Information Gladly Given

November Transit Construction — It’s Not Just 4th & King

Monday, October 26, 2015

Traffic detours and crowd-drawing events may be a fact of life in downtown San Francisco, but there’s a special kind of storm brewing with major construction work and events coinciding in November. This round-up may help you avoid some headaches, whether you take transit, walk, bike or drive.

Construction barricades and directional sign, "Left Lane Closed Ahead," sit around construction vehicles on 4th Street.
Look for directional signs and slower traffic around 4th and King from Nov. 6 through Nov. 14. Photo taken Jan. 30, 2014

The upcoming eight-day vehicle closure at 4th and King Streets (November 6 to 14) to make a crucial link for the Central Subway project is scheduled to coincide with a few other ongoing construction projects including:

Installing a new radio and emergency phone system in the subway
Track work in the Sunset Tunnel along the N Judah Line
Work by California Pacific Medical Center’s campus [PDF] on their Van Ness and Geary campus.

The intersection closure of 4th and King will require several alterations to Muni service, including the E Embarcadero, F Market & Wharves, K Ingleside, N Judah and T Third Street lines, and will certainly impact traffic headed to and through that area. Other Muni lines may also have construction-related delays as we make adjustments to how the buses and trains reach their dedicated routes.

Over the Nov. 7 and Nov. 14 weekends, Muni’s N Judah will also be substituted by bus shuttles due to work in the Sunset Tunnel. The CPMC project will close a portion of Van Ness Avenue, Nov. 13 - 15 [PDF].

In addition to that, there are a few events to throw into the mix: The Veteran’s Day Parade takes place on Sunday, Nov. 8, and tens of thousands are expected to head to two events in Mission Bay: The University of California, SF’s “Discovery Day” at AT&T Park (Nov. 7) and the STEAM Carnival on nearby Pier 48 (Nov. 6 to 8).

In this hodgepodge of traffic disruptions, the largest component — the traffic detour at 4th and King — is a tough but necessary step to lay the tracks that will connect the T Third Line to the under-construction Central Subway. This will ultimately provide a major north-south rail link for the Muni Metro system.

Speaking of which, a reminder: During this period, Muni Metro subway service between Embarcadero and West Portal stations will continue to be substituted by bus shuttles after 9:30 p.m. for the installation of new radio and emergency communication systems.

While all of this work in November may seem difficult to navigate, we can all help minimize the pain by getting the word out: Plan ahead and avoid these areas — especially by car — if possible.