Muni Metro is a light rail 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 Metro served an average of 157,700 passengers per weekday in the fourth quarter of 2019, making it the second-busiest light rail system in the United States. Six services – J Church, K Ingleside, L Taraval, M Ocean View, N Judah, and T Third Street run on separate surface alignments and merge into a single downtown tunnel. The supplementary S Shuttle service operates within the tunnel. Muni Metro operates a fleet of 151 Breda high-floor light rail vehicles (LRVs), which are currently being replaced by a fleet of 249 Siemens S200 LRVs.
The San Francisco Municipal Railway was created in 1909 and opened its first streetcar lines in 1912. Five of the current lines were added in the following decades: the J in 1917, the K (including the Twin Peaks Tunnel) in 1918, the L in 1919, the M in 1925, and the N in 1928. [1] The other Municipal Railway streetcar lines, and those of the privately owned Market Street Railway, were converted to buses in the 1920s to 1950s, but these five lines were retained as streetcars because of their private rights of way. The system was converted to light rail, with larger US Standard Light Rail Vehicles, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This included the opening of the Market Street subway as well as extension of three lines to Balboa Park station. [1] An extension along The Embarcadero to the Caltrain terminal at 4th and King Street opened in 1998. [2] [3] The T Third Street line opened in 2007, serving the southeastern portion of the city. [4] The Central Subway, with three new subway stations and one new surface station, opened on November 19, 2022. [5]
The system has 113 stations, of which 59 (52%) are accessible. All nine subway stations plus 24 surface stations have high-level platforms, 34-inch (860 mm) high, that allow for accessible level boarding at all doors. [6] The other 80 stations have a mixture of low-level platforms on dedicated right-of-way, low-level boarding islands (platforms between the tracks and traffic lanes), sidewalk bulbs, and no platforms (where passengers cross parking or traffic lanes to board). Of those 80, 25 have "mini-high" platforms providing accessible boarding at a single door, while one has a wheelchair lift. Three stations on the L Taraval are being retrofitted with mini-high platforms as part of a reconstruction project.
/ | Transfer stations with BART / Caltrain |
† / | Transfer stations with BART / Caltrain, and Line termini |
† | Line termini |
Station | Image | Line(s) | Service began | Platforms | Accessible | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Embarcadero † | February 18, 1980 | High-level island platform (subway station) | Yes | |||
Montgomery | February 18, 1980 | High-level island platform (subway station) | Yes | |||
Powell | February 18, 1980 | High-level island platform (subway station) | Yes | Transfer to Union Square/Market Street station | ||
Civic Center | February 18, 1980 | High-level island platform (subway station) | Yes | |||
Van Ness | February 18, 1980 | High-level island platform (subway station) | Yes | Transfer to Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit | ||
Church | J Church (surface) | June 11, 1980 | High-level side platforms (subway station) | Yes | J Church stops on the surface at boarding islands with mini-high platforms at Church and Market / Church and 14th Street. The K, L, and M also used these boarding islands from 1972 to 1982. | |
Castro | June 11, 1980 | High-level side platforms (subway station) | Yes | |||
Forest Hill | February 3, 1918 | High-level side platforms (subway station) | Yes | High-level platforms added in 1985 [7] | ||
West Portal | February 3, 1918 | High-level side platforms (subway station) | Yes | Originally a surface station outside the portal; converted to high-level platforms in 1980 | ||
Church and Duboce (J) Duboce and Church (N) | J Church (inbound only) | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | Also served by the K, L, and M from 1972 to 1982 | |
Church and 16th Street | August 11, 1917 | Boarding islands | No | Also served by the K, L, and M from 1972 to 1982 | ||
Church and 18th Street | August 11, 1917 | Low-level side platform (inbound) and boarding island (outbound) with mini-high platforms | Yes | Partially inside Dolores Park | ||
Right Of Way/20th Street | August 11, 1917 | Low-level side platforms | No | Inside Dolores Park | ||
Right Of Way/Liberty Street | August 11, 1917 | None | No | |||
Right Of Way/21st Street | August 11, 1917 | Low-level side platforms | No | |||
Church and 22nd Street | August 11, 1917 | None | No | |||
Church and 24th Street | August 11, 1917 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Church and Clipper | August 11, 1917 | None | No | |||
Church and 27th Street | August 11, 1917 | None | No | |||
Church and 29th Street (inbound) Church and Day (outbound) | August 11, 1917 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Church and 30th Street | August 11, 1917 | None | No | Terminus of the line until 1991 | ||
