Jump to content

Powell Street station: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 37°47′02″N 122°24′29″W / 37.784°N 122.408°W / 37.784; -122.408
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Octoferret (talk | contribs)
782 edits
 
(334 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Rapid transit station in San Francisco, California, US}}
'''Powell Street Station''' is a [[Muni Metro]] and [[BART]] station at the intersection of [[Market Street]] and Powell Street in downtown [[San Francisco]]. The intersection is also the location of the southern end of the line for the Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde [[San Francisco cable car system|cable car]] lines. [[Union Square (San Francisco)|Union Square]] is about two blocks away from the station.
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Powell
| style = BART
| symbol_location = bart
| symbol = yes
| symbol_location2 = sanfrancisco
| symbol2 = metro
| image = Outbound S Shuttle train at Powell station, December 2017.jpg
| caption = An outbound Muni Metro train at Powell station in 2017
| address = 899 [[Market Street (San Francisco)|Market Street]]
| borough = [[San Francisco, California]]
| coordinates = {{coord|37.784|-122.408|region:US_type:railwaystation|display=inline,title}}
| owned = [[Bay Area Rapid Transit District|San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District]]
| line = [[Market Street subway]]<br />[[BART M-Line]]
| structure = Underground
| platform = 1 [[island platform]] (BART)<br />1 island platform (Muni Metro)<br />[[Side platform]]s (Muni surface)
| tracks = 2 [[5 ft 6 in gauge railway|wide gauge]] (BART)<br />2 [[standard gauge]] (Muni Metro)<br />2 standard gauge (Muni surface)
| connections = {{Unbulleted list
| {{rint|sanfrancisco|metro}} {{rint|sanfrancisco|T}} at {{munis|Union Square/Market Street}}
| {{bus icon}} [[San Francisco Municipal Railway|Muni]], [[AC Transit]], [[Golden Gate Transit]], [[SamTrans]]
| {{rint|sanfrancisco|cable}} {{Muni route|PH}}, {{Muni route|PM}}
}}
| bicycle =
| accessible = Yes
| architect = [[Skidmore, Owings & Merrill]]<ref name="Cerny 2007">{{Cite book |last=Cerny |first=Susan Dinkelspiel |title=An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area |publisher=Gibbs Smith |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-58685-432-4 |edition=1st |location=Layton, UT |pages=501–502 |language=en-US |oclc=85623396}}</ref>
| code = {{BART code|POWL}}
| opened = {{start date|1973|11|05|mf=y}} (BART)<ref name=history /><br />{{start date|1980|02|18|mf=y}} (Muni)<ref name=chronology>{{Muni Chronology|page=57}}</ref>
| mpassengers = {{rail pass box|system=BART|passengers={{BART ridership|Powell}}|pass_year={{BART ridership|date}}}}
| services_collapsible = yes
| services = {{Adjacent stations
|system1=BART
|line1=Blue|left1=Civic Center|right1=Montgomery
|line2=Green|left2=Civic Center|right2=Montgomery
|line3=Red|left3=Civic Center|right3=Montgomery
|line4=Yellow|left4=Civic Center|right4=Montgomery
|system5=MUNI
|line5=J|left5=Civic Center|right5=Montgomery
|line6=K|left6=Civic Center|right6=Montgomery
|line7=L|left7=Civic Center|right7=Montgomery
|line8=M|left8=Civic Center|right8=Montgomery
|line9=N|left9=Civic Center|right9=Montgomery
|line10=S|left10=Civic Center|right10=Montgomery
|note-row11=At Union Square/Market Street station
|line12=T|left12=Chinatown|right12=Yerba Buena/Moscone
|note-row13=At surface stops
|line14=F|left14=Market and 6th Street / Market and Taylor|right14=Market and 3rd Street / Market and Kearny
}}
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-zoom = 14
}}


