L Taraval

From Justapedia, unleashing the power of collective wisdom
Jump to navigation Jump to search
L Taraval
L Taraval logo.svg
Muni Metro trains on Taraval at 24th and 27th Avenues, June 2017.JPG
Two inbound L Taraval trains in 2017
Overview
StatusSuspended, replaced by buses, for road improvement project
OwnerSan Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
LocaleSan Francisco, California
Termini
Stations27
Service
TypeLight rail/streetcar
SystemMuni Metro
Operator(s)San Francisco Municipal Railway
Rolling stockBreda LRV2/LRV3, Siemens LRV4
Daily ridership33,000 (2019)[1]
History
OpenedApril 12, 1919 (1919-04-12)[2]
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 600 V DC
Route diagram

Legend
 UpperLeft arrow Bay Area Rapid Transit | Up arrow N Judah T Third Street
Left arrow F Market & Wharves | J Church K Ingleside M Ocean View S Shuttle
Embarcadero
San Francisco Ferry Building Bay Area Rapid Transit
 Montgomery
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Union Square/​Market Street (2022)
 Powell
Bay Area Rapid Transit
 Civic Center
Bay Area Rapid Transit
 Van Ness
N Judah to Ocean Beach
J Church to Balboa Park
 Church
Castro
F Market & Wharves
to surface tracks on
Market Street (closed 1982)
 Eureka Valley
closed
1972
Twin Peaks
 Forest Hill
West Portal
S Shuttle T Third Street
 Ulloa and Forest Side
Ulloa and 15th Avenue
closed
2017
 Taraval and 15th Avenue
Taraval and 17th Avenue
Taraval and 19th Avenue
Taraval and 22nd Avenue /
Taraval and 23rd Avenue
 Taraval and 26th Avenue
Taraval and 28th Avenue
closed
2017
 Taraval and 30th Avenue
Taraval and 32nd Avenue
Taraval and 35th Avenue
closed
2018
 Taraval and Sunset
Taraval and 40th Avenue
Taraval and 42nd Avenue
Taraval and 44th Avenue
46th Avenue and Taraval /
Taraval and 46th Avenue
 46th Avenue and Ulloa
46th Avenue and Vicente
Wawona and 46th Avenue
This diagram:

The L Taraval is a hybrid light rail/streetcar line of the Muni Metro system in San Francisco, California, mainly serving the Parkside District. The line is currently suspended and replaced by buses through the end of 2024 for a road improvement project along Taraval Street.

Route description[edit]

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 tags along with the other Muni Metro lines towards Embarcadero.

Operation[edit]

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the L Taraval operated 7 days a week, with train service beginning at 5 a.m. weekdays, 6 a.m. Saturdays, and 8 a.m. Sundays. Trains ran until 12:30 a.m, with daytime headways between 6 and 9 minutes.[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]

History[edit]

The original end of the L Taraval line, before the 1937 extension south of Taraval Street, with tracks still in place as a short spur branch, not normally used. Trains are usually sent here to turn back early, and these are the only tracks left in San Francisco that are embedded in granite "Belgian block".

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 from West Portal to 33rd Avenue (on rebuilt URR trackage west of 20th Avenue) on April 12, 1919. It was extended along Taraval to 48th Avenue at Ocean Beach on January 14, 1923; that October 15, the shuttle service was replaced with larger streetcars running through to the Ferry Building.[6]: 75  The URR discontinued their Parkside Shuttle in late 1927.[7] The L Taraval was subsequently 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 was used occasionally for temporary storage.[9] Every other streetcar was routed to the new Transbay Terminal on January 15, 1939; they were rerouted back to the Ferry Building on January 1, 1941, but the Transbay Terminal became the inner terminal for all streetcars on June 6, 1948.[7]

The L was partially converted to modern light rail operation as part of the opening of the Muni Metro system in 1980.[8] While many streetcar lines were converted to buses after World War II, the L Taraval remained a streetcar line due to its use of the Twin Peaks Tunnel.

