M Ocean View riders step off the train onto a new boarding island at the line’s final outbound stop on San Jose and Niagara avenues.
M Ocean View Muni riders now have a safer, easier connection to Balboa Park BART. Before, riders had to step off the train directly into the street at the San Jose Avenue last stop near Balboa Park BART Station. The street design at the stop simply didn’t allow for a widened sidewalk or an island riders could step onto when leaving the train.
Recently, we found a solution. We moved the stop across the street to the south side of the intersection. This provided room to build a boarding island. Now, riders step comfortably onto the platform before moving on to their destination or switching to a nearby bus or train line.
M Ocean View Transit and Safety Project
The new boarding island is one of the first quick-build elements of the M Ocean View Transit and Safety Project. The project was approved by the SFMTA Board of Directors in February 2024 after two years of community outreach. By including a quick-build phase for the project, we made sure community members could benefit in a matter of months.
We also worked with SF Public Works crews on a new approach. Construction happened while the trains continued running. This way, we avoided disruption to train riders and saved money.
Traffic safety at M Ocean View stops
Getting on and off Muni safely was a common concern riders shared with us during project outreach. From 2017-2022, an average of two people per year were hit by cars while getting on or off the M Ocean View in this area.
The new boarding island is expected to calm traffic more generally at this intersection. This section of San Jose Avenue is currently on the high-injury network. The network is the 12% of city streets where 68% of severe and fatal traffic collisions occur.
The M Ocean View project is part of our Muni Forward program. This program has delivered over 100 miles of transit improvements in San Francisco over the past 10 years. These projects make Muni faster and more reliable. They also improve safety for people walking along transit corridors.
District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safai is excited about the island’s traffic safety benefits. "The new boarding island on San Jose Avenue is a huge step forward in enhancing the safety and accessibility of our streets for transit riders," the supervisor said. "Making San Jose Avenue safer is a top priority for me and residents of District 11. This new boarding island will help prevent future tragedies at one of the city's busiest corridors."
District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar also welcomes the change: “These are exactly the type of transit improvements that seniors, children and all District 7 residents need,” she said. “Everyone traveling near Balboa Park BART benefits, including City College students, the hundreds of new residents at Kapuso at the Upper Yard, and future residents at the Balboa Reservoir development. People can get to Muni more safely, and soon they can ride a faster and more reliable train.”
Muni Stop Lighting Project
Riders may also notice another addition to the island. We added a solar-powered light that the SFMTA is testing as part of the Muni Stop Lighting Project. Riders have identified lighting at Muni stops as a top priority to improve their sense of safety. The solar-powered light is easy and cost-effective to install. If it proves successful, we hope to roll the lights out at more stops citywide as funding allows. Riders can share their feedback on the light in a short survey.
Installing a solar panel at the new M Ocean View boarding island.
What’s next for the M Ocean View
The M Ocean View Transit and Safety Project will add more quick-build improvements in 2025. In the middle of 2026, we will begin full capital construction. This construction will add more traffic safety improvements on San Jose Avenue. It will also make both M Ocean View stops near Balboa Park Station fully accessible to people using wheelchairs, strollers or carts.
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