L Taraval Improvement Project
The L Taraval Improvement Project's current updates and forecasts.
More information is available within the project updates
L Taraval Improvement Project
The L Taraval Improvement project is a multi-agency collaboration with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Public Works to improve and upgrade the vital system that will support the community to thrive. The corridor will get the much-needed improvements to the aging infrastructure to make pedestrian crossing safer, increase accessibility, improve transit reliability, rehabilitate water and sewer infrastructure, enhance landscaping and replace road pavement along the L Taraval line.
Construction for the L Taraval Improvement Project started in 2019. To reduce the impacts on the community, the project was split into two segments A and B. Segment A started in 2019 and was completed in the summer of 2021. Completed on time and on budget. Segment B began in January 2022 and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2024. Once completed, the corridor will boast new transit priority traffic signals, bulbouts to make pedestrian crossing safer, new trees, high visibility crosswalks, safety boarding islands and increased accessibility. All of these changes will make Taraval more inviting for everyone that uses it.
Project Purpose
This project is a safety improvement project designed to address the concerns of residents and riders of the L Taraval who find boarding and alighting the train dangerous. Taraval Street, a high injury corridor with a ridership of 30,000 trips daily on the L Taraval, is a Vision Zero priority project that will improve the safety of the street and eliminate preventable collisions and injuries. It will undergo comprehensive changes to feature safety components and bring much needed upgrades to the aging infrastructure.
Project Benefits
- Transit priority traffic signals for more efficient and time saving Muni trips
- Sidewalk bulbouts for safer pedestrian crossing and higher visibility
- Enhanced sidewalks to draw visibility to pedestrian crossing at Taraval intersections
- Safety boarding islands for safer boarding and alighting of Muni L Taraval customers
- Infrastructure rehabilitation and replacement of worn rails, overhead wires, water and sewer lines, and repavement of the entire Taraval street due to heavy usage from both cars and light rail vehicles (LRV)
- Infrastructure upgrades will result in less rocking for riders on board the train and rails are less noisy for other vehicles when driven over
- Sewer and water line replacement will allow for longevity of the utility pipes as well as easier access and less disruptive utility work in the future
- The streetscape style elements include tree selection, decorative crosswalks, trackway accent colors and public art
All of these changes will make Taraval more inviting for everyone that lives or travels there.
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Construction Segments
In order to minimize disruptions during construction and maximize flexibility, the project is split into two construction segments. there will be bus substitutions for the L Taraval so that crews can work on the rails and infrastructure beneath them.
Segment A: San Francisco Zoo to Sunset Boulevard
Segment B: Sunset Boulevard to West Portal
Construction Project Elements
- Rail track and overhead line replacement
- Water and sewer line replacement
- Surface repaving
- Curb ramp upgrades
- Concrete boarding islands and pedestrian bulbs
- Traffic signals
- New trees and landscaping
The streetscape style elements including tree selection, decorative crosswalks, trackway accent colors, public art was based on community feedback and will make the corridor even more inviting to residents and visitors alike.
Taraval History and the L Taraval Line
The L Taraval has been in service since 1919 and is a vital part of the corridor. Taraval Street itself is both a commercial district with approximately 205 businesses as well as a residential corridor with some 27,200 people living within a one-quarter mile radius of the commercial area.
Overhead Contact System (OCS) Poles
As part of the project's work to upgrade the corridor's aging infrastructure, new overhead contact system (OCS) pole foundations will be constructed to replace the existing poles. These poles are essential to providing support and tension for Muni's Overhead Contact System to keep the L Taraval light rail vehicles running. In addition, it also serves the dual function of illuminating the streets of the Taraval corridor and the path of travel for the Muni L Taraval.
The new OCS poles will be approximately 2-3 feet to the left or right of the existing pole. During construction, you may see both the new and existing OCS poles. This is temporary until the construction crew is able to remove the aged OCS pole.