Later changes[edit]

The line was temporarily replaced by buses from June 25 to August 24, 2018 due to the Twin Peaks Tunnel shutdown.[10]


Service modifications during COVID-19

On March 30, 2020, Muni Metro service was replaced with buses due to the COVID-19 pandemic in San Francisco.[11] Rail service returned briefly starting on August 22, with the routes reconfigured to improve reliability in the subway. K Ingleside and L Taraval service is interlined, running between Taraval and Sunset and Balboa Park station; no K or L service enters the subway.[3] The forced transfer at West Portal was criticized by disability advocates.[12] Rail service was re-replaced with buses on August 25 due to issues with malfunctioning overhead wire splices and the need to quarantine control center staff after a COVID-19 case.[13] Bus substitution was scheduled to begin in Spring 2020 west of Sunset, then expand to cover the line west of West Portal during the implementation of the L Taraval Improvement Project.[14]

L Taraval Improvement Project[edit]

New concrete boarding island for inbound passengers at Taraval and 19th Avenue station (Feb 2019)
Painted exclusion zone to protect outbound passengers at Taraval and 40th Avenue station (Jun 2018)

The L Taraval Improvement Project, originally called the L Taraval Rapid project, was conceived to increase pedestrian safety and speed up trains. Nine stops will be eliminated, the roadway upon which the track is laid will be repainted as a transit-only lane, and concrete boarding islands will be installed at some stops, converting the parking lane to a travel lane.[15][16] From 2010 to 2014, 46 pedestrians were hit by vehicles on Taraval, 22 of which were boarding or alighting from L Taraval trains; by adding concrete islands to stops along Taraval, most of these would be avoided. 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.[17]: 3, 9–11  Islands would be added to Taraval and 46th (outbound), 44th, 42nd, 40th, 32nd, 30th, 28th (outbound), 26th, and 19th.[17]: 16–24  The final list of stops proposed for removal were the stops at Taraval and 35th (outbound),[17]: 19  28th (inbound and outbound) (replaced by a new outbound platform at 28th),[17]: 21  24th (inbound), 22nd (outbound), and 17th (inbound and outbound); and the stop at Ulloa and 15th.[18] A pilot was held in 2016 for inbound stops at Taraval and 26th, 30th, 32nd, 35th, and 40th Avenues; in the pilot, the travel lane between the tracks and parking lane was striped as a train loading area, with cars to stop at the end of the train to allow passengers to alight safely.[19] Preliminary stop elimination occurred on February 25, 2017,[20] though some plans were amended due to community backlash.[21] The inbound stop at Taraval and 17th was retained, but moved east across 17th, and the inbound stop at Taraval and 15th will be eliminated after the move. In addition, the stop at Ulloa and Forest Side was moved west to Ulloa and 14th to compensate for the loss of Ulloa and 15th.[14]

L Taraval Improvement Project construction began in August 2019, beginning with the replacement of underground utilities.[22][23] Construction on 'Segment A' of the project, between Sunset Blvd and 46th Avenue, began in September 2019; although this first phase originally was scheduled for completion in summer 2020,[24] work was not completed until July 2021.[25] Bus substitution was scheduled to start for train service covering a superset of the Segment A (from the Zoo to Sunset) in Spring 2020.[14]

Bus substitution for both segments of the L Taraval Improvement Project (from the Zoo to West Portal) was implemented following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued after the completion of Segment A, as planned.[14][25] As part of Segment A work, the original spur track extending west on Taraval past 46th was taken up and replaced; the granite "Belgian block" cobblestones used to buffer the track from the pavement were saved and re-set next to the new tracks.[9] Construction on Segment B was scheduled to begin in late 2019,[24] but the start has been delayed until January 2022. This second phase work will take place from Sunset Boulevard to Ulloa Street near West Portal. Segment B work is expected to last through 2024.[26] On July 7, 2022, the L Bus was shortened to West Portal station and frequency was increased.[27] Additional bus service to downtown, operating weekday middays on 50-minute headways, was added on October 10, 2022.[28]

Station/Stop listing[edit]

Most stops have no boarding islands; passengers board from the street.

Station/Stop Neighborhood Muni Metro lines Notes and connections
Disabled access Embarcadero Financial District J Church K Ingleside M Ocean View N Judah S Shuttle T Third Street
Disabled access Montgomery Street J Church K Ingleside M Ocean View N Judah S Shuttle T Third Street
Disabled access Powell Street Civic Center,
Mid-Market,
Tenderloin 		J Church K Ingleside M Ocean View N Judah S Shuttle T Third Street
Disabled access Civic Center/UN Plaza J Church K Ingleside M Ocean View N Judah S Shuttle T Third Street
Disabled access Van Ness J Church K Ingleside M Ocean View N Judah S Shuttle T Third Street
Disabled access Church Duboce Triangle,
Mission Dolores 		J Church K Ingleside M Ocean View S Shuttle T Third Street
Disabled access Castro The Castro K Ingleside M Ocean View S Shuttle T Third Street
Disabled access Forest Hill Forest Hill K Ingleside M Ocean View S Shuttle T Third Street Bus transport Muni: 36, 43, 44, 52
Disabled access West Portal West Portal K Ingleside M Ocean View S Shuttle T Third Street Bus transport Muni: 48, 57, 91 Owl
Ulloa and Forest Side Bus transport Muni: 48
Taraval and 15th Avenue Parkside
Taraval and 17th Avenue (inbound)
Taraval and 19th Avenue Bus transport Muni: 28, 28R, 91 Owl
Disabled access Taraval and 22nd Avenue (inbound)
Disabled access Taraval and 23rd Avenue (outbound)
Taraval and 26th Avenue
Taraval and 30th Avenue Bus transport Muni: 66
Taraval and 32nd Avenue
Disabled access Taraval and Sunset Bus transport Muni: 29
Taraval and 40th Avenue
Taraval and 42nd Avenue
Taraval and 44th Avenue
46th Avenue and Taraval (inbound)
Taraval and 46th Avenue (outbound) 		Bus transport Muni: 18
46th Avenue and Ulloa
46th Avenue and Vicente
Disabled access 46th Avenue and Wawona

