L Taraval Improvement Project

Virtual Tour

Now that the  L Taraval Improvement Project  is complete, we’re excited to share how it has made traveling on Taraval a safer, more accessible experience. This multiagency project has upgraded the corridor from 10 feet below the ground to 30 feet above with safety improvements, smoother, more reliable train service, new trees and utility upgrades. 

Check out our self-guided virtual tour to learn about some project highlights. We’ve also included a few neighborhood gems. You can take this tour on your computer or mobile device, or go for a train ride down Taraval to experience the real thing.  

To take the Virtual Tour, scroll through the items one-by-one or click on the map to jump to a spot.  

High-visibility crosswalks

High-visibility crosswalks. Click to expand.

These new high-visibility crosswalks are not only safer, they look great too! Blue and white create a strong visual contrast and are noticeable to drivers in various lighting conditions—from bright sunlight to overcast days or at night. These colors are colorblind friendly and are also less likely to create glare that can distract drivers. 

Accessible boarding platforms

Accessible boarding platforms. Click to expand.

People with limited mobility can board more easily at new high-level boarding ramps installed at 42nd, 30th, 28th, 19th and 17th avenues, doubling the number of wheelchair-accessible stops on Taraval. These ramps have an elevated section that is level with the train. Older accessible ramps have also been replaced or refreshed with new railing, signs and artwork.

Public art

Public art. Click to expand.

The accessible boarding ramps provide a great opportunity to add color and art to the corridor. Community feedback informed the aesthetic design of the boarding islands, including pavement color and texture as well as these themed mosaic art installations. 

Safe boarding platforms

Safe boarding platforms. Click to expand.

Before this project, nearly 10 people were hit every year on the corridor, half of those while getting on or off the train. To address safety, we’ve added 22 new or extended boarding platforms along the L Taraval route. This means riders will no longer have to exit the train onto the street alongside traffic. We’ve made some of the existing islands longer and wider so they cover all doors of the train and more people can wait on them safely.  

The future is looking bright

The future is looking bright. Click to expand.

71 new streetlights with upgraded LED lighting have been added along Taraval Street. 

Dumpling heaven and boba bliss

Dumpling heaven and boba bliss. Click to expand.

Taraval Street is a destination for Asian cuisine, including fresh dumplings and noodles. After your hunger has been satisfied, quench your thirst with coffee or bubble tea at a cozy cafe. Get pampered at one of the corridor’s many spas, barbershops or beauty salons. Then, check out happy hour or catch some live music at a local mom and pop bar. Plan your next visit at the Shop Dine Taraval website. 

Newly repaved roads

Newly repaved roads. Click to expand.

The L Taraval Improvement Project, in coordination with San Francisco Public Works (SFPW), has completely repaved the roadway along the corridor, making traveling along Taraval Street smoother for everyone who uses it. 

Accessible Pedestrian Signals

Accessible Pedestrian Signals. Click to expand.

Intersections with new traffic signals, like this one at one at 24th Avenue, received Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) to assist people with visual impairments to cross the street. These are pedestrian push buttons that announce when to cross using audible tones, speech messages and vibrating surfaces.

McCoppin Square Park

McCoppin Square Park. Click to expand.

There’s something for everyone in the Sunset’s oldest park, whether it’s enjoying a tennis match, exploring the playgrounds or strolling along the forested walking paths. Every Friday night in October, you can catch a family flick during Movies in McCoppin. And when long winter evenings arrive, light up the night at the annual holiday tree lighting.  

New trees and landscaping

New trees and landscaping. Click to expand.

Over 175 new trees were planted along Taraval as part of the project. These palms, primrose and peppermint trees were chosen for their suitability for the urban environment and sandy soil. The boarding islands have also been beautified with decorative pavers and landscaping.

Overhead Contact System

Overhead Contact System. Click to expand.

The Overhead Contact System (OCS) that powers the trains was showing signs of damage from years in the foggy Sunset climate. It has been completely replaced, including new poles and wires.   

22nd Avenue Community Mural

22nd Avenue Community Mural. Click to expand.

The “Together on Taraval” mural on 22nd Avenue was unveiled May 4, 2024 as part of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The mural represents the Parkside community’s spirit and diversity. Local artists Elaine Chu and Marina Perez-Wong of Twin Walls Mural Company incorporated community feedback into the design, with images of people from the neighborhood painted into the mural.

Pedestrian bulb-outs to improve safety

Pedestrian bulb-outs to improve safety . Click to expand.

Bulb-outs, like this one at 21st Avenue, have been installed at many intersection corners along the corridor. These sidewalk extensions shorten the crossing distance for people walking and make them more visible to drivers. They also encourage vehicles to take turns more slowly. In total, 11 new pedestrian bulb-outs have been installed as part of the L Taraval Improvement Project.     

New rail

New rail. Click to expand.

We’ve upgraded the train tracks for Muni’s L Taraval line for the first time in almost 50 years. The old tie and ballast trackway was built for Muni’s old PCC streetcars, not today’s modern light rail vehicles, and was notoriously noisy and prone to vibration. These new rails will make for a smoother, quieter ride, have a stronger foundation and will require less maintenance. 

New traffic signals

New traffic signals. Click to expand.

Five new traffic signals are equipped with train-detecting technology that holds green lights longer when trains are nearby. These transit priority traffic signals, installed at key intersections at 17th, 18th, 22nd, 24th and 28th avenues, will help make the L Taraval more reliable, while helping to clarify who has right-of-way at busy intersections.

Accessible curb ramps

Accessible curb ramps. Click to expand.

For individuals with mobility issues and families with strollers, these new curb ramps are essential in providing an accessible path of travel onto and off of sidewalks.