'''Powell Street station''' (often '''Powell station''') is a combined [[Bay Area Rapid Transit|BART]] and [[Muni Metro]] [[rapid transit]] station in the [[Market Street subway]] in downtown [[San Francisco]]. Located under [[Market Street (San Francisco)|Market Street]] between 4th Street and 5th Street, it serves the [[Financial District, San Francisco|Financial District]] neighborhood and surrounding areas. The three-level station has a large fare mezzanine level, with separate platform levels for Muni Metro and BART below. The station is served by the BART [[Red Line (BART)|Red]], [[Yellow Line (BART)|Yellow]], [[Green Line (BART)|Green]], and [[Blue Line (BART)|Blue]] lines, and the Muni Metro [[J Church]], [[K Ingleside]], [[L Taraval]], [[M Ocean View]], [[N Judah]], and [[S Shuttle]] lines.
Like most of the other stations along the [[Market Street Subway]], the concourse mezzanine is on the first level down, an island platform for the Muni Metro is on the second level down, and the island platform for BART is on the third level down.


The fare mezzanine also connects to the [[Union Square/Market Street station]]. The Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde [[San Francisco cable car system|cable car]] lines turn around at Powell and Market adjacent to the station and [[Hallidie Plaza]]. BART service at the station began on November 5, 1973, followed by Muni Metro service on February 18, 1980.<ref name=history>{{BART History}}</ref><ref name=chronology />
==Muni Metro lines that stop at Powell Street Station==
*[[J Church]]
*[[K Ingleside]]
*[[L Taraval]]
*[[M Oceanview]]
*[[N Judah]]
*[[S Castro Shuttle]]


