L Taraval
| Company type | Light rail service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | San Francisco, California |
| Products | Light rail transit service |
The L Taraval line is a light rail service operating within San Francisco's Muni Metro network, mainly catering to the Parkside neighborhood. Unlike numerous streetcar routes that were replaced by bus lines following World War II, the L Taraval retained its streetcar status because it utilizes the Twin Peaks Tunnel.
Route description
Beginning at the Wawona and 46th Avenue station close to the San Francisco Zoo, the line follows a one-way loop along Vicente Street, 47th Avenue, Wawona Street, and 46th Avenue. From there, it heads north on 46th Avenue until reaching Taraval Street, then travels east along Taraval to 15th Avenue. The route continues by moving south for one block on 15th Avenue before proceeding eastward on Ulloa Street to arrive at West Portal station, where passengers can transfer to other Muni Metro lines bound for Embarcadero.
Operation
During weekdays, trains run at ten-minute intervals, while weekend service operates every twelve minutes.
Nighttime transit is covered by Owl buses, with the L Owl route mirroring the entire L Taraval path and extending along The Embarcadero to Fisherman's Wharf. This extension was introduced in June 2019 to improve late-night transit options along the F Market & Wharves corridor.
History
In June 1908, the Parkside Transit Company, a subsidiary of United Railroads, constructed a single-track line on 20th Avenue stretching from H Street (currently Lincoln Way) to Wawona Street, with a one-block continuation to 19th Avenue. By 1910, a shuttle operated connecting 20th Avenue through Taraval Street, 33rd Avenue, Vicente Street, and 35th Avenue to Sloat Boulevard, linking with the 12 Ocean line. This existing track layout posed challenges for expansion of the city-operated Municipal Railway into Parkside.
On November 25, 1918, an agreement known as the "Parkside Agreements" was reached between the city and URR. This allowed Municipal Railway streetcars to run on URR tracks along Taraval Street and Ocean Avenue in exchange for fees and shared upkeep responsibilities.
The L Taraval service began as a shuttle running between West Portal and 33rd Avenue on April 12, 1919, utilizing refurbished URR tracks west of 20th Avenue. By January 14, 1923, track extensions reached Taraval Street out to 48th Avenue near Ocean Beach. Later that year on October 15, shuttle operations were replaced by larger streetcars providing through service to the Ferry Building. URR ceased its operations on this route by late 1927.
On September 15, 1937, the L Taraval was extended southward to its present endpoint at the San Francisco Zoo, leaving behind a short two-block spur on Taraval occasionally used for storage purposes.
The eastern terminus underwent several changes: in January 1939, alternate cars were routed to the newly opened Transbay Terminal; by January 1941 service reverted back to the Ferry Building; and starting June 1948, all streetcars terminated at the Transbay Terminal.
Following World War II, while many streetcar lines were converted into bus routes, the L Taraval persisted as a streetcar line because it operated through the Twin Peaks Tunnel. It underwent partial modernization as a light rail line with the inauguration of the Muni Metro system in 1980.
Planning
During its initial hundred years, the L Taraval functioned similarly to a bus line, with trains adhering to all stop signs and halting frequently when signaled by passengers. The tracks were laid in the center of a four-lane roadway, requiring riders to cross active traffic lanes in order to board or disembark. This arrangement resulted in numerous accidents caused by motorists failing to yield.
Starting in the early 2010s, Muni introduced significant proposals aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety and transit speed. The L Taraval Improvement Project dedicates the center lanes solely for rail vehicles, consolidates stops, and introduces boarding islands positioned between transit-only lanes and general traffic lanes to create secure waiting areas for passengers. Additionally, the initiative includes replacing worn rails and overhead wires, upgrading sewer and water infrastructure, installing transit-priority traffic signals to replace many stop signs, and incorporating traffic calming measures such as curb extensions.
The proposal encountered resistance from local merchants concerned about the impact of reduced parking along Taraval on their businesses. To address these concerns, parking was shifted to adjacent side streets where angled parking was added to increase capacity. Some senior and disability advocacy groups opposed the removal of certain stops due to concerns about increased walking distances; however, others welcomed the inclusion of new accessible ramps.
