T Third
Encyclopedia
The T Third Street is a Muni Metro
line in San Francisco, California
. It is the first new light rail
line in San Francisco in more than half a century, and the first fully accessible line in the system. It runs along the newly constructed light-rail tracks on Third Street and Bayshore Boulevard in the Visitacion Valley
, Bayview/Hunters Point
, Dogpatch
, and Mission Bay
neighborhoods, connecting to the existing Muni Metro system along the southern Embarcadero and below Market Street, and replaced the 15 Third bus line.
In the future, the line may be extended to Caltrain
's Bayshore Station
(to which it was originally planned to run) and, in the other direction, to San Francisco's Chinatown via the Central Subway
project.
lines were spliced together, though keeping their respective line designations, resulting in an upside-down horseshoe-shaped route from Balboa Park to Bayshore and Sunnydale. At West Portal Station
, inbound K trains heading towards downtown change their signs to the T line; conversely, at Embarcadero Station
, T trains heading into downtown change signs to the K line. The trains show the ultimate destination of the spliced lines rather than the intermediate "terminus" of the individual line.
Leaving the Market Street Subway heading south, the T Third emerges from the portal and follows The Embarcadero south of Market Street, then veers onto King Street in front of AT&T Park
until it reaches the Caltrain
station terminal
. This portion of the Muni Metro rail line between the Embarcadero portal and the Caltrain terminal was built in 1998 and is utilized by an extension of the N Judah
, which, on weekdays, shares track with the T to the Caltrain terminal at 4th and King. From there the T turns south on Fourth Street, crossing the bridge over Mission Creek before joining Third Street for the majority of the route's length. It passes through Mission Bay where the UCSF Mission Bay branch is located, then continues on south through the Bayview and Hunters Point neighborhoods. Once both economically impoverished parts of the City, they have slowly experienced rehabilitation and rebuilding mainly helped by the new T line. At the intersection of Third and Jamestown Avenue, the T continues to run in both directions as it crosses U.S. Highway 101 (James Lick Freeway), although only Third Street is open to auto traffic northbound; likewise, southbound auto traffic is splintered to a southbound on ramp to Highway 101 and merges with San Bruno Avenue. From there the T follows Bayshore Boulevard (changed over from Third) for two more stations until it reaches its terminus at Sunnydale Station. A section of track follows one more block until stopped short at the Daly City
limits.
All stations along this line feature high platforms, eliminating the need for the raising and lowering of entrance and exit steps characteristic of other Muni Metro lines. Stations listed below are in order going outbound, away from downtown. Stations south of Fourth and King feature short platforms that accommodate only two-car trains.
bus line on King Street, The Embarcadero and most of Market Street. There is also a T-Owl diesel bus line that runs from Market Street and Van Ness Avenue to Bayshore Boulevard and Sunnydale. This line only operates on weekend mornings, between the times owl
service stops and the underground subway stations open.
Muni Metro
Muni Metro is a light rail system serving San Francisco, California, operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway , a division of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency...
line in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. It is the first new light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
line in San Francisco in more than half a century, and the first fully accessible line in the system. It runs along the newly constructed light-rail tracks on Third Street and Bayshore Boulevard in the Visitacion Valley
Visitacion Valley, San Francisco, California
Visitacion Valley is a neighborhood located in the south eastern quadrant of San Francisco, California.-Location:Visitacion Valley is roughly defined by McLaren Park and Gleneagles Golf Course to the West, Mansell Blvd to the North, Bayview Hill and Candlestick Cove to the East, and the San...
, Bayview/Hunters Point
Hunters Point, San Francisco, California
Bayview-Hunters Point or The Bayview, is a neighborhood in the southeastern corner of San Francisco, California, United States. The decommissioned Hunters Point Naval Shipyard is located within its boundaries and Candlestick Park is on the southern edge....
, Dogpatch
Dogpatch, San Francisco, California
-Location:Dogpatch is located on the eastern side of the city, adjacent to the waterfront of San Francisco Bay, and to the east of, and below, Potrero Hill. Its boundaries are Mariposa Street to the north, I-280 to the west, Cesar Chavez to the south, and the waterfront to the east...
, and Mission Bay
Mission Bay, San Francisco, California
Mission Bay is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California.-Location:Mission Bay is roughly bounded by Townsend Street on the north, Third Street and San Francisco Bay on the east, Mariposa Street on the south, and 7th Street and Interstate 280 on the west.-History:It was created in 1998 by the...
neighborhoods, connecting to the existing Muni Metro system along the southern Embarcadero and below Market Street, and replaced the 15 Third bus line.
In the future, the line may be extended to Caltrain
Caltrain
Caltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
's Bayshore Station
Bayshore (Caltrain station)
Bayshore Station is a Caltrain commuter rail station located in the Visitacion Valley District of San Francisco, California. Like most other Caltrain stations, it is not staffed with ticket personnel...