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Short Range Transit Plan: Fiscal Year 2019 - Fiscal Year 2030" (PDF). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. December 2019. p. 47.
  2. ^ Demery, Jr., Leroy W. (November 2011). "U.S. Urban Rail Transit Lines Opened From 1980" (PDF). publictransit.us. Archived from the original (pdf) on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Maguire, Mariana (August 18, 2020). "Major Muni Service Expansion August 22" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
  4. ^ Barnett, Benjamin (June 10, 2019). "Hoot Hoot – Muni to Provide Additional Nighttime Service" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
  5. ^ Brandi, Richard; LaBounty, Woody (March 2008). "San Francisco's Parkside District: 1905 - 1957" (PDF). San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development. pp. 24, 30, 34–36.
  6. ^ a b Perles, Anthony (1981). The People's Railway: The History of the Municipal Railway of San Francisco. Interurban Press. ISBN 0916374424.
  7. ^ a b Stindt, Fred A. (October 1990). San Francisco's Century of Street Cars. p. 119, 192. ISBN 0961546514.
  8. ^ a b McKane, John; Perles, Anthony (1982). Inside Muni: The Properties and Operations of the Municipal Railway of San Francisco. Glendale, CA (US): Interurban Press. p. 195. ISBN 0-916374-49-1.
  9. ^ a b "End of (last original) track". Market Street Railway. February 12, 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Twin Peaks Tunnel Improvements". San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. June 25, 2018. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018.
  11. ^ Fowler, Amy (March 26, 2020). "Starting March 30: New Muni Service Changes" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
  12. ^ Graf, Carly (August 18, 2020). "Muni 'improvements' could make things harder for seniors, disabled". San Francisco Examiner.
  13. ^ "Bus Substitution for All Rail Lines" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. August 25, 2020.
  14. ^ a b c d "Open House Boards" (PDF). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. July 11, 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  15. ^ Rodriguez, Joe Fitzgerald (20 September 2016). "SFMTA approves controversial L-Taraval changes in name of safety". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  16. ^ Rodriguez, Joe Fitzgerald (19 September 2016). "Major L-Taraval changes up for vote Tuesday". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  17. ^ a b c d "L Taraval Rapid Project Webinar" (PDF). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Revised L Stop Proposals" (PDF). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Inbound Stop Pilot" (PDF). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  20. ^ "Muni to launch next big shakeup Saturday, changing routes, stops, and more". SF Gate. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  21. ^ Rodriguez, Joe Fitzgerald (26 January 2018). "SFMTA no longer plans to remove 17th Avenue Safeway stop". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  22. ^ "L Taraval Improvement Project Work Forecast Aug. 26 - Sept.6, 2019" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. August 26, 2019.
  23. ^ "SFMTA Weekend Transit and Traffic Advisory For Saturday, August 17, 2019" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. August 15, 2019.
  24. ^ a b "Open House Boards" (PDF). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. October 10, 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  25. ^ a b "L Taraval Improvement Project Reaches Key Milestone" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. July 9, 2021.
  26. ^ Chun, Stephen (December 9, 2021). "L Taraval Improvement Project 'Segment B' Geared Up for Early 2022" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
  27. ^ Chun, Stephen (2022-06-03). "Muni Adding More Service July 9". SFMTA. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  28. ^ "L Bus Special Service to Downtown Starting Monday, October 10, 2022" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. October 10, 2022.

External links[edit]

KML file (edit • help)
Template:Attached KML/L Taraval
KML is not from Wikidata

Media related to L Taraval at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from "https://justapedia.org/index.php?title=L_Taraval&oldid=1115700110"