==Station layout==
==BART lines that stop at Powell Street Station==
[[File:Halladie Plaza and Powell Street station entrance (2), April 2010.jpg|thumb|left|Hallidie Plaza entrance to the station]]
{{Start BART box}}
[[File:New canopy at Powell Street station, March 2019.JPG|thumb|left|The new canopy in March 2019]]
{{BART four line|[[Montgomery Street Station|Montgomery St.]]|[[Civic Center Station (San Francisco)|Civic Center]]}}
[[File:BART trains at Powell Street station, December 2023.jpg|thumb|left|BART trains at the station in December 2023]]
{{end box}}
Like the three other shared Muni/BART stations in the Market Street subway, Powell has three underground levels. The first level is a fare mezzanine, with two Muni paid areas and two BART paid areas. The second level has a single [[island platform]] for Muni Metro, and the third level has an island platform for BART.<ref name=stationmap>{{cite web |url=http://www.actransit.org/wp-content/uploads/HSP_POWL-station.pdf |title=Station Map: Powell Station |publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Commission |date=August 15, 2019}}</ref> The station has eight street entrances along its length, plus two underground entrances to the fare mezzanine from the concourse level of the [[Emporium Centre San Francisco]] mall.<ref name=stationmap /> The mall pays BART about $750,000 per year for the entrances.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/s-f-s-westfield-mall-s-unusual-bart-arrangement-18152062.php |title=Westfield’s S.F. mall benefits from a rare arrangement with BART. Here’s how much it costs the mall |first=Ricardo |last=Cano |date=June 14, 2023 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=June 20, 2023}}</ref> A closed passageway leads from the northeast end of the station under Market Street partway to Third Street; this was planned to be a direct entrance from the Yerba Buena Center development, but was never completed.<ref name=seis /><ref name=modernization /> Powell and nearby [[Montgomery Street station|Montgomery]], both designed by [[Skidmore, Owings & Merrill]], have similar designs – including distinctive domed hexagonal "bubble tiles" on the mezzanine level.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2023/news20230125 |title=The story of BART’s iconic bubble tiles |date=January 25, 2023 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref>
The [[Central Subway (San Francisco)|Central Subway]] passes under the Powell station complex at Stockton and Fourth streets, with [[Union Square/Market Street station]] located north of Powell station under Stockton Street. The stations are connected outside of Muni fare control by a passageway.<ref name=seis>{{cite book |url=https://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/reports/2017/Central_Subway_Final_SEISSEIR_Volume_I_Part1.pdf |pages=2–44, 2–45 |title=Central Subway Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement / Supplemental Environmental Impact Report |chapter=Chapter 2: Alternatives |date=September 2008 |publisher=Federal Transit Administration |volume=1}}</ref><ref name=modernization /> The existing Stockton/Ellis entrance to Powell Street station was closed for a planned five years on April 24, 2013, so that it could be modified to include the connection to the new station.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2013/news20130418 |title=Stockton and Ellis Street Entrance at Powell Street Station Closing |date=April 18, 2013 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref> The closure was originally planned for the previous August, but delayed after Muni determined it was not yet needed.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://sfappeal.com/2013/04/central-subway-construction-closes-apple-store-entrance-to-powell-station/ |title=Central Subway Construction Closes Apple Store Entrance To Powell Station |newspaper=San Francisco Appeal |date=April 24, 2013 |access-date=September 29, 2017}}</ref> Muni purchased the entrance from BART [[Peppercorn (legal)|for one dollar]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/02/26/central-subway-construction-making-headway/ |publisher=CBS San Francisco |date=February 26, 2017 |first=Wilson |last=Walker |title=KPIX Sky Drone 5 Explores the Tunnels of the Central Subway |access-date=October 2, 2017}}</ref> Central Subway service began on November 19, 2022, with the Ellis entrance reopened.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.sfmta.com/blog/central-subway-opens-november-19-special-weekend-service |title=Central Subway Opens November 19 with Special Weekend Service |date=November 1, 2022 |publisher=San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency}}</ref>
Following the 2015 addition of a canopy over an escalator at [[19th Street Oakland station]], which reduced escalator downtime by one-third, BART decided to add canopies to all downtown Oakland and San Francisco entrances.<ref name=entrances>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115090616/https://www.bart.gov/about/planning/sfentrances |archive-date=November 15, 2018 |url=https://www.bart.gov/about/planning/sfentrances |title=SF BART and Muni Escalator/Entrance Project |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref> The canopies protect the escalator from weather damage, improve lighting, allow the escalator to be fully closed off when the station is not open, and provide a location for real-time train arrival information displays. The Powell station entrance at Market and Ellis was chosen for early implementation; it was closed on November 6, 2017, with the new canopy opened on September 29, 2018.<ref name=entrances /> Construction of the Market Street entrances will begin in 2020, with completion in 2027.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2020/news20200123-0 |title=BART to build canopies over San Francisco Market Street entrances |date=January 23, 2020 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref> The southern entrance of 5th Street was closed on January 10, 2022, for canopy construction.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2021/news20211221-0 |title=5th and Market entrance to Powell Street Station in SF to close 1/10/22 for work on new escalator canopy |date=December 21, 2021 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref> That entrance was completed on April 24, 2023, with the 4th Street entrance closed for construction at that time.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2023/news20230428-0 |title=BART completes construction of 3 new canopies over downtown San Francisco station entrances |date=May 1, 2023 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2023/news20230424 |title=Entrance closure alert: Powell St. Station entrance at Market and 4th St. closed 4/24/23 for work on new canopy |date=April 24, 2023 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref> The 5th Street entrance was closed on November 22, 2024, with completion expected by mid-2025.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2024/news20241115 |title=Entrance Closure Alert: Powell St. Station at 5th and Market Streets |date=November 15, 2024 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref>
In September 2015, BART released a report on possible modernization of the station. A total of $93 million in potential improvements were identified, including escalator replacement and canopy construction ($25 million), a corridor to Cyril Magnin ($13.7 million), a new mid-station elevator ($6.1 million), platform screen doors ($6 million), additional platform stairs ($5.6 million), and numerous other projects.<ref name=modernization>{{cite web |url=https://www.bart.gov/sites/default/files/docs/Powell%20Station%20Modernization%20%28Final%202015%29.pdf |title=Powell St. BART Station Modernization Program: Final Report |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District |date=September 2015}}</ref> Bathrooms in underground BART stations were closed due to security concerns after the 9/11 attacks. In 2019, BART indicated plans to open a new bathroom with an attendant at Powell in 2021.<ref name=bathroom>{{cite news |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/BART-to-reopen-bathrooms-at-Powell-19th-Street-14853431.php |title=BART to reopen bathrooms at Powell, 19th Street stations that closed after 9/11 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |first=Rachel |last=Swan |date=November 21, 2019}}</ref> In November 2019, the board issued an $11 million contract for improvements at Powell, with the bathroom expected to cost an additional $20 million.<ref name=bathroom /><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2019/news20191124 |title=Board awards contract for Powell St. Station modernization |date=November 21, 2019 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref> The new bathrooms opened on February 2, 2022.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2022/news20220131 |title=Restrooms at Powell Street Station will reopen on 2/2/22 |date=January 31, 2022 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref> The renovation was completed in November 2022.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2022/news20221122 |title=BART unveils modernized Powell St. Station in time for holiday shopping |date=November 22, 2022 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref> It included a ceiling artwork titled ''Elysium'', which depicts an illuminated view of the buildings above the station.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2022/news20221123 |title=New illuminated artwork brings the sky to Powell St. Station |date=November 23, 2022 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref>


