I can understand the hate that we grew up with for the L Taraval. Dirty, slow, never there..... However, now that the L Taraval has recently returned after a 5-year hiatus from construction woes, I will say that the L Taraval is now very convenient from Parkside to wherever you want to get downtown. Living about a block away from one of its handicapped stops, it is extremely convenient to hop on with my toddler in a stroller, and head on downtown. It runs every 10 mins on weekdays, and 15 on weekends, and actually seems like more often than that. I can contest to that, since I live so close, and can hear it passing all the time. The sound of the L Taraval (and all other Muni trains) is not annoying, but rather very soothing and comforting to hear, even late at night, and early in the morning. The street cars are clean (they didn't always use to be), and from my stop in the Parkside, only takes me 27 mins to get down to Embarcadero Station, which is quite handy for $2.50. In addition, the beautification project is quite pleasurable, with dessert plants, light gravel, newly planted trees, and string lights upon its path. It can be truly charming for those who are open to it. L Taraval - stands for how LOVELY it is! read more

Sadly, I'm dropping a star for the L. Sometimes I wonder if Muni management is just toying with those of us in the Parkside/edge of Outer Sunset area. Just when we get used to the latest update to service, it gets changed. I appreciate that it was one of the few lines available at the beginning of Shelter-in-Place even if it switched from a LRV to a bus because I was still going to the office daily. In fact, it was a beautiful ride because of the views of the skyline while twisting down Portola. But while other LRV lines have been switched back, the L is still a bus. Which wasn't so horrible when I could still take it to the Castro/Duboce Triangle area. Then someone at Muni management had the bright idea to make it a glorified shuttle between the zoo and West Portal. So now I have to get off the bus, trudge into West Portal station and switch to an inbound LRV. Which is alright when there's a train waiting. But there are untold number of times when the train takes off just as we go through the fare gate or we have to wait for one. But the "update" that makes me laugh the most is the L Bus Special that started in October. It runs between the zoo and the Embarcadero on weekdays from 10am to 6pm approximately every 50 minutes. Yup. 5-0. Brilliant. I can't utilize it to get to work but maybe to get home? Well, in the 2.5 months it's been running, I've only been able to catch it 5 times. Tonight would've been #6 and the NextBus app said it would be at the stop 5 minutes after I got off work. Perfect since I was carrying bags of gifts home. Except after I rushed 3 blocks to make it to the stop on time, the bus bypassed the stop. Sucks. So I trudged with all my bags down into the station, got on a S shuttle to West Portal, then trudged to catch the L "shuttle". So right now I'm not a huge fan of the L. It's still gets me to work but it has gotten so má fan. read more

MUNI - L Taraval - The ridiculousness of the wait time. - Public Transportation Near Me - San Francisco, California

Anyway who has really commuted on this line (not silly politicians who made a single publicized joy ride) will attest that it is indeed Muni's worst line, the second possibly the K. Its the only line with a 30 min wait time during rush hour, constantly under assigns cars, constantly reroutes cars, sometimes mid route, will frequently cut it's route short by half with the driver lying with the infamous "there's one right behind me" line. In addition, it shares the same mechanical and one track problems as all the other lines. I live near the terminus stop and I always see two or three drivers and trains there hanging out, at all times of the day and week. Muni in general, is a poorly run, poorly budgeted, antiquated excuse for a transit company in one of the richest cities in the US. But the L, along with her sister routes, the N, the 38, and the 47 shall and must go down in history as the Hindenburg of mass transit. read more

Met up a girlfriend for dinner on Monday, August 22nd. Since we were meeting up after work in Outer Sunset, I took the L Taraval from Downtown. Got on the train around 5:45pm. Normally this and the N Judah are sooo slow! But this time, it wasn't too bad. From Powell to Taraval & 26th, it's 15 stops and about 22 mins. With this train, there are times when some spots get backed up, but everything ran smoothly that day. We were supposed to meet up at 6:30pm and I got there super early. A little after 6pm. Very convenient and all for $2.25. I even got a seat after a few stops. I can't hate on that. read more