Sewer and water upgrades

Sewer and water upgrades. Click to expand.

SFPUC is making generational investments to ensure reliable, resilient, high-quality drinking water and sewer services for all those who work, live and play in San Francisco. Sewer upgrades as part of the L Taraval Improvement Project included nearly four miles of new sewer pipes, relocated from under the Muni tracks to allow for easier access for maintenance and repairs. Water system improvements included the installation of nearly five miles of new 8-, 12-, and 16-inch ductile iron water mains. SFPUC’s role in this major upgrade project has provided the corridor with new water and sewer infrastructure that will last for the next several generations. Customers can sleep well knowing this area is well prepared for the future – be it the next earthquake, storm or drought. 

High-visibility crosswalks

These new high-visibility crosswalks are not only safer, they look great too! Blue and white create a strong visual contrast and are noticeable to drivers in various lighting conditions—from bright sunlight to overcast days or at night. These colors are colorblind friendly and are also less likely to create glare that can distract drivers. 

Accessible boarding platforms

People with limited mobility can board more easily at new high-level boarding ramps installed at 42nd, 30th, 28th, 19th and 17th avenues, doubling the number of wheelchair-accessible stops on Taraval. These ramps have an elevated section that is level with the train. Older accessible ramps have also been replaced or refreshed with new railing, signs and artwork.

Public art

The accessible boarding ramps provide a great opportunity to add color and art to the corridor. Community feedback informed the aesthetic design of the boarding islands, including pavement color and texture as well as these themed mosaic art installations. 

Safe boarding platforms

Before this project, nearly 10 people were hit every year on the corridor, half of those while getting on or off the train. To address safety, we’ve added 22 new or extended boarding platforms along the L Taraval route. This means riders will no longer have to exit the train onto the street alongside traffic. We’ve made some of the existing islands longer and wider so they cover all doors of the train and more people can wait on them safely.  

The future is looking bright

71 new streetlights with upgraded LED lighting have been added along Taraval Street. 

Dumpling heaven and boba bliss

Taraval Street is a destination for Asian cuisine, including fresh dumplings and noodles. After your hunger has been satisfied, quench your thirst with coffee or bubble tea at a cozy cafe. Get pampered at one of the corridor’s many spas, barbershops or beauty salons. Then, check out happy hour or catch some live music at a local mom and pop bar. Plan your next visit at the  Shop Dine Taraval website 

Newly repaved roads

The L Taraval Improvement Project, in coordination with San Francisco Public Works (SFPW), has completely repaved the roadway along the corridor, making traveling along Taraval Street smoother for everyone who uses it. 

Accessible Pedestrian Signals

Intersections with new traffic signals, like this one at one at 24th Avenue, received Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) to assist people with visual impairments to cross the street. These are pedestrian push buttons that announce when to cross using audible tones, speech messages and vibrating surfaces.

McCoppin Square Park

There’s something for everyone in the  Sunset’s oldest park , whether it’s enjoying a tennis match, exploring the playgrounds or strolling along the forested walking paths. Every Friday night in October, you can catch a family flick during  Movies in McCoppin . And when long winter evenings arrive, light up the night at the annual holiday tree lighting.  

New trees and landscaping

Over 175 new trees were planted along Taraval as part of the project. These palms, primrose and peppermint trees were chosen for their suitability for the urban environment and sandy soil. The boarding islands have also been beautified with decorative pavers and landscaping.

Overhead Contact System

The Overhead Contact System (OCS) that powers the trains was showing signs of damage from years in the foggy Sunset climate. It has been completely replaced, including new poles and wires.   

22nd Avenue Community Mural

The “Together on Taraval” mural on 22nd Avenue was unveiled May 4, 2024 as part of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The mural represents the Parkside community’s spirit and diversity. Local artists Elaine Chu and Marina Perez-Wong of Twin Walls Mural Company incorporated community feedback into the design, with images of people from the neighborhood painted into the mural.

Pedestrian bulb-outs to improve safety

Bulb-outs, like this one at 21st Avenue, have been installed at many intersection corners along the corridor. These sidewalk extensions shorten the crossing distance for people walking and make them more visible to drivers. They also encourage vehicles to take turns more slowly. In total, 11 new pedestrian bulb-outs have been installed as part of the L Taraval Improvement Project.     

New rail

We’ve upgraded the train tracks for Muni’s L Taraval line for the first time in almost 50 years. The old tie and ballast trackway was built for Muni’s old PCC streetcars, not today’s modern light rail vehicles, and was notoriously noisy and prone to vibration. These new rails will make for a smoother, quieter ride, have a stronger foundation and will require less maintenance. 

New traffic signals

Five new traffic signals are equipped with train-detecting technology that holds green lights longer when trains are nearby. These transit priority traffic signals, installed at key intersections at 17th, 18th, 22nd, 24th and 28th avenues, will help make the L Taraval more reliable, while helping to clarify who has right-of-way at busy intersections.

Accessible curb ramps

For individuals with mobility issues and families with strollers, these new curb ramps are essential in providing an accessible path of travel onto and off of sidewalks.

Sewer and water upgrades

SFPUC is making generational investments to ensure reliable, resilient, high-quality drinking water and sewer services for all those who work, live and play in San Francisco. Sewer upgrades as part of the L Taraval Improvement Project included nearly four miles of new sewer pipes, relocated from under the Muni tracks to allow for easier access for maintenance and repairs. Water system improvements included the installation of nearly five miles of new 8-, 12-, and 16-inch ductile iron water mains. SFPUC’s role in this major upgrade project has provided the corridor with new water and sewer infrastructure that will last for the next several generations. Customers can sleep well knowing this area is well prepared for the future – be it the next earthquake, storm or drought.