Taraval and 26th Avenue station
| Company type | Light rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | April 12, 1919 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
| Products | Muni Metro L Taraval line service |
Taraval and 26th Avenue serves as a light rail station on the Muni Metro L Taraval route, situated within San Francisco's Parkside district.
History
In June 1908, the Parkside Transit Company, a subsidiary of United Railroads (URR), established a single-track route along 20th Avenue, which by 1910 connected to a shuttle line running on Taraval Street and adjacent avenues. This arrangement limited the Municipal Railway's expansion into Parkside until the 1918 "Parkside Agreements" permitted Muni streetcars to operate on URR tracks along Taraval Street in return for compensation and shared upkeep responsibilities. The L Taraval line commenced service up to 33rd Avenue on April 12, 1919, while URR ceased its Parkside Shuttle operations by the end of 1927.
Planned changes
Originally, like many stops along this corridor, Taraval and 26th Avenue lacked dedicated platforms; passengers boarded directly from the street after crossing traffic lanes. In March 2014, Muni introduced a proposal under the Transit Effectiveness Project (later renamed MuniForward) to relocate stops to the far side of intersections, incorporating boarding islands and transit signal priority measures.
The SFMTA Board gave approval for the L Taraval Rapid Project in September 2016, scheduling construction between 2018 and 2020. Although boarding islands were planned for installation at 26th Avenue, these remained positioned on the near side of the cross street. Initial enhancements included painted clear zones implemented in early 2017.
Concerns from local merchants regarding parking reductions prompted a pilot initiative testing painted clear zones on the inbound side at five locations, including 26th Avenue. After six months, only 74% of motorists stopped safely behind trains, leading to plans for constructing boarding islands at all stops except for 35th Avenue, which was closed in 2018. Additional clear zones were also introduced at other inbound stops during 2018.
Beginning March 30, 2020, all Muni Metro rail service was substituted with bus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rail service briefly resumed in August but soon reverted to bus service again. Construction on Segment B of the L Taraval Improvement Project—covering the area from West Portal to Sunset Boulevard—started in January 2022 and reached completion by mid-2024. Rail service on the L Taraval line recommenced on September 28, 2024.