Taraval and 17th Avenue station

Taraval and 17th Avenue is an eastbound-only light rail stop on the Muni Metro L Taraval line, located in the Parkside neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The stop opened with the first section of the L Taraval line on April 12, 1919.

Taraval and 17th Avenue
L Taraval
Eastbound train at Taraval and 17th Avenue in September 2017
General information
LocationTaraval Street at 17th Avenue
San Francisco, California
Coordinates 37°44′35″N 122°28′25″W
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks2
Construction
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedApril 12, 1919[1]
ClosedJanuary 2022 (westbound)
Rebuilt2022–2024
Services
Preceding station Muni Following station
Taraval and 19th Avenue
One-way operation
 L Taraval
(eastbound)
 Ulloa and 14th Avenue
towards Embarcadero
Location

Service

Since August 2020, service along the route is temporarily being provided by buses to allow for the construction of improvements to the L Taraval line. The project is expected to wrap up in 2024.[2]

The stop is served by the L Bus and L Owl bus routes, which provide service along the L Taraval line during the early morning and late night hours respectively when trains do not operate.[3]

Proposed changes
An inbound train at the painted clear zone in February 2019

Like many stations on the line, 17th Avenue had no platforms; trains stopped at marked poles before the cross street, and passengers crossed 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 17th Avenue stop was one of several stops that would be eliminated to increase stop spacing and reduce travel time.[4] On September 20, 2016, the SFMTA Board approved the L Taraval Rapid Project.[5][6]

Early implementation of many changes, including stop eliminations, occurred on February 25, 2017.[7] Only the outbound stop at 17th Avenue was eliminated; the inbound stop was temporarily kept in response to neighborhood concerns, as it is adjacent to a Safeway store. If further study indicated the stop should be retained, a concrete boarding island would be installed during the main construction phase beginning in 2018.[8] In November 2017, Muni staff officially proposed to remove the stop.[9] In December 2017, the SFMTA Board voted to eliminate the remaining inbound stops at 17th Avenue and 35th Avenue. The stop was to be temporarily closed from February to May 2018, during which time SFMTA staff would study the effects of the closure, and the board would make a final decision in mid-2018.[10]

However, in response to community pressure to retain the stop, Muni released a revised proposal in January 2018. The 17th Avenue inbound stop would be retained; a boarding island east of 17th Avenue and an accessible platform to the west would be built during the project construction, with painted safety zones in the interim. That proposal also called for elimination of the inbound stop at 15th Avenue and Taraval, and for Ulloa and Forest Side to be moved one block west to 14th Avenue.[11] The SFMTA Board approved the plan in July 2018.[12]

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. Maguire, Mariana (August 18, 2020). "Major Muni Service Expansion August 22" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
  3. "Muni Service Map". SFMTA. July 9, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  4. "Chapter 3: Proposals by Route". Transit Effectiveness Project Implementation Workbook (PDF). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. March 24, 2014. pp. 60–62.
  5. Rodriguez, Joe Fitzgerald (September 20, 2016). "SFMTA approves controversial L-Taraval changes in name of safety". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  6. "L Taraval Rapid Project Approved by SFMTA Board" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. September 20, 2016.
  7. Hyden, Rachel (February 17, 2017). "More Muni Forward Service Improvements Roll Out February 25" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
  8. Chinn, Jerold (September 20, 2016). "SFMTA approves contentious Taraval Street changes". SFBay. Retrieved September 11, 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. "Supervisor Yee and SFMTA collaborate to preserve stop at local Safeway" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. January 26, 2018.
  12. Chinn, Jerold (July 18, 2018). "Muni preserves L-Taraval 'Safeway' stop at 17th Avenue". SFBay.
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