First Phase of Work on N-Judah Line on Time

By Jonathan Farrell

The repair work that has been going on along the Muni N-Judah streetcar line since last November, at a cost of about $2 million, is part of a much larger rail improvement project costing $18 million. The intersections along Judah Street at 19th Avenue and Sunset Boulevard have kept crews busy, causing an inconvenience that has annoyed some commuting residents.

Yet, Muni claims the track improvement project is vital to meet the current and future transportation needs of the Sunset District and the rest of the City.

The N-Judah line is among the most heavily used trolley systems in the City as it provides direct service from Ocean Beach to AT&T Park and the CalTrans station at Fourth and King streets. Worn out rails and crumbling pavement along the heavily-used system have been in need of renovation.

In addition to repairing and replacing old tracks for the Judah, J-Church and L-Taraval streetcar lines, other upgrades are also included in the construction project. They include installing new overhead wire poles, new curb ramps and new train signal device units.

Muni has more than 70 miles of track citywide, with most of it being more than 30 years old and long overdue for replacement.

Paul Rose, public relations manager for the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), said: "Aside from the brief times work has been postponed because of rain, over-all work on the project has been smooth and progressing nicely."

Rose was quick to point out that even with work crews attending to the Judah streetcar line, the supplemental Judah shuttle bus has still been getting good feedback from riders."

"Work so far is on time and on budget and we expect about a month's time left to go for this portion," Rose said. He mentioned that a longer stretch of repairs is scheduled to begin around May 25, which will last until June 4.

For more information, visit the SFMTA's web site at www.sfmta.com/cms/malerts/NJudahRailLineReplacement2012.