30th Street and Dolores | August 31, 1991 | None | No | |||
San Jose and Randall | August 31, 1991 | Low-level side platforms with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
San Jose/Glen Park | August 31, 1991 | Low-level side platforms | No | Connection to BART at Glen Park station | ||
San Jose and Santa Rosa | August 31, 1991 | Boarding islands | No | |||
San Jose and Santa Ynez | August 31, 1991 | Boarding islands | No | |||
San Jose and Ocean | August 31, 1991 | Boarding islands | No | K Ingleside stopped nearby from 1979 to 2015 | ||
Balboa Park † | April 23, 1979 | High-level side platforms | Yes | Connection to M Ocean View at San Jose and Geneva | ||
West Portal and 14th Avenue | February 3, 1918 | Boarding islands | No | |||
St. Francis Circle | February 3, 1918 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Junipero Serra and Ocean | February 21, 1919 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Ocean and San Leandro | February 21, 1919 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Ocean and Aptos | February 21, 1919 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Ocean and Westgate / Ocean and Cerritos | February 21, 1919 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Ocean and Fairfield / Ocean and Victoria | February 21, 1919 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Ocean and Dorado / Ocean and Jules | February 21, 1919 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Ocean and Miramar | February 21, 1919 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Ocean and Lee | February 21, 1919 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Ocean Avenue/CCSF Pedestrian Bridge | April 23, 1979 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
15th Avenue and Taraval | April 12, 1919 | None – bulb planned | No | Inbound stop planned for closure | ||
Taraval and 17th Avenue | L Taraval (inbound only) | April 12, 1919 | None – boarding island with mini-high platform planned | Planned | Outbound stop closed on February 25, 2017 | |
Taraval and 19th Avenue | April 12, 1919 | Boarding islands – mini-high platforms planned | Planned | |||
Taraval and 22nd Avenue / Taraval and 23rd Avenue | April 12, 1919 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | Consolidated from separate stops at 22nd Avenue and 23rd / 24th Avenues on February 25, 2017 | ||
Taraval and 26th Avenue | April 12, 1919 | None – boarding islands planned | No | |||
Taraval and 30th Avenue | April 12, 1919 | None – boarding islands with mini-high platforms planned | Planned | |||
Taraval and 32nd Avenue | April 12, 1919 | None – boarding islands planned | No | |||
Taraval and Sunset | January 14, 1923 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Taraval and 40th Avenue | January 14, 1923 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Taraval and 42nd Avenue | January 14, 1923 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Taraval and 44th Avenue | January 14, 1923 | Boarding islands | No | |||
46th Avenue and Taraval / Taraval and 46th Avenue | January 14, 1923 | Boarding island (inbound only) | No | |||
46th Avenue and Ulloa | September 15, 1937 | None | No | |||
46th Avenue and Vicente | September 15, 1937 | None | No | |||
Wawona and 46th Avenue (San Francisco Zoo) † | September 15, 1937 | Bulb with mini-high platform | Yes | |||
Right Of Way/Ocean | October 6, 1925 | Low-level side platforms | No | |||
Right Of Way/Eucalyptus | October 6, 1925 | Low-level side platforms | No | |||
Stonestown Galleria | October 6, 1925 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
San Francisco State University | October 6, 1925 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
19th Avenue and Junipero Serra / 19th Avenue and Randolph | October 6, 1925 | None | No | |||
19th Avenue and Randolph | October 6, 1925 | None | No | |||
Randolph and Arch | October 6, 1925 | Bulbs with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Randolph and Bright | October 6, 1925 | None | No | |||
Broad and Orizaba / Orizaba and Broad | October 6, 1925 | None | No | |||
Broad and Capitol | October 6, 1925 | None | No | |||
Broad and Plymouth | October 6, 1925 | Bulbs with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
San Jose and Farallones | August 30, 1980 | Boarding islands | No | |||
San Jose and Lakeview | August 30, 1980 | Boarding islands | No | |||
San Jose and Mount Vernon | August 30, 1980 | Boarding islands | No | |||
San Jose and Geneva (Balboa Park) | August 30, 1980 | Boarding island with lift (inbound) | Yes | Connection to J Church, K Ingleside, and BART at Balboa Park | ||
Duboce and Noe | October 21, 1928 | Side platforms with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Carl and Cole | October 21, 1928 | Bulbs with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Carl and Stanyan | October 21, 1928 | Bulb (inbound) | No | |||
Carl and Hillway | October 21, 1928 | None | No | |||
