcar service on Ocean Avenue formed a barrier to continued Muni expansion into the Ingleside district. On November 25, 1918, the city and the private URR signed the "Parkside Agreements", which allowed Muni streetcars to use URR trackage on Ocean Avenue as far as Harold Avenue, as well as on Taraval Street, in exchange for a cash payment and shared maintenance costs. [8] : 74 The K Ingleside line was extended south on Junipero Serra Boulevard and east on Ocean Avenue to Miramar Avenue on February 21, 1919. On May 18, it was extended several blocks further east to Brighton Avenue, then two blocks south on Grafton to a stub-end terminal at Grafton Avenue. [7]
Every other inbound car on Sundays and holidays continued onto the L Taraval line (rather than to downtown) beginning on April 13, 1919; this ended on October 21, 1923, when the L Taraval line was extended to downtown at all times. [7] Every other inbound car operated to the new East Bay Terminal beginning on January 15, 1939; all cars ran there starting on January 1, 1941. [7] Muni bought the Market Street Railway (ex-URR) in 1944; route 12 service was removed from Ocean Avenue on April 8, 1945, leaving just the K Ingleside. On April 21, every other outbound K car was extended on Ocean Avenue and Onondaga Street to Mission Street, providing a direct connection to route 14. [7]
On January 21, 1951, the 48 crosstown route replaced streetcars on the K and L lines on evenings and holidays. All-rail service returned on May 18, 1952, at which time the trackage on Brighton Avenue was abandoned and replaced with the Phelan Loop at Phelan Avenue near City College. [8] : 186 Service past the loop to Mission ended on October 10, 1952, although trackage as far as San Jose Avenue was kept for non-revenue moves to the carhouse. [7]
Service was diverted to Duboce Avenue, Church Street, and 17th Street on December 2, 1972, due to construction of the Market Street subway. [9] On April 23, 1979, the line was lengthened to Balboa Park BART Station. Initially, only supplemental trips running from West Portal and using newly-in-service Boeing Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) served the new extension, weekdays only, and most K-line service continued to use PCC streetcars running from downtown to Phelan Loop. [10] The LRV shuttle service ended in February 1980, and PCC-operated service was extended to Balboa Park but lasted only four months before the weekday service was replaced by a temporary K-L crosstown route using LRVs (and weekend service cut back to Phelan Loop). Additional changes to the service configuration followed until finally on December 17, 1980, the K line became operated as a through service from Embarcadero Station to Balboa Park, using LRVs, on weekdays only. [10] Weekend service continued to use PCC cars until September 1982, [11] when the Muni Metro became fully operational.
From February 2001 to June 7, 2003, K Ingleside service was cut back to St. Francis Circle and replaced by buses on Ocean Avenue for the Ocean Avenue Reconstruction and Improvement Project, a major street repaving and utility replacement project. The Muni tracks and overhead power system were replaced, boarding islands were reconstructed, and accessible platforms built at Ocean and Lee. [12]
Following service changes on June 30, 2007, the K Ingleside and the T Third Street lines were spliced together inside the Market Street subway tunnel, [13] though keeping their respective line designations, resulting in an upside-down horseshoe-shaped route from Balboa Park to Bayshore and Sunnydale. At West Portal Station, inbound K trains heading towards downtown change their signs to the T line; conversely, at Embarcadero Station, T trains heading into downtown change signs to the K line. The trains show the ultimate destination of the spliced lines rather than the intermediate "terminus" of the individual line.
Service on the line was modified from June 25 to August 24, 2018 due to the Twin Peaks Tunnel shutdown. The underground section of the line was closed west of Castro station, while the surface section of the K line was through-routed with the J Church line. [14]
On August 25, 2018, at the conclusion of the shutdown, Muni began running permanently two-car trains on the K/T line (as had been used east of Castro during the shutdown). Because of insufficiently-long boarding islands, the rear car was closed on the Ocean Avenue section of the line. [15] Passengers in the rear car on outbound trains were forced to move to the front car at Junipero Serra and Ocean station, and inbound K trains did not open the rear car to passengers until passing Junipero Serra and Ocean. [16]
On March 30, 2020, Muni Metro service was replaced with buses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [17] Rail service returned on August 22, 2020, with the routes reconfigured to improve reliability in the subway: K Ingleside and L Taraval service were interlined, running between Taraval and Sunset and Balboa Park station; no K Ingleside or L Taraval service entered the subway. At that time, buses replaced rail service west of Sunset Boulevard to allow for construction. The T Third Street line was interlined with the M Ocean View line instead of the K Ingleside. [18] The forced transfer at West Portal was criticized by disability advocates. [19] K Ingleside light-rail service was replaced again by the K Bus on August 25, 2020 due to issues with malfunctioning overhead wire splices and the need to quarantine control center staff after a positive COVID-19 case. [20]
K Ingleside light-rail service resumed again on May 15, 2021; again, through-routed with T Third Street. [21] On January 7, 2023, the T Third Street line was rerouted into the Central Subway ending 16 years of being interlined with the K Ingleside, which will terminate at Embarcadero. [22]
In 2023, the SFMTA began planning work on the K Ingleside Rapid Project, which is intended to increase capacity and reduce travel time on the Ocean Avenue portion of the line. Planned changes include longer platforms at four stops to allow use of two-car trains, elimination of one stop, and transit lanes between Junipero Serra Boulevard and Lee Avenue. [23] As of January 2024 [update] , "quick-build" implementation of some project elements is planned for early 2024, with construction of the full project taking place from 2027 to 2029. [24]
Several long-term changes to the line were proposed in 2016. An SFMTA rail strategy plan proposed a 3-mile (4.8 km) light rail line from Balboa Park to Bayshore station, likely to be an extension of the K Ingleside. Its costs were estimated between $260 million and $610 million, with completion in the 2030s. [25] A proposal for a M Ocean View subway included the K using the new subway as far west as St. Francis Circle, with a new portal in the median of Junipero Serra Boulevard. [26]
The K Ingleside line stops at concrete boarding islands in the middle of the street next to the tracks. Some stops have raised platforms for accessibility.
