At long last, the long-delayed 4-stop Castro Muni Station elevator has finally opened.
As first reported by the Bay Area Reporter, the elevator quietly began service for the Thursday morning commute.
It's been more than three years since work began on the new Castro Muni Station glass elevator. Construction began in June 2023, and the project was expected to wrap up in early 2026. However, that deadline came and went.
The new Castro Station elevator is now open. | Photo: Steven Bracco/Hoodline
“I am glad that it is finally happening, and I am as frustrated as anyone it took as long as it did,” District 8 Supervisor and Board President Rafael Mandelman told the BAR. “And I am hopeful that charter reform will lead to improvements in our procurement and capital project delivery.”
“The new Castro Station elevator delivers a safer, more accessible and convenient connection between Market Street, Harvey Milk Plaza and Muni Metro. We’re grateful to the Castro community and Muni riders for their patience throughout construction as we deliver this long-awaited improvement,” SFMTA director of transportation Julie Kirschbaum told the BAR.
A ribbon-cutting date has not been announced at this time.
Hoodline readers will recall that SFMTA originally announced the $14.5 million, 18-month Castro Station Accessibility Improvements project in December 2018 with a completion date of 2022.
The Market St. level elevator entrance. | Photo: Steven Bracco/Hoodline
The new glass elevator includes four stops: below-ground at the inbound platform-level, entry-level at the plaza and fare gates, street-level at Castro Street, and street-level at Market Street. The fourth stop was added at the request of the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza (FHMP).
Castro resident Darrin Martin was one of the first community members to ride the new elevator Thursday morning. "It was a smooth ride," said Martin. "You can conveniently enter from Market St. or the opposite side at the top of Harvey Milk Plaza."
"It was spacious enough to easily accommodate multiple people or individuals using mobility devices," added Martin.
When Hoodline stopped by on Thursday to test the elevator, the platform-level stop was not available. A Muni station attendant informed Hoodline that the platform-level stop was only for emergencies and would not be available for Muni riders.
Muni riders will need to go through the fare gates and take another elevator down to the platform. | Photo: Steven Bracco/Hoodline
Instead, Muni riders will take the elevator down to the mezzanine, walk through the fare gates, and then take another elevator down to the platform.
SFMTA spokespersons Erica Kato and Michael Roccaforte and SF Public Works spokesperson Rachel Gordon did not immediately respond to Hoodline's request for comment on the platform-level elevator stop.
The project website, which was recently updated, indicates that the platform-level stop was for "improved maintenance and emergency access to underground Muni Metro service."
Elevator stop information was recently updated on the project's website. | Image: Steven Bracco/Hoodline
During its 3+ year construction phase, the elevator project has faced several delays.
The project was first delayed until Fall 2021 and again until Fall 2022. Now, 8+ years later, construction has wrapped up.
In June, Hoodline reported that SFMTA and SF Public Works were preparing for a July opening. While the fencing came down just in time for Pride, that deadline was missed as well.
At the time, SFMTA spokesperson Michael Roccaforte told Hoodline that a few factors contributed to the delay.
Photo: Steven Bracco/Hoodline
"We’re still awaiting a state inspection, and there are some procurement delays, but given that we’re in June and we’re anticipating heavy foot traffic during Pride and other activities, we’re going to revisit in July and offer an update then," said Roccaforte.
Mission District resident and activist Michael Petrelis was able to get a more detailed response and explanation from project manager Christian Kalinowski.
"The elevator is still being held up by a few pieces of glass that have been delayed coming from Turkey," explained Kalinowski. "The glass is due to arrive at the Port on June 18th, which will be followed by the work to install the glass."
View from the Castro St. level entrance. | Photo: Steven Bracco/Hoodline
The elevator is required to bring the station into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The new elevator was constructed in the fenced-off area behind the plaza's display of photos honoring Harvey Milk. The project also widened the sidewalk, replaced the plaza's existing lighting, and regraded the pavement above Castro Station to make it more accessible.
Beautification improvements included replanting the concourse-level terraces and installing new fences and benches.
Castro Station and plaza under construction (1977). | Photo: OpenSFHistory
In June, Kalinowski informed Hoodline that the benches would not be installed. "Regarding the benches, this project is not planned to install additional benches around the facility," explained Kalinowski.
The elevator construction was supposed to occur in tandem with the FHMP redesign of Harvey Milk Plaza.
The groundbreaking for that project was originally pushed back until January 2027. However, SF Public Works spokesperson Rachel Gordon tells Hoodline the project is now delayed until Spring 2027.
Overview of the design changes proposed by FHMP and SWA Group. | Image courtesy of Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza
"Construction of the community-driven makeover of Harvey Milk Plaza is scheduled to start in Summer 2027," said Gordon.
When asked if the elevator will remain accessible during the plaza remodel, Gordon explained, "Given the significant construction work in the plaza, the elevator there will be offline at times — the exact sequence of construction has not been finalized. The Castro Station will remain accessible throughout construction via the elevator at the northwest corner of Castro and Market streets."
Construction is anticipated to take 18 months and be completed by June 2028.
The project was funded in part by the passage of Proposition B in November 2024 — a $390 million bond measure that included $25 million for the plaza redo project. The project is estimated to cost $25 million plus $4-6 million for additional features.