After a test at Castro, colored lights were installed on escalators at Muni Metro stations in 2018–19. Those at Powell are yellow and burgundy, reflecting the colors of the cable cars.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.sfmta.com/project-updates/color-lights-installation-coming-muni-metro-escalators |title=Color Lights Installation Coming to Muni Metro Escalators |date=March 14, 2018 |publisher=San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.sfmta.com/blog/new-escalators-rising-challenge |title=New Escalators Rising to the Challenge |date=October 29, 2019 |publisher=San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority |first=Lori |last=Phelan}}</ref> The entrances on the southern side of the station were closed on April 13, 2020, due to low ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic. The center entrance reopened on May 15, 2021, with the remaining entrances reopened on June 12.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2020/news20200410 |title=BART opens all entrances/exits that were previously closed due to pandemic |date=June 12, 2021 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref> Thirteen BART stations, including Powell, did not originally have faregates for passengers using the elevator. In 2020, BART started a project to add faregates to elevators at these stations. The new faregate on the BART platform at Powell was installed in April 2023.<ref name=hardening /> Installation of second-generation BART faregates took place from November 4–23, 2024.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2024/news20241022-0 |title=Installation work to begin November 4 for Next Generation Fare Gates at Powell Street Station |date=October 22, 2024 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref><ref name=hardening>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204064640/https://www.bart.gov/about/projects/fare-gate |archive-date=December 4, 2024 |url=https://www.bart.gov/about/projects/fare-gate |title=New Fare Gates & Station Hardening |date=September 2024 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref>
==Other Muni lines that stop near Powell Street Station==
*5 Fulton
*6 Parnassus
*7 Haight
*9 San Bruno
*9X San Bruno Express
*9AX San Bruno "A" Express
*9BX San Bruno "B" Express
*16AX Noriega "A" Express
*16BX Noriega "B" Express
*21 Hayes
*26 Valencia
*27 Bryant
*30 Stockton
*31 Balboa
*45 Union-Stockton
*71 Haight-Noriega
*71 Haight-Noriega Limited
*90 Owl
*L Owl
*N Owl
*[[F Market]]
*Powell-Hyde cable car
*Powell-Mason cable car


Pigeons living in the station are a nuisance, which has prompted BART to take countermeasures such as installing nets and metal screens to block their nesting spots. The pigeons are attracted by passengers littering and by nearby street food vendors.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Pigeons-wont-stop-pooping-all-over-Powell-BART-11760749.php |title=Pigeons won't stop pooping all over the Powell BART station, despite attempts to curb flocks |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=August 20, 2017 |first=Drew |last=Costley}}</ref>
==See Also==
{{clear left}}
*[[Embarcadero Station]]
*[[Montgomery Street Station]]
*[[Civic Center Station (San Francisco)|Civic Center Station]]
*[[Van Ness Station]]
*[[Church Street Station (San Francisco)|Church Street Station]]
*[[Castro Street Station]]
*[[Forest Hill Station]]
*[[West Portal Station]]
*[[List of Bay Area Rapid Transit stations]]


