T Third Muni line returns to service today

After 10 weeks of bus substitution, the T Third Muni light rail returned to service Monday. The city’s youngest light rail line, which runs through the Embarcadero and ends at Sunnydale Avenue in Bayview, was temporarily decommissioned due to continuing work on the impending Chase Center.

“We’ve been hard at work demolishing the inbound and outbound platforms, performing rail and utility work, and constructing a 320-foot platform that will have the capacity to hold approximately 700 customers at one time and serve four, two-car trains,” notes SFMTA. “This Muni metro platform upgrade aims to improve public transit, access to and from Mission Bay as the neighborhood quickly builds more retail, housing, and entertainment venues.”

A few of the new upgrades include:

• Removal of the two existing platforms at Third and South Streets
• A new center island platform
• Track widening to accommodate the new island platform
• New overhead wires to power trains
• Update utility lines and street lights
• Upgrade traffic signals at Third and South Streets and Third Street and Campus Lane.

Please note that the UCSF Mission Bay platform will remain out of service until at least May while area construction continues.

According to reports by the SFMTA, the entire project cost an estimated $33 million slightly overbudget from its original $27 million price tag.