2-Car Boarding Mostly Returns To K Ingleside Trains

After extending the transit boarding islands on the K Ingleside light rail line in the direction of Balboa Park this month, Muni passengers who continue on the K from West Portal station will no longer have to switch from the second-car to the first-car. 

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said the K will now open the second-car train for service starting Sept. 28 in the outbound direction, a move that transit officials will save time and double passenger capacity on the K.

“When the K trains pull into West Portal station, the operator has to shut down the train, leave the cabin, go to the back car, and tell everyone to move to the front car and close and lock the doors on the back car," SFMTA Transportation Director Jeffrey Tumlin told The Ingleside Light.

After locking the second-car train doors, the operator has to go through a restart sequence that can take several minutes “at the worst place in the system to have a delay, because it's where all the trains are coming through,” Tumlin added.

The upgraded boarding islands are part of the quick-build phase of the K Ingleside Rapid Project.

It could be up to two minutes for the operator to complete the check to ensure the second-car train is empty of passengers, causing other trains with passengers behind the K to wait before entering West Portal station.

Tumlin said installing the larger boarding islands at was also a critical safety upgrade, especially for students attending Aptos Middle School who use the K to get to and from school. Crews completed both the inbound and outbound stops at Aptos Avenue.

Three other westbound boarding islands were upgraded along Ocean Avenue at San Leandro Avenue, Victoria Street and Miramar Avenue. SFMTA spokesperson Michael Roccaforte said that based on the agency’s shop availability, the three remaining westbound boarding islands will be completed in early 2025.

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When the K arrives at the City College stop, passengers continuing to Balboa Park station will need to get off the second-car train and move to the first-car train as the platform the K uses at Balboa Park is not long enough, Roccaforte said. He added that there are fewer passengers by the time the train arrives at that stop and that the procedure will not cause delays to other lines as it did at West Portal station.

Traffic signals will be upgraded as part of the project to allow the K to take advantage of traffic signal priority, allowing greenlights to extend longer for approaching trains.

Tumlin said other parts of the project, including pedestrian safety improvements and transit-only lanes, will be installed later and incrementally so as not to disrupt transit riders, businesses and residents. No dates were given on when those project elements will be installed.

Roccaforte added that the agency will be looking for new commercial, passenger and general loading zones to help with double parking in the commercial corridor.

Other changes taking place on Saturday include the removal of two transit stops, one at Westgate Drive and the other at Cerritos Avenue. Transit officials previously said ridership boarding was low at both the stops and removed them to speed up the K.

Major capital construction for the project will not begin until 2027, according to the SFMTA.

The public can sign up for updates on the project on the SFMTA’s website.