The L Taraval is a light rail line of the Muni Metro system in San Francisco, California, mainly serving the Parkside District. While many streetcar lines were converted to bus lines after World War II, the L Taraval remained a streetcar line due to its use of the Twin Peaks Tunnel.
The line begins at Wawona and 46th Avenue station (near the San Francisco Zoo), which is on a one-way loop on Vicente Street, 47th Avenue, Wawona Street, and 46th Avenue. It runs north on 46th Avenue to Taraval Street, then runs east on Taraval Street to 15th Avenue. The line then runs south one block on 15th Avenue, then east on Ulloa Street to West Portal station, where it joins with the other Muni Metro lines towards Embarcadero.
Rail service runs on 10-minute headways on weekdays and 12-minute headways on weekends. [3]
Service is provided by overnight Owl buses during the hours that rail service is not running. The L Owl bus serves the full length of the route, as well as along The Embarcadero to Fisherman's Wharf. (The Embarcadero section was added on June 15, 2019, to provide Owl service along the F Market & Wharves route.) [4]
In June 1908, United Railroads (URR) subsidiary Parkside Transit Company laid a single-track line that ran on 20th Avenue from an existing line on H Street (now Lincoln Way) to Wawona Street, then on Wawona one block to 19th Avenue. A connecting shuttle line running from 20th Avenue on Taraval Street, 33rd Avenue, Vicente Street, and 35th Avenue to Sloat Boulevard (meeting the 12 Ocean line) was opened by 1910. [5] This trackage, which saw irregular passenger service, formed a barrier to the continued expansion of the city-owned Municipal Railway into the Parkside district. On November 25, 1918, the city and the private URR signed the "Parkside Agreements", which allowed Muni streetcars to use URR trackage on Taraval Street and on Ocean Avenue in exchange for a cash payment and shared maintenance costs. [6] : 74
Muni's L Taraval line opened as a shuttle between West Portal and 33rd Avenue (on rebuilt URR trackage west of 20th Avenue) on April 12, 1919. Tracks were extended along Taraval to 48th Avenue at Ocean Beach by January 14, 1923 and on October 15, the shuttle service was replaced with larger streetcars running through to the Ferry Building. [6] : 75 The URR discontinued their service on the line in late 1927. [7]
The L Taraval was extended south (turning off Taraval at 46th) to the San Francisco Zoo, the line's current outer terminus, on September 15, 1937, [8] leaving a two-block spur line on Taraval, that is used occasionally for temporary storage. [9]
Over the next decade, the line's eastern terminus changed a few times. On January 15, 1939, every other streetcar was routed to the new Transbay Terminal. On January 1, 1941, cars were rerouted back to the Ferry Building. The Transbay Terminal became the inner terminal for all streetcars on June 6, 1948. [7]
By 1950, many streetcar lines in the city were converted to buses after World War II, the L Taraval remained a streetcar line due to its use of the Twin Peaks Tunnel.
The L was partially converted to modern light rail operation as part of the opening of the Muni Metro system in 1980. [8]
For its first 100 years in operation, the L Taraval operated similarly to a bus, with rail vehicles receiving no priority over any other vehicle, obeying all stop signs, and stopping frequently when requested or when flagged down by passengers waiting at marked stops on the sidewalk. Because the rails were in the center of a four-lane roadway, passengers boarding or exiting must cross an active traffic lane. Often, drivers would not stop for crossing passengers, leading to many being hit and injured getting off and on the L Taraval over the decades.
Starting in the early 2010s, Muni began proposing major changes to the L Taraval corridor to increase pedestrian safety and speed up trains, which would prove controversial. The plan, eventually named the L Taraval Improvement Project, would dedicate the center lanes to rail vehicles, consolidate stops, and, where stops remain, add boarding islands between the transit-only lane and the general traffic lane, giving passengers a protected area to exit or wait for the L Taraval. The project would also replace many of the stop signs along the route with traffic signals with transit priority, add additional traffic calming measures like curb extensions, replace the worn rails and overhead wire, along with sewer and water line replacements.
The plan was controversial because adding boarding islands would require the removal of street parking along Taraval, worrying nearby merchants, who feared less parking would reduce traffic in their businesses. The loss of parking along Taraval would be offset by moving parking spaces and meters to side streets and by converting side streets to angled parking to increase density. [10] : 3, 9–11 Seniors and some disability advocates were opposed to the removal of stops because it would require longer walks for some passengers. Other disability advocates supported the project because it would add accessible ramps at more stops.