The Inbound Review: You've heard no man is an island, yet that's exactly what happens when you drive to work by yourself. The pent up frustrations of traffic and deadlines and whatever else is going on in your life should not and cannot be contained in the confines of your car. Besides, it's not the right way to start the day. What is needed is a more communal sharing of the experience. A crowded train can shatter this isolation and forcible make you part of the human race once again - well, at least for the ride to work. I find the train ride into the City strangely comforting. Could it be misery loves company? Or do we all dislike Monday mornings? Maybe we share a secret, if not unconscious, joy knowing others are similarly bound to be some place they rather not be? The blank looks on people's face speaks volumes. Then there are those hidden behind a book, newspaper or a magazines and those who try to drown out reality via headphones. Yet the fact still remains we are on this ride together. Rejoice my fellow commuters for we are as one at this moment! I revel in this short time before my stop inevitable arrives although I hide behind my stoic visage. Overall, a little transcendental trip before work for $1.50 is a good deal any way you see it. read more

This train is always full of people. During rush hours the trains are almost on time, but later in the afternoon or evenings trains are never there. When it finally does, there is another train following it a block behind. At night is when this train is the worst. There could be 3-4 N, J or K, but not an L train for about an hour. read more

MUNI - L Taraval - Typical weekday waiting at West Portal - Public Transportation Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have absolutely no idea how a developed country can have transportation this inefficient and inconvenient. Trains are CONSTANTLY stopped in the middle of tunnels for long periods of time because of congestion or ridiculous things breaking down. This idiotic 'twin peaks tunnel improvement' has shut down the entire L line and there are buses to replace it-but only in certain areas. Update: the buses are actually pretty good and they have people standing at the entrance/exits of Church and Castro to help you figure out where you need to go. However, I find it kind of funny that the bus is quicker than the MUNI in a high traffic area like San Francisco... Yeah, so, it is what it is. Everyone knows the MUNI is horrible but most people have to rely on it some of the time. But it could easily be A LOT better than it is right now, so hopefully SFMTA gets its shit together in the future. read more

Never on time. Always delayed, if it is only 10min delay, you should thank God. Worth 0 dollar service. I want my money back. read more

Sometimes this city really pisses me the fuck off. Now I'm not going to turn this review into a screed on how San Francisco has fucked me over like the Dollar Store Real Doll I am and how I hate this city because I'm saving that for ANOTHER REVIEW. Also, it wouldn't be the truth. It's not the city's fault, per se: malaise with the price an urban lifestyle extracts in both money and sanity affects most city dwellers. In fact, I think it's the God-given right of every city dweller -- regardless of the city -- to be an incorrigible asshole. But every now and again, there's a moment of beauty. If you're open to it. I was riding the L outbound a few days ago, wearing my public transportation poker face and bitter ennui. I heard, over David Bowie singing "Ashes to Ashes" on my iPod, someone reciting the numbers in Chinese. I looked up and saw it was a husky Caucasian high school adolescent ho-brah. Crew cut, oily skin, voice that vacillated between a child's baritone and a man's bass. He struggled with articulating the numbers, yet this only impelled him to try harder and to ask questions of the person he was speaking to, presumably his teacher. I looked over at the person who was teaching him and saw that it was actually another kid. A red-haired Caucasian kid. This touched me on such a deep level that, as they exited the L at West Portal, I smiled at them. Wait, what?!? I broke the Cardinal Rule of Mass Transit and actually SMILED?!? I BROKE THE FOURTH WALL OF MUNI AND DIVULGED MY TRUE FEELINGS?!? WHAT THE FUCK IS MY PROBLEM? Game over, man!! Oh I'm getting SOFT! I'm screwed! Before you know it I'll be showering in glitter and shitting petunias! Will someone please do me a favor? Restore my lack of faith in humanity! I dunno, call me a whore or punch me in the face or ask Rommy to start another thread or something. read more

