Taraval and 17th Avenue station 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. Westbound trains stop at the nearby 15th Avenue and Taraval station.
Taraval and 17th Avenue  | |||||||||||
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 An inbound train at Taraval and 17th Avenue in 2024 | |||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||
| Location | Taraval Street at 17th Avenue San Francisco, California | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°44′35″N 122°28′25″W / 37.74315°N 122.47356°W | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 side platform | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | April 12, 1919[1] | ||||||||||
| Closed | February 25, 2017 (westbound) | ||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 2022–2024 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Reconstructions
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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.[2] On September 20, 2016, the SFMTA Board approved the L Taraval Rapid Project.[3][4]
Early implementation of many changes, including stop eliminations, occurred on February 25, 2017.[5] 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.[6] In November 2017, Muni staff officially proposed to remove the stop.[7] 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.[8]
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.[9] The SFMTA Board approved the plan in July 2018.[10]
On March 30, 2020, all Muni Metro service was replaced with buses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] Muni Metro rail service returned on August 22, 2020, but was replaced again by buses on August 25.[12][13] Construction on Segment B of the project, between West Portal and Sunset Boulevard, began in January 2022 and was completed in mid-2024.[14] L Taraval rail service resumed on September 28, 2024.[15]
References
edit- ^ Perles, Anthony (1981). The People's Railway: The History of the Municipal Railway of San Francisco. Interurban Press. p. 75. ISBN 0916374424.
- ^ "Chapter 3: Proposals by Route". Transit Effectiveness Project Implementation Workbook (PDF). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. March 24, 2014. pp. 60–62.
- ^ Rodriguez, Joe Fitzgerald (September 20, 2016). "SFMTA approves controversial L-Taraval changes in name of safety". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
- ^ "L Taraval Rapid Project Approved by SFMTA Board" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. September 20, 2016.
- ^ Hyden, Rachel (February 17, 2017). "More Muni Forward Service Improvements Roll Out February 25" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
- ^ Chinn, Jerold (September 20, 2016). "SFMTA approves contentious Taraval Street changes". SFBay. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
- ^ "Loading Zone Pilot Results and Additional Proposals for Taraval" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. November 17, 2017.
- ^ "SFMTA Board Votes on L Taraval Proposals" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. December 8, 2017.
- ^ "Supervisor Yee and SFMTA collaborate to preserve stop at local Safeway" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. January 26, 2018.
- ^ Chinn, Jerold (July 18, 2018). "Muni preserves L-Taraval 'Safeway' stop at 17th Avenue". SFBay.
- ^ Fowler, Amy (March 26, 2020). "Starting March 30: New Muni Service Changes" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
- ^ "Bus Substitution for All Rail Lines" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. August 25, 2020.
- ^ Maguire, Mariana (August 18, 2020). "Major Muni Service Expansion August 22" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
- ^ Chun, Stephen (December 9, 2021). "L Taraval Improvement Project 'Segment B' Geared Up for Early 2022" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
- ^ "Muni Service Changes: Effective Saturday, September 28, 2024" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. September 2024.
External links
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Media related to Taraval and 17th Avenue station at Wikimedia Commons
- SFMTA: Taraval St & 17th Ave