Irving and Arguello / Irving and 2nd Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Bulbs with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Irving and 5th Avenue / Irving and 6th Avenue | August 22, 2020 | Bulbs with mini-high platforms | Yes | Replaced former stops at 4th Avenue and 7th Avenue | ||
Irving and 8th Avenue / 9th Avenue and Irving | October 21, 1928 | Bulbs | No | |||
Judah and 9th Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Judah and 12th Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Judah and Funston | October 21, 1928 | None | No | |||
Judah and 15th Avenue / Judah and 16th Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Judah and 19th Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Judah and 22nd Avenue / Judah and 23rd Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Judah and 25th Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Judah and 28th Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Judah and 31st Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Judah and 34th Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Judah and Sunset | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands with mini-high platforms | Yes | |||
Judah and 40th Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Judah and 43rd Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Judah and 46th Avenue | October 21, 1928 | Boarding islands | No | |||
Judah and La Playa (Ocean Beach) † | October 21, 1928 | Mini-high platform only | Yes | |||
The Embarcadero and Folsom | January 10, 1998 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
The Embarcadero and Brannan | January 10, 1998 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
2nd and King | January 10, 1998 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
4th and King † | January 10, 1998 | High-level island platforms | Yes | N Judah and T Third Street use separate platforms | ||
Chinatown † | November 19, 2022 | High-level island platform (subway station) | Yes | |||
Union Square/Market Street | November 19, 2022 | High-level island platform (subway station) | Yes | Transfer to other Muni Metro lines and BART at Powell station | ||
Yerba Buena/Moscone | November 19, 2022 | High-level island platform (subway station) | Yes | |||
4th and Brannan | November 19, 2022 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
Mission Rock | January 13, 2007 | High-level side platforms | Yes | |||
UCSF/Chase Center | January 13, 2007 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
UCSF Medical Center | January 13, 2007 | High-level side platforms | Yes | |||
20th Street | January 13, 2007 | High-level side platforms | Yes | |||
23rd Street | January 13, 2007 | High-level side platforms | Yes | |||
Marin Street | January 13, 2007 | High-level side platforms | Yes | |||
Evans | January 13, 2007 | High-level side platforms | Yes | |||
Hudson/Innes | January 13, 2007 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
Kirkwood/La Salle | January 13, 2007 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
Oakdale/Palou | January 13, 2007 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
Revere/Shafter | January 13, 2007 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
Williams | January 13, 2007 | High-level side platforms | Yes | |||
Carroll | January 13, 2007 | High-level side platforms | Yes | |||
Gilman/Paul | January 13, 2007 | High-level side platforms | Yes | |||
Le Conte | January 13, 2007 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
Arleta | January 13, 2007 | High-level island platform | Yes | |||
Sunnydale † | January 13, 2007 | High-level island platform | Yes |
Station | Image | Line(s) | Platforms | Scheduled opening |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ulloa and 14th Avenue | None | 2024 [8] |
Prior to the late 1970s, there was a higher density of stops on the surface streetcar lines. Many of these stops were closed as the conversion to Muni Metro introduced longer trains and a desire for higher surface speeds. Most were had no infrastructure other than marked poles at street corners; several on the M Ocean View had small platforms. A number of stops on Market Street were closed when the Market Street subway opened; most are now served by the F Market & Wharves streetcar. Four stations with significant infrastructure were closed during conversion:
Station | Image | Line(s) | Service ended | Platforms | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Church and 19th Street | c. 1980 | Low-level side platforms | Inside Dolores Park | ||
Eureka Valley | 1972 [1] | Low-level side platforms (subway station) | |||
Phelan Loop † | March 17, 1981 [1] | Low-level side platform | Replaced by Ocean and Lee | ||
Transbay Terminal † | September 20, 1982 [1] | Low-level side platforms | Streetcar loop on the north side of the terminal, separate from the elevated bus loops formerly used by Transbay trains |
Several surface stops have closed during the Muni Metro era during station consolidation projects.