I was trapped undergound last night between Church and Castro. It was bad enough that I was on my way home from Yelp's Biggest Loser weigh-in (where I learned that I actually weigh MUCH more than I had thought), but the walk from the bar to Civic Center rattled me a little since I was followed by predators making clicking noises and young teens eyeing my messenger bag and saying, "dayum gorjus." So, being rattled AND stuck underground next to some of San Francisco's finest was a little much for me. After being crammed in our car in the tunnel for 20 minutes, the driver ran through the doors and out on the tracks. While he hid the body or told the guys with machine guns to kill everyone but save the smiley brunette in the back of the car for some fun, a few terrible scenarios went through my mind. *pause* But I won't mention them, because I am not a hypochondriac. The highlight of my loooonnngg wait was a chatty gay couple. We decided whose briefcase we would burn first (the feminine guy's, since it had the most paper) and who we would choose to eat for food (the old man with a cane, because we knew we could outrun him). Finally, the driver came back on the train and started muttering something in broken english about a mechanic or ambulance or something and then the train started on its merry little way. I said goodbye to my newfound friends (who were getting off with eachother at the Castro stop) *cough* and started to finish my really cool Sudoku game on my cellphone. Then the train broke down AGAIN. Really guys?! Twice? Unfortunately, breaking down is something that the Muni L Taraval does a little too often. There are some things that I wait for, and wait for, and wait for... and am extremely glad when they show up (ie: first dates, my period -totally kidding here. I don't get these, because I'm half dude. Kidding again, I promise!) and the L Taraval is one of these welcome visitors. read more

So, Friday night, my friend Jessica L. had an awesome house party in her studio. By awesome party I mean that I drank too much and slept too little. Saturday morning, have a doctor's appt. at 11am. I had about 2 hours of sleep (thank you sun in my window and neighbors fixing their porch at 7am) and was feeling somewhere between dead and dead. I drag myself to my L stop. The L comes right away. No seats. Ok Ali, you can do this. Standing on the MUNI will not make you vomit or fall down. As I'm focusing on how I will not throw up the MUNI suddenly SLAAAAAAMMMMMSSSS on its brakes. And I mean SSSSSLLLLLAAAAAAMMMMMMMMSSSSSSSSS. People are flying down the aisle, I lunge forward and hold this elderly gentleman up so he doesn't fall, someone is screaming about how we're going to die, people are praying and crying and screaming. This all happens within the 2 seconds it took us to go from 40 or so MPH to 0 MPH. People are looking around, everyone is alive, no serious injuries, we start wondering if we hit another train, if there was a person on the tracks, or if we were part of some terrorist plot and we're all going to die. The driver... says nothing. Then about 2 minutes later we just start going again. No mention of why we all almost just died. I get off at my stop and go about my day. This is why I love the MUNI. Not because it almost killed me, but because every single time I ride it I have a great story. I take the L every weekend and sometimes it's late, sometimes it's early, sometimes we stop for no reason for what seems like hours, sometimes I stand, sometimes I sit, sometimes I talk to crazy people, sometimes people write missed connections about me, sometimes I read, sometimes I listen to my iPod, sometimes I see teenagers making out, but mostly I just wind up with 15 minutes of entertainment. So 4 stars for you L Train. read more

My wait for the L-Terrible yesterday painfully proceeded as follows: 1-car K: packed 2-car J: half empty 1-car J: half empty 2- car J: half empty 2-car K: fairly packed 1-car K: half empty 1-car M: packed 1-car J: half empty ...and finally..... 1-car L: jam packed with peoples' faces and butts squished up against the window... So while I was "patiently" waiting on the crowded Montgomery platform for the L-Terrible, I was trying to figure out why there was absolutely no logic to the way MUNI ran its trains. The only conclusion that I could come up with is that San Francisco is cutting back on its MUNI budget and replaced its behind the scenes operation with a bunch of monkeys who randomly select which train will run next...ugh... PS: N-Judah riders, I truly feel for you because your train was MIA and must of been lost somewhere in the Bermuda triangle. read more

