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9 Comments

  1. Signs won’t work as long as people are self-absorbed and inattentive. Maybe have stricter licensing requirements to begin with, including a test on signage. I don’t recall being asked a single question about signs on the test I took.

  2. In case anyone was wondering, this is why we can’t have nice things. How much time and money will be expended to solve a problem that shouldn’t even exist? The signage prohibiting left turns across the T right-of-way is very clear.

    Sure, there are probably ways in which the design of the T could have been better, but the real problem here is willfully reckless drivers.

  3. Two more areas that need help. 4th & King needs some improvements in not just signal priority, but extending lights to allow more than 1 train in each direction to cross the intersection. No reason why T and N in same direction can’t go through without waiting 3 mins for the next complete light cycle.

    Same issue on Embarcadero and Folsom where trains enter and exist the tunnel. If the lights on Embarcadero would stay green for 5 secs longer, most trains would get delayed by 3 mins while waiting for the next cycle.

    • Part of the delay at Folsom/Embarcadero is switching from automatic control in the subway to manual. Yeah, I know, it shouldn’t be complicated or take time, but we’re dealing with Muni and added delays are the norm. The inbound problem also suffers from trains backed up at the turnaround between the portal and Embarcadero station so N/K trains often sit outside waiting their turn.

      • On rare occasions, you’ll find E and K/N/T cross folsom on the same light cycle, but that’s only if drivers are on top of their game and pay attention. That’s why adding 5-10 secs to the light cycle would do wonders.

        Another easy solution is for inbound direction, always give priority to E/F tracks since those trains don’t stop until Harrison. Then add 5 secs to the light cycle and K/N/T inbound can cross Folsom and stop at the Folsom station. The timing is sooo close that’s sad no one has improved it.

    • Federal safety requirements prevent trains from getting too close together at the Fourth & King intersection as trains merge, diverge, and cross over. It’s particular to rail standards and can’t be synced with the light.

      The problem is that turning T trains add an extra phase to the signal, which will go away when the Central Subway opens. At that point the turn will be used mainly for trains pulling in and out. But normal service will have the T trains crossing the intersection north-south with traffic, while the E & N lines with cross east-west with traffic on and off I-280. It’s a bit complicated, but it’s also why the lanes on the Fourth street bridge don’t seem to make sense right now.

      The SFMTA spent a couple years testing and researching options, but nothing which could make a dent could happen any faster than it would be disrupted for Central Subway construction anyway.

      • After T turns onto KIng, the lights switch and there a 30 second cycle for traffic traveling straight. If that cycle were extended by 10 secs, an N could easily cross the intersection with enough margin for safety.

        Just look at how closely we get Inbound N and Ts stacked up before 4th & King intersection, so it feels like it’s possible to have two trains go per cycle.

        Also, that intersection is for muni is strangely designed where the switching happens at the intersection. Everywhere in Europe, the divergent track happens mid-block, so you can have 1 turning train and 1 straight train approach the intersection. There’s room for 3 tracks at that spot (and that cross-over would then be moved back closer to 3rd and King.

        Anyway, not much use arguing, but just disappointing when best practices are ignored where examples are everywhere at 4th & King with every car direction having a left turn pocket.