In response, Muni implemented a 2016 pilot program featuring enhanced street markings designed to encourage drivers to stop for passengers crossing the tracks. This pilot resulted in only a 2% improvement in driver compliance. As a result, the final design incorporated boarding islands at 19th, 26th, 30th, 32nd, 40th, 42nd, 44th, and westbound only at 46th, along with platform extensions near Sunset Boulevard and at 22nd/23rd Avenues. Stops were eliminated during 2017–18 at 15th Avenue, westbound 17th, westbound 22nd, eastbound 24th, 28th, and 35th.
Construction
Work on Segment A, spanning from Sunset Boulevard to 46th Avenue, commenced in August 2019. This phase involved replacing the original track west of 46th Avenue—the city’s last section embedded in granite "Belgian blocks"—which were carefully preserved and reinstalled alongside the new rail lines. Although bus substitution for Segment A was initially scheduled for spring 2020, it was moved forward when all Muni Metro services transitioned to buses on March 30, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rail operations restarted on August 22, 2020, with revised routing: K Ingleside and L Taraval lines were interlined between Taraval/Sunset and Balboa Park stations, bypassing the subway system. Bus service continued west of Sunset Boulevard while construction persisted. The mandatory transfer at West Portal attracted criticism from disability rights advocates. Rail service was again suspended on August 25, 2020, replaced by buses due to overhead wire splice failures compounded by COVID-19 quarantine protocols.
K Ingleside rail service resumed May 15, 2021, with Segment A finalized by July; however, L Taraval remained bus-operated. Construction on Segment B, covering West Portal to Sunset Boulevard, began January 2022 with completion targeted for 2024. On July 7, 2022, L Bus service was truncated at West Portal but operated with increased frequency; limited downtown bus routes were introduced October 10, 2022.
Full rail service was restored on September 28, 2024, running between Embarcadero station and the San Francisco Zoo.
Station listing
Disabled accessTemplate:MunisTemplate:Rint sanfrancisco JTemplate:Rint sanfrancisco KTemplate:Rint sanfrancisco MTemplate:Rint sanfrancisco NTemplate:Rint sanfrancisco S
- Heritage streetcars F Market & Wharves
- Muni: 6,7,9,9R; Van Ness BRT (47,49,79X,90 Owl)
- Regional: AC Transit,GGT ,SamTrans
Disabled accessTemplate:Munis Church Duboce Triangle,Mission Dolores J (surface); K,M,S
- Heritage streetcars F Market & Wharves
- Muni:22 ,37
Disabled accessTemplate:Munis Castro Castro District K,M,S
- Heritage streetcars F Market & Wharves
- Muni:24 ,35 ,37
Disabled accessTemplate:Munis Forest Hill Forest Hill K,M,S Muni:36 ,43 ,44 ,52
Disabled accessTemplate:Munis West Portal West Portal K,M,S Muni:48 ,57
Template:Munis Ulloa and 14th Avenue Muni:48
Template:Munis 15th Avenue and Taraval (westbound) Parkside
Disabled accessTemplate:Munis Taraval and 17th Avenue (eastbound)
Disabled accessTemplate:Munis Taraval and 19th Avenue Muni:28 ,28R
Disabled accessTemplate:Munis Taraval and 22nd/23rd Avenues
Template:Munis Taraval and 26th Avenue
Disabled accessTemplate:Munis Taraval and 30th Avenue Muni:66
Template:Munis Taraval and 32nd Avenue
Disabled accessTemplate:Munis Taraval and Sunset Muni:29
Template:Munis Taraval and 40th Avenue
Disabled accessTemplate:Munis Taraval and 42nd Avenue
Template:Munis Taraval and 44th Avenue
Template:Munis Taraval and 46th Avenue (westbound)
Template:Munis46th Avenue and Taraval (eastbound)
Muni:18
Template:Munis46th Avenue and Ulloa
Template:Munis46th Avenue and Vicente
Disabled accessTemplate:Munis SF Zoo Situated at Wawona &46th Ave; serves the San Francisco Zoo; Muni:18