Dear L Taraval, After our two year long (tumultuous) relationship, I think its time we stop seeing each other. I would love to say that I will remember the good times, but to be totally frank, they have been quite rare. Despite the hard times in our relationship, you at least satisfied my basic transportation needs. However, lately, even my most basic transportation needs are no longer being satisfied. I can't rely on you to get to work and I can't rely on you to get home. I certainly cant rely on you to keep me warm and sheltered on a cool night, as you kick me off the train on 21st and Taraval to wait 15 minutes for the next train that is "right behind" you. Did I mention that you are a tease? You really are! As I stand and wait at the Montgomery Station, and you promise to arrive in 5 minutes. But 5 minutes passes, and you again promise to be there in 5 minutes. Over and over you fill my heart with hope, then crush it with your callousness. Is it possible that you are just a narcissist? However, this week is the final straw. With great anticipation, I departed work early to see my son perform some songs at his pre-school. I allowed plenty of time to get there, and added a little extra time for good measure. You tell me you will arrive in 7 minutes, and I get there in 3. Yet, you never arrive. 25 minutes passes... and you leave me standing. I end up fleeing your chambers to seek comfort with a taxi. The taxi driver is sympathetic to my situation, but questions my dedication to a train that so frequently toys with my emotions. I missed my son's performance, then had to look into his sad eyes knowing that he spent the entire performance looking for his father. L, you have now caused a scar on my soul that will not soon heal. I will now drive myself to work. I will pollute the environment, contribute to traffic, impact our beloved city's infrastructure, and help fill the coffers of Bin Laden's buddies. Yes, it will cost me more, and I will have to deal with horrible drivers every day. However, now I will reliably be able to get to work and return home. But mostly, I never have to look into tearful eyes because you have let me down. read more

All of the current street cars for the J, K, L, M, N and T lines are Italian made garbage. In Italy these street cars are a joke infamous for breaking down. Third, fourth and fifth world countries have more efficient subway cars that are not made in Italy junk. SF Muni was advised not to purchase these Italian made Junkers, yet someone in management has a hard on for euro junk. read more

This train gets me to and from Bart and that's the only reason I take it. I could so do without getting shoved to and fro by little old asian ladies and their bags of groceries! Since I'm a nice girl I don't shove back! read more

MUNI is the most unreliable Public Transportation ever! The freaking L train is never on time. My typical schedule is to get up around 5ish every morning. Take a dump and then take a shower. I like coming to work feeling refreshed after my beauty rest. Then, brush my teeth, dress up and grab my lunch and snack from the fridge. And then get out of the house and cross the street to catch this train. And then wait for the train to come. If it arrives on time then most likely it will take me an hour and a half to get to work. If I am lucky I'll get to work on time. I know it sucks I commute to Pleasanton everyday. But I love my job and enjoy the company of my coworkers so I shouldn't be complaining right? But it just makes me really mad when MUNI is delayed because sometimes it takes me more than 2 hours to get to work. That is just ridiculous! BART is far more reliable than MUNI. Even WHEELS and AC TRANSIT provide much better service. Also, they need to clean up the trains. I noticed that it's getting filthier and filthier every year. Everytime I get on the L Train I feel like I need to spray some disinfectant on the seat before I sit on it. I guess since the trains are so old some of the doors are malfunctioning already. It has been a number of times that I missed my stop because the door is not working. I think the MUNI people should start impounding some of the trains and replace it with new ones or at least try to fix it. Also, I'm a little bit worried too whenever I get on the train during rush hours because the operators let people get on the train even if there is no room anymore. And I don't know why MUNI hires drivers who cannot even speak English. I don't think that they should be getting drivers who cannot even give directions to commuters especially to tourists. read more

I've been living in the Sunset for quite some years now and it seems that every year the L gets worse and worse. I live almost at the end of the line and work downtown, which was not an issue a few years back, but these days the L during rush hour either drops you off on 23rd or on Sunset. This actually sometimes also happens at 9pm at night and at times there are not rains behind it for about oh 15 minutes or so. So you have to stand in the freezing cold waiting for another. HORRID! read more