(to which it was originally planned to run) and, in the other direction, to San Francisco's Chinatown via the Central Subway
Central Subway
The Central Subway is an extension of the Muni Metro light rail system in San Francisco, California, from the Caltrain commuter rail depot at 4th and King streets to Chinatown. The subway is the second phase of the Third Street Light Rail Project...
project.
Route Description
Following service changes on June 30, 2007, the T Third Street and the K InglesideK Ingleside
The K Ingleside is a Muni Metro line in San Francisco, California, mainly serving the West Portal and Ingleside neighborhoods. It was one of San Francisco's streetcar lines in the early 20th century, and was converted to modern light rail operation with the creation of the Muni Metro system in the...
lines were spliced together, though keeping their respective line designations, resulting in an upside-down horseshoe-shaped route from Balboa Park to Bayshore and Sunnydale. At West Portal Station
West Portal Station
West Portal Station is a Muni Metro station in the West Portal neighborhood in San Francisco, California. It is built around the entrance to the Twin Peaks Tunnel, which connects with the Market Street Subway and runs through the city to the Embarcadero...
, inbound K trains heading towards downtown change their signs to the T line; conversely, at Embarcadero Station
Embarcadero Station
Embarcadero is a BART and Muni Metro station in the Financial District of San Francisco. The easternmost stop on the Market Street Subway, Embarcadero acts as a major hub for passenger movement throughout the San Francisco Bay Area...
, T trains heading into downtown change signs to the K line. The trains show the ultimate destination of the spliced lines rather than the intermediate "terminus" of the individual line.
Leaving the Market Street Subway heading south, the T Third emerges from the portal and follows The Embarcadero south of Market Street, then veers onto King Street in front of AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
until it reaches the Caltrain
Caltrain
Caltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
station terminal
San Francisco 4th and King Street Station
San Francisco 4th and King Street or 4th and King station or Caltrain Depot is the northern terminus of the Caltrain commuter rail line that serves San Francisco Peninsula and Santa Clara Valley, and is a major regional transit hub...
. This portion of the Muni Metro rail line between the Embarcadero portal and the Caltrain terminal was built in 1998 and is utilized by an extension of the N Judah
N Judah
The N Judah is a Muni Metro line in San Francisco, California, so called as it runs along Judah Street for much of its length, named after railroad engineer Theodore Judah. It links downtown San Francisco to the Cole Valley and Sunset neighborhoods. It is the busiest line in the Muni Metro system...
, which, on weekdays, shares track with the T to the Caltrain terminal at 4th and King. From there the T turns south on Fourth Street, crossing the bridge over Mission Creek before joining Third Street for the majority of the route's length. It passes through Mission Bay where the UCSF Mission Bay branch is located, then continues on south through the Bayview and Hunters Point neighborhoods. Once both economically impoverished parts of the City, they have slowly experienced rehabilitation and rebuilding mainly helped by the new T line. At the intersection of Third and Jamestown Avenue, the T continues to run in both directions as it crosses U.S. Highway 101 (James Lick Freeway), although only Third Street is open to auto traffic northbound; likewise, southbound auto traffic is splintered to a southbound on ramp to Highway 101 and merges with San Bruno Avenue. From there the T follows Bayshore Boulevard (changed over from Third) for two more stations until it reaches its terminus at Sunnydale Station. A section of track follows one more block until stopped short at the Daly City
Daly City, California
Daly City is the largest city in San Mateo County, California, United States, with a 2010 population of 101,123. Located immediately south of San Francisco, it is named in honor of businessman and landowner John Daly.-History:...
limits.
All stations along this line feature high platforms, eliminating the need for the raising and lowering of entrance and exit steps characteristic of other Muni Metro lines. Stations listed below are in order going outbound, away from downtown. Stations south of Fourth and King feature short platforms that accommodate only two-car trains.
Operation
The T Third operates seven days a week, beginning at 5 a.m. weekdays, 6 a.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. Sundays, operating until 1 a.m. Headways on the route range from 9 to 12 minutes during the day, and from 12 to 20 minutes at night. Late night service is provided by the 91 Owl diesel bus line on Third Street, and by the N-Owl dieselbus line on King Street, The Embarcadero and most of Market Street. There is also a T-Owl diesel bus line that runs from Market Street and Van Ness Avenue to Bayshore Boulevard and Sunnydale. This line only operates on weekend mornings, between the times owl
Night bus
A night bus service or owl service is a public transport bus service which operates through the night time hours. Many cities operate such services, either in addition to or in substitution for ordinary daytime bus services or rapid transit rail services which may shut for maintenance or due to...
service stops and the underground subway stations open.
