Muni's T-Third line to undergo another 10-day bus substitutionPhotos: Teresa Hammerl/Hoodline
Teresa Hammerl
Published on May 20, 2019

After a two-month stint earlier this year, Muni's T-Third rail line is once again going bus-only, this time for 10 days. 

Starting this Saturday, May 25, and continuing through Sunday, June 2, trains will go dark on the line as crews work to install "platform amenities" for the line's revamped UCSF Mission Bay station (on 3rd Street between South and 16th streets).

The work requires Muni to deactivate the power lines that support the trains, making it impossible for them to operate.

The T-Third line has been in upheaval this year, as the UCSF Mission Bay station undergoes the demolition and replacement of its platforms in order to accommodate Golden State Warriors fans at the forthcoming Chase Center, set to open in September. 

When the UCSF Mission Bay station reopens, it will have one 320-foot platform that can hold up to 700 travelers at one time, allowing four two-car trains to stop simultaneously for events at the Chase Center.

During the 10-day bus substitution, passengers will be able to board buses at curbside stops near the train platforms between Sunnydale and Embarcadero, the SFMTA said. K-Ingleside trains will only travel between Balboa Park and Embarcadero stations, while the E-Embarcadero will go offline.

Third Street will remain open to through traffic, but drivers should expect delays and longer travel times near the construction zone.

Even after the bus substitution ends, the UCSF Mission Bay station will not return to service just yet. "The new platform is anticipated to open in late June," SFMTA spokesperson Erica Kato tells Hoodline.

Once it opens, new platform will also need to undergo additional testing in July, necessitating yet another T-Third bus substitution. But "that's only anticipated to last one weekend," Kato said.