Always breaking, always late or they drop you off anywhere they wish.... I have lived in other countries and I have never had such a horrible experience with transportation than with MUNI. I could say that even in Argentina, the transportation system is topnotch compared to SF's. I even think that India has a new train that works extremely well too! I hear it comes on time all the time, its never breaks down (ie: the new MUNI is 10 years old and it started breaking down the first month it started running) and it drops you off where you are supposed to be dropped off. So how come other cities in the world, or even third world countries have better system than SF? I don't understand. I seriously think mayor Willie Brown is a dumbass for putting this streetcar to work in SF again. We all know that they breakdown a lot, why use them again? Uruguay had them in the past but they discontinued their use because they always had problems with these streetcars. How come SF, a city with so much wealth, still uses this crap that was discontinued 30 years ago in other parts of the world? And we pay $2 bucks for a really crappy system. I think we should all boycott Muni in general. They are stealing our money . read more

I live by Taraval and I use this train often. But it is largely unreliable. If you're trying to get to work, it's great from the hours of 5am till 8am. After 8am the train stops working efficiently, and I don't know if it's because the drivers take their meal breaks, or what-not, but you never seem to get an accurate time of when the bus will be arriving. This line in particular breaks down often. Moreso than the N or M or K trains. I haven't ridden the T train (shudders), but I imagine my ride could be worst. If you're getting home from work, the L Train will undoubtly be a cause of major headaches, as it seems as though there are never enough trains running the line at almost given time of the day. That's probably why most that live in the Sunset who rely on the train keep coming into work late, or find that it takes them over an hour to get home from downtown. Whereas a person who take the N judah, which is a longer line will get home in a quick half-hour. They really need to improve this line. read more

This is the worst train, EVER. And yet, I take it because I have to. There have been times where I wait on the platform, and the trains show up, except they're out of service. One Friday morning, not one, but TWO trains went by, both out of service, and I was late to work. In the evenings, forget it. So packed, I had nowhere to sit or even stand once. The conductor slammed on the brakes and I went flying halfway across the train; consequently, there were medical emergencies due to the incompetence and all the trains were delayed by about 45 minutes. The poor guy in front of me was super late to a meeting. Last Tuesday night, about 20 blocks from home, the driver inexplicably stopped and kicked us all off. It was drizzly and dark (around 9 pm), and I, carrying extremely heavy bag, started walking. Come to find out a service truck was stopped, just hanging out in front of the bus. When the truck moved, so did the bus - EMPTY. I had to call a lyft to get me home. This train is a complete and utter disaster. read more

I'm starting to wonder if all of these lines are consistently late to arrive and to depart, so the listed times are never helpful. I would highly recommend installing NextBus on your Smartphone, however, since these are accurate times of when the Muni lines are arriving at their stops. The "L" services everyone living out in the Outer Sunset and along Taraval, which is one of the main corridors running straight through that neighborhood and out to Ocean Beach. The plus is that this and the N are the fastest way out to the areas, the cons is that they are consistently late, packed with people, and during late night, have less trains out there. Beware of the short seniors that bum rush you at the entrance. Apparently they know that in order to get a seat, you have to fight for the seat. read more

Why Muni? Why?? Oh the L. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY THESE TRAINS ARE ALWAYS SO COLD IN THE MORNING!!?? I mean it's like 50 degrees outside and yet the AC is on. Like really? really?? I purposely want to move from where I live to get away from this line. It would be nice if the train ran 24 hours but of course it doesn't. It can get really crowded on the trains and the times are inconsistent but again, that's more Muni's fault. When I first moved to the Sunset, I never had a problem with the train but now I guess the honeymoon is over and it constantly lets me down. I also think that it's more of the fact that I live in the Sunset that's the problem too. There are very limited amount of public transportation that's available in the Sunset and it seems a little unfair since the Sunset has the highest amount of residents by far than any other district in The City but oh well. Use at your own discretion! read more

