San Francisco's T Line Never Delivered on Promises

The light rail line was supposed to improve transit to less accessible parts of the city, but service so far has been disappointing.

2 minute read

October 22, 2018, 8:00 AM PDT

By Camille Fink


MUNI San Francisco

Circe Denyer / PublicDomainPictures.net

Rachel Swan reports on the T-Third Street Muni light rail line in San Francisco. The line runs through communities along the eastern side of the city, many of which are growing quickly. It was pitched as an alternative to local bus service and a quick and efficient way to move people from some of the city’s more far-flung neighborhoods.

But soon after the line opened in 2007, it was plagued with delays that have continued:

The T line’s problems appear to stem from its design. It hits about 60 intersections looping from Sunnydale to the Folsom portal, where it travels underground to Embarcadero Station and then changes signs to become the K-Ingleside. Most of those intersections have traffic signals that don’t always sync up to give trains priority over other vehicles.

In addition, says Swan, trains are slowed down by cars making illegal left-hand turns and on parts of route where trains share roads crowded with vehicle traffic.

Plans to improve service include using software to help trains get through lights and intersections more easily, addressing problem points on the route, and increasing train capacity by adding additional cars.

With the rapid growth in development in neighborhoods along the route and the demand in ridership that will result, whether these changes will fix the T line’s problems remains to be seen. In addition, residents say 23rd Street in the Dogpatch neighborhood marks the end of gentrification in the area, and they wonder if service improvements will benefit lower-income and more isolated communities to the south.

“Even so, politicians and transit officials still champion the T as a great social equalizer, saying it could pump business into the city’s most neglected neighborhoods and give those residents a quick link to the downtown core,” says Swan. 

Monday, October 15, 2018 in San Francisco Chronicle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

May 22, 2025 - CBC

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Orange Los Angeles Metro bus passing on blurred street at night.

LA ‘Mobility Wallet’ Increased Quality of Life for Participants

The city distributed a monthly $150 transportation subsidy to 1,000 low-income Angelenos. It dramatically improved their lives.

15 minutes ago - KTLA

White Shinkansen high-speed rail train passing on bridge over pond in Japan.

Texas, California Rail Projects Seek Out Private Funding

In the wake of Trump’s cuts to high-speed rail projects, rail authorities are looking to private-public partnerships to supplement their budgets.

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Aerial view of rural community of Kuttawa, Kentucky

Addressing Rural Homelessness in Kentucky

A Kentucky Lantern series focuses on the challenges unhoused Kentuckians face and efforts to provide support and assistance.

4 hours ago - WEKU