15th Avenue and Taraval station
| Company type | Light rail stop |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | April 12, 1919 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
15th Avenue and Taraval station serves as a westbound-exclusive light rail stop on the Muni Metro L Taraval route, situated within the Parkside district of San Francisco. This station commenced operations on April 12, 1919, coinciding with the launch of the initial segment of the L Taraval line. For eastbound travel, passengers utilize the nearby Taraval and 17th Avenue station.
Reconstruction
Initially, the stop at 15th Avenue and Taraval lacked dedicated platforms; riders boarded directly from parking lanes after trains halted at designated poles. In March 2014, Muni introduced its Transit Effectiveness Project (later renamed MuniForward), which proposed installing transit bulbs at this location to facilitate boarding without crossing active traffic lanes, along with relocating the inbound platform further along Taraval Street.
The SFMTA Board gave approval for the L Taraval Rapid Project on September 20, 2016, scheduling construction between 2018 and 2020. The scope of work involved constructing a bulb at the outbound stop and shifting the inbound stop to a new position.
Following community feedback in January 2018, Muni amended its plans by deciding to eliminate the inbound stop at 15th Avenue; instead, inbound passengers would use stops east of 17th Avenue or the repositioned Ulloa and 14th Avenue station. The outbound stop was retained with the proposed bulb design. This adjustment received formal endorsement from the SFMTA Board in July 2018.
Service changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to all Muni Metro lines being temporarily replaced by buses beginning March 30, 2020. Rail service briefly resumed on August 22 but reverted to bus substitution on August 25, marking the final operation of the inbound stop at Taraval and 15th Avenue.
Construction for Segment B of the project, spanning from West Portal to Sunset Boulevard, started in January 2022 and reached completion by mid-2024. Full L Taraval rail operations recommenced on September 28, 2024.