I'm so glad I now only have to ride you maybe once, or twice a week at most. And it's only going outbound from Embarcadero to 19th and Taraval. I used to ride you regularly for 3 years when I lived 2 blocks from you. You were my only source to get out of the Sunset as I lived near the beach. I relied on you to get me to and from work somewhat on time which you failed to do on many occasions. I especially hated you when I was coming home from work and you would decide to turn around at 25th Ave or at Sunset and subject me to having to wait for another stupid L or reluctantly walk home after an already long commute. Sometimes you were so jammed up at West Portal that I'd just get off and walk to my workout class which would begin at 6:30pm because if I sat and waited for you to start working, you'd get me there at 6:45pm once you sorted yourself out. On the plus side, you were able to get me to my workout class quicker than it takes me now from where I currently live. You also went by my favorite burrito place which I haven't been to in ages because it's not convenient for me. You also would take me to Guerra's market which I miss dearly. Me thinks I should start working out on Saturdays so I can stop on by again. You also stopped at West Portal which I miss too. I will say I am jealous at times when I see you heading outbound after my workout class and I'm still waiting for the 28 line that takes forever!! Either way, I sorta have a love hate relationship with you. I can't have it all. I guess I have to just do with the lack of service you do for me at times. I'm just glad though mostly I don't have to rely on you so much anymore to get me outside the Sunset. I have the N-Judah (your better working Sunset brother) and the 71/71L/16bx to get me where I need to go. I'll see you next Monday for my class. read more

Unbelievable!!! They are always late!!! This is horrible and completely unreliable. Always, always late!! Now, the trains are nice to ride. I just wish I could stop getting late to work due to late drivers, who keep waiting for other drivers to arrive and chat before leaving. Can someone do something about it?? Is it that hard to depart on time?????? read more

The L Taraval is about as bad as they come--especially in the evenings after work. You'd think the fact that it's a subway would mean it would be faster than a bus, but that's not the case when it's crowded. You get crowded in like a sardine. Even if you get on at Embarcadero station going outbound you probably won't get a seat anytime near rush hour. M, N N, T, K, K, J, M, L. It's pretty common to wait 20 minutes or more for a train with multiples of other routes going by. Then it's so crowded that I'd rather have my teeth extracted through my nose than be on the train. Of course, sometimes I take the M or K to West Portal so I can wait for the L for 20 minutes there instead. Objective measurements of badness: commuting 30 miles on BART in or out of downtown is much faster and more reliable than going 5 miles on the L train. Yes, I know Muni is not commuter rail, but the monkeys running Muni along with the San Francisco political gridlock make this a terrible ride. Why do we get to wait in the tunnel before West Portal station for 3-5 minutes during every rush hour? Why are multiple stops, such as 35th Ave and Sunset only a block apart so that it takes 15 minutes to go 20 blocks with the seemingly limitless stops? All these things combine to make a commute from Embarcadero to Sunset Ave last an hour, sometimes more. The bag-carrying, pushy Chinese grannies are a terror, but not nearly as terrifying as Muni 's incompetence. When no one is on the train the driver manages to make the trip much faster, but once again the monkeys running Muni can't manage to space trains or allow more than one car within a mile of West Portal Station at a time, so don't count on it being a hassle free ride. I'd seriously recommend considering how bad the L train is (or drive everywhere) before ever living anywhere in the south side of the Sunset (or the Parkside) where you'll need to take this train, even occasionally. The L is seriously broken, even more than some of the rest of Muni. It might be cute at first, but then it will become like the ex whose bad habits you've come to hate and resent. read more

It seems like they sacrifice an L train to fill in for another train every time there is a problem with another line, causing the estimated L wait time to frequently jump from about 4 minutes to over 30-- without warning or compensation. Don't count on it. Use the "Next Bus" app for accurate times because it is never on it's slated schedule, and avoid it altogether if you can. Also, because it runs so infrequently, it is always crowded and sometimes smelly. P.S. I'm drafting this review while waiting for the L. I have seen every other line arrived at least twice. Some, three times. Clearly, Muni doesn't give a crap if you live in the sunset. read more

Curse you L Train! No matter how early I leave for my commute to work, something always happens that delays this damn thing. Plus it's always packed with the little terrors from Lincoln High and gobs of kids going to/from zoo field trips. The only reason I didn't give it 1 star is because it doesn't suck all the time and sometimes random weirdos make the commute entertaining. read more

Not quite as interestingly named as the N-Judah, but almost. This is a solid streetcar, and if you're going out to the southern Outer Sunset (aka Parkside), it's a winner. I know the Muni Metro meltdowns have ruined people's days, but every time I've taken this guy, it's been fun. I especially like all the turns it does right around West Portal. Can anyone explain the purpose of those? It's also neat having a line whose destination is the zoo, even if I don't like zoos and probably won't be visiting the SF Zoo in particular. read more