| Station/Stop | Neighborhood | Muni Metro lines | Notes and connections |
|---|---|---|---|
 Embarcadero | Financial District |      |
|
| Montgomery Street | | ||
| Powell Street | Mid-Market, Civic Center, Tenderloin |  (at Union Square/Market St) |
|
| Civic Center/UN Plaza | |
| |
| Van Ness | |
| |
| Church | Duboce Triangle, Mission Dolores | (Surface stop) |
|
| Castro | Castro District | |
|
| Forest Hill | Forest Hill | |  Muni: 36, 43, 44, 52 |
| West Portal | West Portal | | |
| West Portal and 14th Avenue | | Muni: 57 | |
| St. Francis Circle | St. Francis Wood | | Muni: 23, 57 |
| Junipero Serra and Ocean | Ingleside Terraces, Balboa Terrace | Muni: 57 | |
| Ocean and San Leandro | |||
| Ocean and Aptos | |||
| Ocean and Westgate (inbound) Ocean and Cerritos (outbound) | Ingleside Terraces | ||
| Ocean and Fairfield (inbound) Ocean and Victoria (outbound) | |||
| Ocean and Dorado (inbound) Ocean and Jules (outbound) | Ingleside, Westwood Park | ||
| Ocean and Miramar | |||
| Ocean and Lee | Muni: 29 | ||
| Ocean Avenue/CCSF Pedestrian Bridge | |||
| Balboa Park | Balboa Park | |
Muni Metro is a semi-metro system serving San Francisco, California, United States. Operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni), a part of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), Muni's light rail lines saw an average of 75,500 boardings per day as of the fourth quarter of 2023 and a total of 24,324,600 boardings in 2023, making it the sixth-busiest light rail system in the United States.
The N Judah is a hybrid light rail/streetcar line of the Muni Metro system in San Francisco, California. The line is named after Judah Street that it runs along for much of its length, named after railroad engineer Theodore Judah. It links downtown San Francisco to the Cole Valley and Sunset neighborhoods. The line provides rail access to Golden Gate Park. It is the busiest line in the Muni Metro system, serving an average of 41,439 weekday passengers in 2013. It was one of San Francisco's streetcar lines, beginning operation in 1928, and was partially converted to modern light-rail operation with the opening of the Muni Metro system in 1980. While many streetcar lines were converted to bus lines after World War II, the N Judah remained a streetcar line due to its use of the Sunset Tunnel.
The L Taraval is a hybrid light rail/streetcar line of the Muni Metro system in San Francisco, California, mainly serving the Parkside District. Since 2021, the line has been suspended and replaced by buses until the end of 2024 for an improvement project along Taraval Street.
The M Ocean View is a light rail line that is part of the Muni Metro system in San Francisco, California. Named after the Oceanview neighborhood, it runs between San Jose and Geneva and Embarcadero station, connecting Oceanview, San Francisco State University, and Stonestown Galleria with the city center. The line opened on October 6, 1925.
The J Church is a hybrid light rail/streetcar line of the Muni Metro system in San Francisco, California. The line runs between Embarcadero station and Balboa Park station through Noe Valley. Opened on August 11, 1917, it is the oldest and has the lowest ridership of all of the Muni Metro lines.
The Market Street subway is a two-level subway tunnel that carries Muni Metro and BART trains under Market Street in San Francisco, California. It runs under the length of Market Street between Embarcadero station and Castro station. The upper level is used by Muni Metro lines and the lower level is used by BART lines. BART does not run through the whole subway; it turns south and runs under Mission Street southwest of Civic Center/UN Plaza station. The northeastern end of the BART level is connected to the Transbay Tube. On the Muni Metro level, the southwestern end of the Market Street subway connects to the much-older Twin Peaks Tunnel, and the northeastern end connects to surface tracks along the Embarcadero.
