Taraval and 35th Avenue station

Taraval and 35th Avenue was a light rail stop on the Muni Metro L Taraval line, located in the Parkside neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The stop opened with the second section of the L Taraval line on January 14, 1923; the outbound stop was closed in 2017, followed by the inbound stop in 2018. A crossover (used to short-turn trains) and a wye (used to store disabled trains) are present near the former stop.

Taraval and 35th Avenue
An inbound train at the former stop in May 2018
LocationTaraval Street at 35th Avenue
San Francisco, California
Coordinates37.74229°N 122.49282°W / 37.74229; -122.49282
Owned byMuni
History
OpenedJanuary 14, 1923[1]
ClosedFebruary 25, 2017 (outbound)
February 10, 2018 (inbound)
Former services
Preceding station Muni Following station
Taraval and Sunset
towards SF Zoo
 L Taraval Taraval and 32nd Avenue
towards Embarcadero
Location

Planned changes

Like many stations on the line, Taraval and 42nd Avenue has no platforms; trains stop at marked poles before the cross street, and passengers cross travel lanes to board. In March 2014, Muni released details of the proposed implementation of their Transit Effectiveness Project (later rebranded MuniForward), which included a variety of stop changes for the L Taraval line. The stop at 35th Avenue was one of several stops that would be eliminated to increase stop spacing and reduce travel time.[2]

A train, short-turned at Taraval and Sunset, crossing over west of 35th Avenue. The presence of this crossover precluded the installation of a boarding island and forced the closure of the inbound stop.

On September 20, 2016, the SFMTA Board approved the L Taraval Rapid Project. Construction will occur from 2018 to 2020.[3][4] The board-approved version of the project kept the inbound stop at 35th Avenue.[5] Early implementation of many changes, including elimination of the outbound atop at 35th Avenue, occurred on February 25, 2017.[6]

In response to merchants complaining about the loss of parking spaces to allow for boarding islands, the Board agreed to an experimental pilot program on the inbound side at five stops: 26th, 30th, 32nd, 35th, and 40th Avenues. Painted stripes and signage were added to indicate that vehicles should stop behind trains to allow passengers to board and alight safely. If 90% of vehicles were observed to stop behind trains, Muni would not construct inbound boarding islands at the five locations.[7] The six-month testing period ran from April 3, 2017 to October 2017.[8] In November 2017, the SFMTA released the results of the study: only 74% of drivers stopped safely behind trains, and boarding islands would be built at all the stops.[9]

However, Muni then proposed to remove the 35th Avenue stop because of its proximity to Taraval and Sunset, and because the adjacent crossover prevents the construction of boarding islands.[9] In December 2017, the SFMTA Board voted to eliminate the remaining inbound stops at 17th Avenue (later reversed) and 35th Avenue.[10] The inbound stop was closed on February 10, 2018.[11]

References
  1. Perles, Anthony (1981). The People's Railway: The History of the Municipal Railway of San Francisco. Interurban Press. p. 75. ISBN 0916374424.
  2. "Chapter 3: Proposals by Route". Transit Effectiveness Project Implementation Workbook (PDF). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. March 24, 2014. pp. 60–62.
  3. Rodriguez, Joe Fitzgerald (September 20, 2016). "SFMTA approves controversial L-Taraval changes in name of safety". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  4. "L Taraval Rapid Project Approved by SFMTA Board" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. September 20, 2016.
  5. "L Taraval Proposal Detail" (PDF). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. 2016.
  6. Hyden, Rachel (February 17, 2017). "More Muni Forward Service Improvements Roll Out February 25" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
  7. "Evaluation Metrics" (PDF). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. 2017.
  8. "L Taraval Pilot Period Kicking Off April 3, 2017" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. April 3, 2017.
  9. "Loading Zone Pilot Results and Additional Proposals for Taraval" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. November 17, 2017.
  10. "SFMTA Board Votes on L Taraval Proposals" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. December 8, 2017.
  11. "Upcoming Changes to Transit Service: February 10 & 20, 2018". San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. February 10, 2018.

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