After living down near Irving Street for over a year, I dealt with my fair share of problems with the N line. I thought that it was as bad as it could get and that it simply could not get much worse. Boy was i wrong! The L line is consistently the most frustrating line I've dealt with it. For starters, it never shows up on its scheduled time and basically just shows up whenever it feels like it. To make matters worse, when it does finally show up, it will usually show up with 3 separate cars all right behind each other so if you miss that wave, you will most likely be waiting anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour for the next L train. On the off chance you finally get on a L line, sandwiched in between all the other L line goers, you'll often find yourself only halfway through your trip when the conductor will announce that they've received orders to turn the train around. The stop that I most often find myself left at is the West Portal Station, where I see just about every other line go by except for the L line. And then when a L line finally shows up again (usually super crowded too), the train will often go just to 22nd Ave only to receive orders yet again to turn around. At that point, I usually choose to get off and just walk the rest of the way out of pure frustration. Looking at other cities public transit (specifically the East Coast), I often wonder why MUNI can't have the same experience as that. It seems to run so much more efficiently out there and in general seems to be much more reliable. But alas, MUNI is not like that and being an SF resident, it's just something you have to deal with. For now, all we can do is just keep telling ourselves that someday, MUNI will be better...someday... read more

Oh the L Taraval. I pick you up at 24th Ave when there are usually not that many people. By time you get to West Portal, its a sardine can. And then you reach Castro street and it becomes a garbage compressor. Then, by Montgomery everyone empties out and heads sadly to work. I must give you props in that you are mildly clean, and very few crazies. And, I like feeling like Im not in the United States for about 25 minutes a day. And oooooh and the way home. "Outbound trains, J in 2 minutes, M in 3 minutes, K in 5 minutes, N N in 7 minutes" I feel depressed, where is my beloved L? And then, out of nowhere, without any adieu, you show up unannounced to take be back out to my foggy Sunset! But wait, why is there only one car? Damnit, back in like sardines. Until Castro station. read more

Yippe dee doo! I have been on better, but comparing it to the other cities, San Francisco have one of the best public transit. Its not with out problems of course. There is a room for improvement! "What!?" you gasped, "impossible!" "Well it should be built on a separate grade..." "Oh! Yeah, yeah! Of course! To clear up the street and to make the train run much faster and smoother! Plus that would make people want to use public transit more of course!" "It should be longer..." "YES!" You shouted, "Oh my god! it's always crowded with all of the people jam-packed in, like sardines in a tin!" "it can be a bit cleaner..." "YES!" "And the drivers should be a bit nicer..." "YES!" you screamed, just loud enough for everyone on Yelp to turn their head to this page, "OF COURSE! I have had enough of those rude drivers!" Ta. There you go. That's the improvement the muni need to do! Not just on the L line but on all of the train lines! read more

This train is supposed to run with good frequency of service all day long, and at night every 30 minutes as an Owl Bus. And more than half the time, it does run and you get where you need to go. The problem is that when you are trying to meet a girl for your first date, or get to the airport, the train will go AWOL. See, I don't mind late trains as long as the prediction system using GPS works, because in that case at least I know when the train is coming and I can work around that. But the nextmuni.com predictions for this train's arrival cannot be trusted! The other day, I was trying to get to SF via the express SamTrans bus. To reach this bus, I planned to take the L from Sunset Blvd and Taraval into Civic Center. Nextmuni predictions showed 5* and 6 minutes when I reached my stop. 20 minutes later I realized I would never make it in time for the SamTrans bus and crossed the street to catch the dreaded 29 bus to Balboa Park BART. I'm lucky I was at a place with an alternative bus route. Had I been out at 44th Ave or something, I would have missed my flight. read more

We live almost at the end of the line, so being able to get all the way downtown in almost the same amount of time it would take to drive - and way less money than it would cost to park - is pretty awesome. Okay, yes, there's sometimes a delay between reality and when it says it's supposed to come. And the trains aren't always exactly clean. But it's public transit, what do you expect? My biggest beef is when they have an out-of-service train sitting right behind the entire block of parked cars for no apparent reason, for at least half an hour. Not so much fun when you're trying to get out and to work, but the operator is usually nice and tries to move out of the way if you go talk to him. read more