Balboa Park station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station and Muni Metro complex in the Mission Terrace neighborhood of San Francisco, California, located near the eponymous Balboa Park. It is an intermodal hub served by four BART routes, three Muni Metro lines, and a number of Muni bus routes. The station complex also includes two rail yards, Cameron Beach Yard and Green Light Rail Center, where Muni maintains Muni Metro trains and heritage streetcars. BART uses a below-grade island platform on the west side of the complex; Muni Metro routes use several smaller side platforms located on surface-level rail loops around the yards.
St. Francis Circle is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro K Ingleside and M Ocean View lines, located in the St. Francis Wood neighborhood of San Francisco, California. It opened around 1907 when the United Railroads (URR) expanded its Ocean Avenue line west to Ocean Beach; Muni service followed with the K in 1918 and the M in 1925.
Junipero Serra and Ocean is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro K Ingleside line, located in the St. Francis Wood neighborhood of San Francisco, California. It originally opened around 1896 on the United Railroads 12 line; K Ingleside service began in 1919.
Ocean and San Leandro is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro K Ingleside line, located between the Balboa Terrace and Ingleside Terrace neighborhoods of San Francisco, California. It originally opened around 1896 on the United Railroads (12) line; K Ingleside service began in 1919. The stop consists of two side platforms, with the eastbound (outbound) platform located on Ocean Avenue west of the intersection with San Leandro Way, and vice versa.
Ocean and Aptos is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro K Ingleside line, located between the Balboa Terrace and Ingleside Terrace neighborhoods of San Francisco, California. The stop consists of two side platforms, with the eastbound (outbound) platform located on Ocean Avenue west of the intersection with Aptos Avenue, and vice versa. It originally opened around 1896 on the United Railroads 12 line; K Ingleside service began in 1919.
Ocean and Westgate (inbound) and Ocean and Cerritos (outbound) are a pair of one-way light rail stops on the Muni Metro K Ingleside line, located between the Mount Davidson and Ingleside Terrace neighborhoods of San Francisco, California. The stops consist of one side platform each, with the eastbound (outbound) platform located on Ocean Avenue west of the intersection with Westgate Drive and Cerritos Avenue, and vice versa. They originally opened around 1896 on the United Railroads 12 line; K Ingleside service began in 1919.
Ocean and Fairfield (inbound) and Ocean and Victoria (outbound) are a pair of one-way light rail stops on the Muni Metro K Ingleside line, located between the Mount Davidson and Ingleside Terrace neighborhoods of San Francisco, California. The stops consist of one side platform each, with the eastbound (outbound) platform located on Ocean Avenue west of the intersection with Victoria Street and the westbound (inbound) located east of the intersection and just west of Fairfield Way. They originally opened in 1895 on the United Railroads 12 line; K Ingleside service began in 1919.
Ocean and Dorado (inbound) and Ocean and Jules (outbound) are a pair of one-way light rail stops on the Muni Metro K Ingleside line, located between the Mount Davidson and Ingleside neighborhoods of San Francisco, California. The stops consist of one side platform each, with the eastbound (outbound) platform located on Ocean Avenue west of the intersection with Dorado Terrace and Jules Avenue, and the westbound (inbound) platform located east of the intersection. It originally opened in 1895 on the United Railroads 12 line; K Ingleside service began in 1919.
Ocean and Miramar is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro K Ingleside line, located between the Westwood Park and Ingleside neighborhoods of San Francisco, California. The stop consists of two side platforms, with the eastbound (outbound) platform located on Ocean Avenue west of the intersection with Miramar Avenue and the westbound (inbound) platform located east of the intersection. It originally opened in 1895 on the United Railroads 12 line; K Ingleside service began in 1919.
Ocean and Lee station is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro K Ingleside line, located between the Westwood Park and Ingleside neighborhoods of San Francisco, California. The stop consists of two side platforms, with the eastbound (outbound) platform located on Ocean Avenue west of the intersection with Lee Street, and vice versa.
Ocean Avenue/CCSF Pedestrian Bridge station is a light rail station on the Muni Metro K Ingleside line, located between the Sunnyside and Ingleside neighborhoods of San Francisco, California adjacent to the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) campus. The stop consists of two side platforms in the median of Ocean Avenue, with stairs to a concrete footbridge that connects the campus to Geneva Avenue. It opened in 1979 with the extension of the line to Balboa Park station; it was previously served by the United Railroads 12 line from 1895 to 1945, and the K from 1945 to 1952.
19th Avenue and Randolph station is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro M Ocean View line, located in the Ingleside neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The stop has no platforms; trains stop at marked poles before crossing Randolph Street and passengers cross a parking lane on 19th Avenue to board trains. The stop is not accessible.
Broad and Plymouth station is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro M Ocean View line, located in the Ingleside neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The station has transit bulbs which extend the sidewalk of Broad Street, to meet trains like a side platform, allowing passengers to board or depart from trains. The stops are located just before trains cross Plymouth Avenue and include accessible mini-high platforms.
Media related to K Ingleside at Wikimedia Commons
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