==External links==
==Connections==
[[File:Muni 1076 at Market and 5th, August 2013.jpg|thumb|left|F Market and Wharves streetcar at Market and 5th Street]]
*[http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=37.784&longitude=-122.408&zoom=8 Street map from Mapquest]
Two Muni heritage streetcar stops are located above Powell Street station: '''Market and 4th Street''' (inbound) / '''Market and Stockton''' (outbound), and '''Market and 5th Street'''. Both are served by the [[F Market & Wharves]] line. The '''Powell and Market''' turntable of the [[San Francisco cable car system]], terminus of the Powell/Hyde and Powell/Mason lines, is located adjacent to the station next to Haladie Plaza. The station is also served by a number of Muni bus and trolleybus routes:<ref name=stops>{{cite web |url=http://www.actransit.org/wp-content/uploads/HSP_POWL-stops.pdf |title=Transit Stops: Powell Station |publisher=Metropolitan Transit Commission |date=August 10, 2019}}</ref>
*Local: {{Muni route|5}}, {{Muni route|6}}, {{Muni route|7}}, {{Muni route|8}}, {{Muni route|9}}, {{Muni route|15}}, {{Muni route|21}}, {{Muni route|27}}, {{Muni route|30}}, {{Muni route|31}}, {{Muni route|45}}
*Rapid: {{Muni route|5R}}, {{Muni route|9R}}
*Express: {{Muni route|7X}}, {{Muni route|8AX}}, {{Muni route|8BX}}, {{Muni route|81X}}
*[[All Nighter (bus service)|Owl service]]: {{Muni route|91 Owl}}, {{Muni route|J Bus}}, {{Muni route|K Bus}}, {{Muni route|K Owl}}, {{Muni route|L Bus}}, {{Muni route|L Owl}}, {{Muni route|M Bus}}, {{Muni route|N Owl}}, {{Muni route|N Bus}}


[[AC Transit]] serves Powell Street station with the 800 [[All Nighter (bus service)|All Nighter]] route during hours that BART is not operating.
{{metro-stub}}

[[Category:Bay Area Rapid Transit stations]]
Additional Muni ({{Muni route|14}}, {{Muni route|14R}}, {{Muni route|14X}}, {{Muni route|714}}), [[Golden Gate Transit]] (30, 70, 101, 101X), and [[SamTrans]] (FCX, 292, [[All Nighter (bus service)|397]], 398) bus routes run on Mission Street, one block away.<ref name=stops />
[[Category:San Francisco Municipal Railway]]

Under the planned [[Market Street (San Francisco)#Better Market Street|Better Market Street]] project, F stops would be consolidated to reduce travel times. The inbound stop at 5th Street and both stops at 4th Street would be discontinued, with a new inbound stop midway between 4th and 5th.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://sfmea.sfplanning.org/Better%20Market%20Street%20Draft%20EIR%20-%20Vol%20I.pdf |title=Better Market Street Project EIR |date=February 27, 2019 |publisher=San Francisco Planning Department |volume=1 |pages=2–53}}</ref>
{{clear left}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
*BART: [https://www.bart.gov/stations/powl Powell St. Station]
*SFMTA: Powell Station [https://www.sfmta.com/stops/powell-station-15417 inbound], [https://www.sfmta.com/stops/powell-station-16995 outbound]
*SF Bay Transit (unofficial): [https://sfbaytransit.org/metro-powell-station MUNI Metro Powell Station], [https://sfbaytransit.org/powell-st-bart-station Powell St. BART Station]

{{Union Square, San Francisco}}
{{Bay Area Rapid Transit}}
{{Muni}}
{{Bay Area Rail Stations}}