Under pressure from these groups, Muni agreed to a pilot project in 2016 to see if better street markings would get more drivers to stop for crossing passengers. [11] The pilot program was unsuccessful, showing only a two percent increase in drivers stopping behind trains. [12] The final plan adds boarding islands at 19th, 26th, 30th, 32nd, 40th, 42nd, 44th, and 46th (westbound only), along with an extension of the existing islands at Sunset and 22nd/23rd Avenues. [10] : 16–24 Stops were removed in 2017 and 2018 at 15th Avenue, 17th (westbound), 22nd (westbound), 24th (eastbound), 28th, and 35th. [10] : 19, 21 [13]
Construction on Segment A of the project, between Sunset Boulevard and 46th Avenue, began in August 2019. [14] [15] As part of Segment A work, the original track on Taraval west of 46th – the only track in the city still set in granite "Belgian blocks" – was replaced. In a nod to its history, the blocks were saved and re-set next to the new tracks. [9] Bus substitution for Segment A was planned to begin in spring 2020. [16] However, on March 30, 2020, all Muni Metro service was replaced with buses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [17]
Muni Metro 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. Buses continued to replace rail service west of Sunset Boulevard to allow for construction. [18] The forced transfer at West Portal was criticized by disability advocates. [19] Rail service was replaced again by buses 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 rail service resumed again on May 15, 2021, and Segment A work was completed that July, but the L remained a bus route. [21] [22] Construction on Segment B of the project, between West Portal and Sunset Boulevard, began in January 2022. Segment B work was expected to last through 2024. [23] On July 7, 2022, the L Bus was shortened from downtown to West Portal station and frequency was increased. [24] Additional limited bus service to downtown, operating weekday middays on 50-minute headways, was added on October 10, 2022. [25]
Rail service resumed on September 28, 2024, with trains operating between Embarcadero and the San Francisco Zoo. [3]
| Station/Stop | Neighborhood | Muni Metro lines | Notes and connections |
|---|---|---|---|
 Embarcadero | Financial District |      |
|
| Montgomery | | ||
| Powell | Civic Center, Mid-Market, Tenderloin |  (at Union Square/Market St) |
|
| Civic Center/UN Plaza | |
| |
| Van Ness | |
| |
| Church | Duboce Triangle, Mission Dolores | (Surface stop) |
|
| Castro | The Castro | |
|
| Forest Hill | Forest Hill | |  Muni: 36, 43, 44, 52 |
| West Portal | West Portal | | Muni: 48, 57 |
| Ulloa and 14th Avenue | Muni: 48 | ||
| 15th Avenue and Taraval (westbound) | Parkside | ||
| Taraval and 17th Avenue (eastbound) | |||
| Taraval and 19th Avenue | Muni: 28, 28R | ||
| Taraval and 22nd/23rd Avenues | |||
| Taraval and 26th Avenue | |||
| Taraval and 30th Avenue | Muni: 66 | ||
| Taraval and 32nd Avenue | |||
| Taraval and Sunset | Muni: 29 | ||
| Taraval and 40th Avenue | |||
| Taraval and 42nd Avenue | |||
| Taraval and 44th Avenue | |||
| Taraval and 46th Avenue (westbound) 46th Avenue and Taraval (eastbound) | Muni: 18 | ||
| 46th Avenue and Ulloa | |||
| 46th Avenue and Vicente | |||
| SF Zoo |
|
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.
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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.
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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.
Taraval and 22nd Avenue / Taraval and 23rd Avenue stations are a pair of light rail stops on the Muni Metro L Taraval line, located in the Parkside neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The eastbound stop is located on Taraval Street at 22nd Avenue, while westbound trains stop on Taraval Street at 23rd Avenue.
Taraval and 26th Avenue is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro L Taraval line, located in the Parkside neighborhood of San Francisco, California.
Taraval and 28th Avenue was a light rail stop on the Muni Metro L Taraval line, located in the Parkside neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The station opened with the first section of the L Taraval line on April 12, 1919; irregular shuttle service had run on a United Railroads line since around 1910. Service to the station was discontinued on February 25, 2017 as part of the L Taraval Rapid project.
Taraval and 30th Avenue is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro L Taraval line, located in the Parkside neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The station opened with the first section of the L Taraval line on April 12, 1919; irregular shuttle service had run on a United Railroads line since around 1910.
Taraval and 32nd Avenue is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro L Taraval line, located in the Parkside neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The station opened with the first section of the L Taraval line on April 12, 1919; irregular shuttle service had run on a United Railroads line since around 1910. Nearby 33rd Avenue was the outer terminus of the line until the extension to 48th Avenue on January 14, 1923.
46th Avenue and Taraval (eastbound) and Taraval and 46th Avenue (westbound) are a pair of one-way light rail stops on the Muni Metro L Taraval line, located in the Parkside neighborhood of San Francisco, California.
46th Avenue and Vicente station is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro L Taraval line, located in the Parkside neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The stop has no platforms; trains stop at marked poles before the cross street. The stop opened with an extension of the line on September 15, 1937.
Wawona and 46th Avenue station is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro L Taraval line, located in the Parkside neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The stop opened as the terminus of an extension of the line to the San Francisco Zoo on September 15, 1937. It has a single side platform serving a single-track loop. A mini-high platform provides access to people with disabilities.
Media related to L Taraval at Wikimedia Commons
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