J Church
Encyclopedia
The J Church is a Muni Metro
railway line in San Francisco, California mainly serving the Noe Valley and Balboa Park neighborhoods, connecting them to downtown. It began as one of San Francisco's streetcar lines in 1917, and was converted to modern light rail
operation with the creation of the Muni Metro system in the late 1970s. While many streetcar lines were converted to bus lines after World War II
, the J Church remained a streetcar line due to the private right-of-way
it uses to avoid the steepest grades on Church Street, between 18th Street and 22nd Street. Buses can not negotiate the grades, and the right-of-way is too narrow to accommodate anything wider than the streetcar tracks.
in the Financial District
to Balboa Park Station and the Balboa Park neighborhood near City College of San Francisco
. The downtown portion of the line uses the Market Street Subway, along with four other Muni Metro lines (K, L, M and N lines). The J exits the tunnel at Duboce Avenue along with the N Judah
and turns onto Church Street. Between 18th and 20th Street, the line cuts through Dolores Park
on a private right-of-way. After crossing 20th Street, it cuts across the blocks east of Church, around a steep hill and returns to Church Street at 22nd Street in Noe Valley. The J then follows Church to 30th Street, then to San Jose Avenue and Geneva. Between Randall and Cotter Streets, there is a right-of-way in the middle of San Jose Avenue. At the end of the line, the J loops around the Metro yard at San Jose and Geneva.
The J Church line stops at large stations for the downtown section of the route and at smaller stops on the rest of the line. Most of the smaller stops are designated by a sign on the sidewalk, while a few have concrete 'islands' in the middle of the street next to the tracks that provide access for wheelchairs.
service on the 24 Divisadero line runs near the portion of the J line north of 30th Street, and 14 Mission owl service runs near the portion of the line south of 30th.
cars a route to the Geneva Yard, where they are stored when not in service. Some J Church trains still use the wye at 30th and Church as a terminus during rush hours.
Muni Metro
Muni Metro is a light rail system serving San Francisco, California, operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway , a division of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency...
railway line in San Francisco, California mainly serving the Noe Valley and Balboa Park neighborhoods, connecting them to downtown. It began as one of San Francisco's streetcar lines in 1917, and was converted to modern light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
operation with the creation of the Muni Metro system in the late 1970s. While many streetcar lines were converted to bus lines after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the J Church remained a streetcar line due to the private right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
it uses to avoid the steepest grades on Church Street, between 18th Street and 22nd Street. Buses can not negotiate the grades, and the right-of-way is too narrow to accommodate anything wider than the streetcar tracks.
Route description
The line runs from Embarcadero StationEmbarcadero Station
Embarcadero is a BART and Muni Metro station in the Financial District of San Francisco. The easternmost stop on the Market Street Subway, Embarcadero acts as a major hub for passenger movement throughout the San Francisco Bay Area...
in the Financial District
Financial District, San Francisco, California
The Financial District is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, that serves as its main central business district. The nickname "FiDi" is occasionally employed, analogous to nearby SoMa.-Location:...
to Balboa Park Station and the Balboa Park neighborhood near City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco, or CCSF, is a two-year community college in San Francisco, California. The Ocean Avenue campus, in the Ingleside neighborhood, is the college's primary location...
. The downtown portion of the line uses the Market Street Subway, along with four other Muni Metro lines (K, L, M and N lines). The J exits the tunnel at Duboce Avenue along with the N Judah
N Judah
The N Judah is a Muni Metro line in San Francisco, California, so called as it runs along Judah Street for much of its length, named after railroad engineer Theodore Judah. It links downtown San Francisco to the Cole Valley and Sunset neighborhoods. It is the busiest line in the Muni Metro system...
and turns onto Church Street. Between 18th and 20th Street, the line cuts through Dolores Park
Dolores Park
Mission Dolores Park is a San Francisco, California, city park located in the neighborhood of Mission Dolores, at the western edge of the Mission District, which lies to the east of the park. To the west of the park is a hillside referred to as "Dolores Heights" or considered a part of the Castro...
on a private right-of-way. After crossing 20th Street, it cuts across the blocks east of Church, around a steep hill and returns to Church Street at 22nd Street in Noe Valley. The J then follows Church to 30th Street, then to San Jose Avenue and Geneva. Between Randall and Cotter Streets, there is a right-of-way in the middle of San Jose Avenue. At the end of the line, the J loops around the Metro yard at San Jose and Geneva.
The J Church line stops at large stations for the downtown section of the route and at smaller stops on the rest of the line. Most of the smaller stops are designated by a sign on the sidewalk, while a few have concrete 'islands' in the middle of the street next to the tracks that provide access for wheelchairs.
Operation
The J Church begins service at 5 a.m. weekdays, 6 a.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. Sundays and continues until 12:15 a.m. every night. Headways range from 7 to 15 minutes during the day, and 15 to 20 minutes at night. There is no late night service along the entire J line. Some of the route is covered by the L-Owl and N-Owl service provided by diesel buses run on Market Street between Church Street and Steuart Street. OwlNight bus
A night bus service or owl service is a public transport bus service which operates through the night time hours. Many cities operate such services, either in addition to or in substitution for ordinary daytime bus services or rapid transit rail services which may shut for maintenance or due to...
service on the 24 Divisadero line runs near the portion of the J line north of 30th Street, and 14 Mission owl service runs near the portion of the line south of 30th.
Extension to Balboa Park Station
The outbound end of the line was originally at Church and 30th Streets, but was extended to the Balboa Park Station in 1991. This extension allowed the J-line to connect to the Green Light Rail Center, and now provides vintage F MarketF Market
The F Market & Wharves line is one of several light rail lines in San Francisco, California. Unlike the other lines, the F line is operated as a heritage streetcar service, using exclusively historic equipment both from San Francisco's retired fleet as well as from cities around the world...
cars a route to the Geneva Yard, where they are stored when not in service. Some J Church trains still use the wye at 30th and Church as a terminus during rush hours.