[[Category:Bay Area Rapid Transit stations in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Stations on the Yellow Line (BART)]]
[[Category:Stations on the Green Line (BART)]]
[[Category:Stations on the Red Line (BART)]]
[[Category:Stations on the Blue Line (BART)]]
[[Category:Muni Metro stations]]
[[Category:Market Street (San Francisco)]]
[[Category:Union Square, San Francisco]]
[[Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1973]]
[[Category:1973 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Railway stations located underground in California]]

Latest revision as of 23:32, 10 December 2024

Powell
Bay Area Rapid Transit
An outbound Muni Metro train at Powell station in 2017
General information
Location899 Market Street
San Francisco, California
Coordinates37°47′02″N 122°24′29″W / 37.784°N 122.408°W / 37.784; -122.408
Owned bySan Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
Line(s)Market Street subway
BART M-Line
Platforms1 island platform (BART)
1 island platform (Muni Metro)
Side platforms (Muni surface)
Tracks2 wide gauge (BART)
2 standard gauge (Muni Metro)
2 standard gauge (Muni surface)
Connections
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
AccessibleYes
ArchitectSkidmore, Owings & Merrill[1]
Other information
Station codeBART: POWL
History
OpenedNovember 5, 1973 (1973-11-05) (BART)[2]
February 18, 1980 (1980-02-18) (Muni)[3]
Passengers
202411,617 (weekday average)[4] (BART)
Services
Preceding station Bay Area Rapid Transit Following station
Civic Center
toward Daly City
 Blue Line Montgomery
toward Dublin/​Pleasanton
Green Line Montgomery
toward Berryessa
Civic Center
toward Millbrae
 Red Line Montgomery
toward Richmond
Civic Center
toward SFO or Millbrae
 Yellow Line Montgomery
toward Antioch via Pittsburg/​Bay Point
Preceding station Muni Following station
Civic Center
towards Balboa Park
 J Church Montgomery
towards Embarcadero
K Ingleside
Civic Center
towards SF Zoo
 L Taraval
Civic Center
towards San Jose and Geneva (Balboa Park)
 M Ocean View
Civic Center
towards Ocean Beach
 N Judah Montgomery
towards 4th and King
Civic Center
towards West Portal
 S Shuttle Montgomery
towards Embarcadero
At Union Square/Market Street station
Chinatown
Terminus
 T Third Street Yerba Buena/​Moscone
towards Sunnydale
At surface stops
Market and 6th Street / Market and Taylor
towards 17th Street and Castro
 F Market & Wharves Market and 3rd Street / Market and Kearny
towards Jones and Beach
Location
Map

Powell Street station (often Powell station) is a combined BART and Muni Metro rapid transit station in the Market Street subway in downtown San Francisco. Located under Market Street between 4th Street and 5th Street, it serves the Financial District neighborhood and surrounding areas. The three-level station has a large fare mezzanine level, with separate platform levels for Muni Metro and BART below. The station is served by the BART Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue lines, and the Muni Metro J Church, K Ingleside, L Taraval, M Ocean View, N Judah, and S Shuttle lines.

The fare mezzanine also connects to the Union Square/Market Street station. The Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde cable car lines turn around at Powell and Market adjacent to the station and Hallidie Plaza. BART service at the station began on November 5, 1973, followed by Muni Metro service on February 18, 1980.[2][3]

Station layout

[edit]
Hallidie Plaza entrance to the station
The new canopy in March 2019
BART trains at the station in December 2023

Like the three other shared Muni/BART stations in the Market Street subway, Powell has three underground levels. The first level is a fare mezzanine, with two Muni paid areas and two BART paid areas. The second level has a single island platform for Muni Metro, and the third level has an island platform for BART.[5] The station has eight street entrances along its length, plus two underground entrances to the fare mezzanine from the concourse level of the Emporium Centre San Francisco mall.[5] The mall pays BART about $750,000 per year for the entrances.[6] A closed passageway leads from the northeast end of the station under Market Street partway to Third Street; this was planned to be a direct entrance from the Yerba Buena Center development, but was never completed.[7][8] Powell and nearby Montgomery, both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, have similar designs – including distinctive domed hexagonal "bubble tiles" on the mezzanine level.[9]