Station | Image | Line(s) | Service ended | Platforms | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Irving and 4th Avenue | March 30, 2020 [9] [10] | None | Consolidated into Irving and 5th Avenue / Irving and 6th Avenue | ||
Irving and 7th Avenue | March 30, 2020 [9] [10] | None | Consolidated into Irving and 5th Avenue / Irving and 6th Avenue | ||
Taraval and 28th Avenue | February 25, 2017 [11] | None | |||
Taraval and 35th Avenue | February 10, 2018 [12] | None | |||
Ulloa and 15th Avenue | February 25, 2017 [11] | None | Consolidated into Ulloa and 14th Avenue | ||
Ulloa and Forest Side | c. 2022 | None | Consolidated into Ulloa and 14th Avenue |
The San Francisco Municipal Railway ( MEW-nee; SF Muni or Muni), is the primary public transit system within San Francisco, California. It operates a system of bus routes, the Muni Metro light rail system, three historic cable car lines, and two historic streetcar lines. Previously an independent agency, the San Francisco Municipal Railway merged with two other agencies in 1999 to become the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). In 2018, Muni served 46.7 square miles (121 km2) with an operating budget of about $1.2 billion. Muni is the seventh-highest-ridership transit system in the United States, with 142,168,200 rides in 2023, and the second-highest in California after the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
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 first quarter of 2024 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 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 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 S Shuttle is a light rail service on the Muni Metro system in San Francisco, California. The service began in 2001 as the S Castro Shuttle, an effort to reduce crowding at Castro station. It was briefly discontinued in 2007 when the T Third Street line was opened. Service was extended to St. Francis Circle station in 2013, but cut back to West Portal station in 2016. In 2020, it was changed to full-time service as part of a reconfiguration of Muni Metro service.
West Portal station is a Muni Metro station in the West Portal neighborhood in San Francisco, California. It is built around the western entrance to the Twin Peaks Tunnel. The station consists of two side platforms, with the entrance at the western end. A non-accessible footbridge connects the platforms inside fare control.
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.
The T Third Street is a Muni Metro light rail line in San Francisco, California. It runs along the east side of San Francisco from Sunnydale to Chinatown, traveling in the median of Third Street for most of its length before entering the Central Subway as it approaches downtown. The line serves 22 stations, all of which are accessible. Most of the surface portion of the line runs in dedicated median lanes, though two portions operate in mixed traffic.
The E Embarcadero is a historic streetcar line that is the San Francisco Municipal Railway's second heritage streetcar line in San Francisco, California. Trial service first ran during the Sunday Streets events on The Embarcadero in 2008. The line initially ran on weekends only, but expanded to weeklong service in late April 2016.
San Francisco 4th and King Street station, also known as the Caltrain Depot, is a train station in the SoMa district of San Francisco, California. It is presently the northern terminus of the Caltrain commuter rail line serving the San Francisco Peninsula and Santa Clara Valley. It is also the eastern terminus of the N Judah and E Embarcadero, as well as a stop along the T Third Street of the Muni network. The station is additionally the projected terminus for the first phase of the California High-Speed Rail project and a station once Phase 2 is completed.
The Embarcadero and Folsom station is a Muni Metro light rail station located in the median of The Embarcadero between Folsom Street and Harrison Street in the Rincon Hill area of San Francisco, California. Muni Metro trains use a high-level island platform, while historic streetcars use a pair of side platforms at the southeast end of the station next to the Harrison Street grade crossing.
Brannan and The Embarcadero station is a Muni Metro light rail station located in the median of The Embarcadero south of Brannan Street in the South Beach area of San Francisco, California. Muni Metro trains use a high-level island platform, while historic streetcars use a pair of side platforms at the south end of the station.
2nd and King station is a Muni Metro light rail station located in the median of King Street near Second Street in the China Basin neighborhood of San Francisco, California. It is adjacent to Oracle Park. Muni Metro trains use a high-level island platform, while historic streetcars use a pair of side platforms just to the south.
Duboce and Church is a light rail stop on the Muni Metro J Church and N Judah lines, located in the Duboce Triangle neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Just east of the station, the two lines enter the Market Street subway. The stop originally opened with the 22 Fillmore line in 1895. The station has complex layout with two side platforms in the middle of Duboce Avenue for the N Judah, one side platform in the middle of Church Street for northbound J Church trains entering the Market Street subway, and two mini-high platforms at the subway portal which provides access to both lines for people with disabilities.
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 and 22nd Avenue, while westbound trains stop on Taraval Street at 23rd Avenue.
The Siemens S200 is a high-floor light rail vehicle (LRV) manufactured by Siemens Mobility in Florin, California, beginning service in 2016.
Media related to Muni Metro stations at Wikimedia Commons