Caught the L from the West Portal station going towards the zoo. This train gets FREAKIN packed. I thought folks would unload at the West Portal Station but I was wrong The ride towards the zoo was alright. Not a seat to sit in but I managed. In being tall I was able to grab hold of one of railing. The issue that I have about this train is that the train times are a bit off in regards to arrival and departure times. That should be addressed. Aside from the above mentioned issue the train fine. I had no issues with riders or ride itself. This was the first train that I have been on that does not smell like pee and feces which was a nice change. For some reason this train seems to get cleaned more frequently that others!! In going both to and from the zoo on the L train I was impressed. The drivers seem to stop at the indicated stop signs and don't forget to open ALL the DOORS and the designated stops for the train. #goodjobL read more

Delays delays delays delays delays delays delays delays delays delays delays issues issues issues issues issues more delays more delays more delays stuck on train stuck on train and done. The best that this is for. Its god damn magical. :) read more

This is the least occupied area from sf muni(per them; I use this everyday). They jack up their rates yet you wait more than 30 mins for a train that is scheduled to arrive only to try to board.. and it is out of service. You'd think with jacking up rates it would get better; but it is the same shit! Muni is supposed to get us where we need to go, hence we buy clipper cards and transfers to make it happen... but it doesn't happen and muni keeps getting perpetually worse for those who count on it. Not a fan and wonder who is embezzling all the money while our sorry assets wait in the rain for a bus.. 'that is then labeled 'out of service-no passengers' what the f*ck? And to top it off, trying to get to the sunset from downtown, you gotta pack light as the trains are less frequent and always filled to the brim from Montgomery station outbound... maybe muni can clean up their act, as we as the paying folk suffer... Key point: muni needs to understand that more trains are needed to and from the sunset on the L Line read more

-4 Stars for having seat reduced to make it unsafe to ride (Even when muni claims that reducing seats cause safety 1 Star for a direct line to west portal read more

Muni doesn't print a schedule for this line so you never know if or when a train will arrive. Many times throughout the week they just stop running the L and assume people will know they should take the M or K to the West Portal Station - but they never post signs or make announcements about it. The tracks along this line have never properly accommodated the lame-ass Breda cars so turns can be a bit precarious at times. read more

Fuck you L Taraval driver at 32nd & Taraval on 8/21/10 @ 11:15am. I wanted to board the 2nd train but the button didn't light up and the doors didn't open after I pushed the button. I ran to the first car and you closed the doors. I pounded repeatedly and you still drove away. I know you heard me. And I also know you're supposed to check your fucking mirrors. So I know you saw me and just didn't give a rats ass. Oh and to the bitch with the coffee in your hand and paying your fare, you turned around when you heard me pounding. I saw you! You couldn't even say nothing to the bus driver? I hope that hot coffee spilled on you! I called 673MUNI and filed a complaint. I know nothing's going to be done about it. But hey, I was so freaking pissed! Thanks to you I'm late to work. Now I'm on the next train #1474B. This isn't the first time this has happened to me. Obviously if you see someone at a bus stop, they're waiting to get on. I always drive to work and on those rare days that I do need to take the L, some shit always happens. Train breaks down, trains stuck in tunnel, and now shit like this. Muni, you need to get your act together. Don't just hire any imbecile to drive. Do you even pay attention to all the accidents you guys have on a daily basis? You might as well be PAYING every transit rider. You'd be saving more money than handing out all those "settlement fees". read more

There is not much I can say about the L Taraval that hasnt already been said...it takes me longer to get to work from 23rd and Taraval than it does my coworker coming from Pleasanton. Also the rule seems to be that if you are waiting for a train without a doubt you will see 5 going in the opposite direction and when you finally see a train coming in your direction it will be out of service. Aside from the problems with the train itself my main gripe is that there are always old biddies who push you in order to get on first...sorry lady I would help you with your 20 bags of groceries but not if youre going to be a bitch and shove me out of the way. read more