The Central Subway passes under the Powell station complex at Stockton and Fourth streets, with Union Square/Market Street station located north of Powell station under Stockton Street. The stations are connected outside of Muni fare control by a passageway.[7][8] The existing Stockton/Ellis entrance to Powell Street station was closed for a planned five years on April 24, 2013, so that it could be modified to include the connection to the new station.[10] The closure was originally planned for the previous August, but delayed after Muni determined it was not yet needed.[11] Muni purchased the entrance from BART for one dollar.[12] Central Subway service began on November 19, 2022, with the Ellis entrance reopened.[13]

Following the 2015 addition of a canopy over an escalator at 19th Street Oakland station, which reduced escalator downtime by one-third, BART decided to add canopies to all downtown Oakland and San Francisco entrances.[14] The canopies protect the escalator from weather damage, improve lighting, allow the escalator to be fully closed off when the station is not open, and provide a location for real-time train arrival information displays. The Powell station entrance at Market and Ellis was chosen for early implementation; it was closed on November 6, 2017, with the new canopy opened on September 29, 2018.[14] Construction of the Market Street entrances will begin in 2020, with completion in 2027.[15] The southern entrance of 5th Street was closed on January 10, 2022, for canopy construction.[16] That entrance was completed on April 24, 2023, with the 4th Street entrance closed for construction at that time.[17][18] The 5th Street entrance was closed on November 22, 2024, with completion expected by mid-2025.[19]

In September 2015, BART released a report on possible modernization of the station. A total of $93 million in potential improvements were identified, including escalator replacement and canopy construction ($25 million), a corridor to Cyril Magnin ($13.7 million), a new mid-station elevator ($6.1 million), platform screen doors ($6 million), additional platform stairs ($5.6 million), and numerous other projects.[8] Bathrooms in underground BART stations were closed due to security concerns after the 9/11 attacks. In 2019, BART indicated plans to open a new bathroom with an attendant at Powell in 2021.[20] In November 2019, the board issued an $11 million contract for improvements at Powell, with the bathroom expected to cost an additional $20 million.[20][21] The new bathrooms opened on February 2, 2022.[22] The renovation was completed in November 2022.[23] It included a ceiling artwork titled Elysium, which depicts an illuminated view of the buildings above the station.[24]

After a test at Castro, colored lights were installed on escalators at Muni Metro stations in 2018–19. Those at Powell are yellow and burgundy, reflecting the colors of the cable cars.[25][26] The entrances on the southern side of the station were closed on April 13, 2020, due to low ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic. The center entrance reopened on May 15, 2021, with the remaining entrances reopened on June 12.[27] Thirteen BART stations, including Powell, did not originally have faregates for passengers using the elevator. In 2020, BART started a project to add faregates to elevators at these stations. The new faregate on the BART platform at Powell was installed in April 2023.[28] Installation of second-generation BART faregates took place from November 4–23, 2024.[29][28]

Pigeons living in the station are a nuisance, which has prompted BART to take countermeasures such as installing nets and metal screens to block their nesting spots. The pigeons are attracted by passengers littering and by nearby street food vendors.[30]

Connections

[edit]
F Market and Wharves streetcar at Market and 5th Street

Two Muni heritage streetcar stops are located above Powell Street station: Market and 4th Street (inbound) / Market and Stockton (outbound), and Market and 5th Street. Both are served by the F Market & Wharves line. The Powell and Market turntable of the San Francisco cable car system, terminus of the Powell/Hyde and Powell/Mason lines, is located adjacent to the station next to Haladie Plaza. The station is also served by a number of Muni bus and trolleybus routes:[31]

AC Transit serves Powell Street station with the 800 All Nighter route during hours that BART is not operating.

Additional Muni (14, 14R, 14X, 714), Golden Gate Transit (30, 70, 101, 101X), and SamTrans (FCX, 292, 397, 398) bus routes run on Mission Street, one block away.[31]

Under the planned Better Market Street project, F stops would be consolidated to reduce travel times. The inbound stop at 5th Street and both stops at 4th Street would be discontinued, with a new inbound stop midway between 4th and 5th.[32]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Cerny, Susan Dinkelspiel (2007). An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area (1st ed.). Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith. pp. 501–502. ISBN 978-1-58685-432-4. OCLC 85623396.
  2. ^ a b "BART Chronology January 1947 – March 2009" (PDF). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Callwell, Robert (September 1999). "Transit in San Francisco: A Selected Chronology, 1850–1995" (PDF). San Francisco Municipal Railway. p. 57.
  4. ^ "Monthly Ridership Reports". San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. June 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Station Map: Powell Station" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Commission. August 15, 2019.
  6. ^ Cano, Ricardo (June 14, 2023). "Westfield's S.F. mall benefits from a rare arrangement with BART. Here's how much it costs the mall". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Chapter 2: Alternatives". Central Subway Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement / Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (PDF). Vol. 1. Federal Transit Administration. September 2008. pp. 2–44, 2–45.
  8. ^ a b c "Powell St. BART Station Modernization Program: Final Report" (PDF). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. September 2015.
  9. ^ "The story of BART's iconic bubble tiles" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. January 25, 2023.
  10. ^ "Stockton and Ellis Street Entrance at Powell Street Station Closing" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. April 18, 2013.
  11. ^ "Central Subway Construction Closes Apple Store Entrance To Powell Station". San Francisco Appeal. April 24, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  12. ^ Walker, Wilson (February 26, 2017). "KPIX Sky Drone 5 Explores the Tunnels of the Central Subway". CBS San Francisco. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  13. ^ "Central Subway Opens November 19 with Special Weekend Service" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. November 1, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "SF BART and Muni Escalator/Entrance Project". San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. Archived from the original on November 15, 2018.
  15. ^ "BART to build canopies over San Francisco Market Street entrances" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. January 23, 2020.
  16. ^ "5th and Market entrance to Powell Street Station in SF to close 1/10/22 for work on new escalator canopy" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. December 21, 2021.
  17. ^ "BART completes construction of 3 new canopies over downtown San Francisco station entrances" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. May 1, 2023.
  18. ^ "Entrance closure alert: Powell St. Station entrance at Market and 4th St. closed 4/24/23 for work on new canopy" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. April 24, 2023.
  19. ^ "Entrance Closure Alert: Powell St. Station at 5th and Market Streets" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. November 15, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Swan, Rachel (November 21, 2019). "BART to reopen bathrooms at Powell, 19th Street stations that closed after 9/11". San Francisco Chronicle.
  21. ^ "Board awards contract for Powell St. Station modernization" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. November 21, 2019.
  22. ^ "Restrooms at Powell Street Station will reopen on 2/2/22" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. January 31, 2022.
  23. ^ "BART unveils modernized Powell St. Station in time for holiday shopping" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. November 22, 2022.
  24. ^ "New illuminated artwork brings the sky to Powell St. Station" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. November 23, 2022.
  25. ^ "Color Lights Installation Coming to Muni Metro Escalators" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority. March 14, 2018.
  26. ^ Phelan, Lori (October 29, 2019). "New Escalators Rising to the Challenge" (Press release). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority.
  27. ^ "BART opens all entrances/exits that were previously closed due to pandemic" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. June 12, 2021.
  28. ^ a b "New Fare Gates & Station Hardening". San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. September 2024. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024.
  29. ^ "Installation work to begin November 4 for Next Generation Fare Gates at Powell Street Station" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. October 22, 2024.
  30. ^ Costley, Drew (August 20, 2017). "Pigeons won't stop pooping all over the Powell BART station, despite attempts to curb flocks". San Francisco Chronicle.
  31. ^ a b "Transit Stops: Powell Station" (PDF). Metropolitan Transit Commission. August 10, 2019.
  32. ^ Better Market Street Project EIR (PDF). Vol. 1. San Francisco Planning Department. February 27, 2019. pp. 2–53.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Powell Street station.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Powell_Street_station&oldid=1262353459"