By Autumn DeGrazia 

Bright orange signs and traffic cones line Taraval Street in the Sunset District as Muni streetcar line repairs continue. 

Laundromats, meat markets, law offices and other businesses have all faced the challenges that come with traffic detours, blocked sidewalks and construction companies tearing up the street to install the new L streetcar line tracks and infrastructure. 

The L streetcar line began operating in 1919 and mainly served the Parkside and Outer Sunset areas, providing transportation between West Portal Station and the San Francisco Zoo. There are approximately 205 businesses on Taraval Street alone. According to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), an estimated 27,200 people live within a one-quarter-mile radius of the commercial area. 

Construction began on the L-Taraval streetcar line in 2019, a collaboration with the SFMTA, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and Department of Public Works. The construction plan consists of replacing rail tracks, overhead power lines, water and sewer lines, repaving streets, updating landscaping and making the neighborhood safer for pedestrians. 

The project was split into two segments, A and B. Segment A covered the track route from the SF Zoo to Sunset Boulevard. This section was completed in the summer of 2021. Segment B began in January 2022 and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2024, according to SFMTA. This segment stretches from Sunset Boulevard to West Portal Station. 

Many businesses have faced repercussions of construction on Taraval with road and sidewalk closures. Outdoor seating, street parking and accessible sidewalks have all been impacted. 

“A lot of our clientele only want to sit outside in the parklet,” said Francesca Villani, the general manager of the Gold Mirror Italian Restaurant on Taraval at 18th Avenue. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a 27-foot-long outdoor seating area was installed adjacent to the restaurant as a way to continue serving customers. After social distancing restrictions were lifted, the outside parklet became a permanent addition. 

“If we don’t have that, they probably won’t come,” Villani said. “People got so used to it. And a lot of people don’t want to be back inside.” 

With business declining, Villani and her partners decided to temporarily close the Gold Mirror to complete renovations. 

The Taraval Street construction project created commuting challenges throughout the neighborhood, which ultimately caused storefronts to receive less business. 

“I used to stop there a lot for different things,” said Elisa Smith, a resident of the Outer Sunset living near Taraval. Smith commutes to the College of Marin and prefers to complete her errands outside of the neighborhood. “Now, I just avoid the area.” 

Older and disabled clients have dealt with hard-to-navigate, dangerous detours to access shops and offices in the area. 

The Sunset District is home to the largest elderly population in San Francisco, according to SF supervisorial district health data from 2020. Approximately 19% of the population living in District 4, which covers the Sunset, is 65 or older. This is 4% higher than the district average of the City. 

“We have a lot of elderly clients who have had a difficult, if not impossible, time because there’s no parking here anymore,” said Daniel Byrne, an attorney at law specializing in trust and estate cases. “It’s going to be devastating. Frankly, I’m not going to renew my lease.” 

Byrne picked up the lease of the office at 1514 Taraval St. when his former boss died in 2012. He did not consider leaving before the construction in the neighborhood began. He expressed that the project has lacked accountability and caused additional damage throughout the neighborhood. 

“They (the construction company) broke a water line, and it caused a couple of months of our water bill to be over $1,000 and we had to battle with that,” Byrne said. 

After months of negotiating with the City, he was able to receive compensation for his water bill expenses and the water supply line was repaired. However, other businesses have not had as much luck in receiving compensation. 

“It’s nothing that they’re going to cover, not the insurance companies, not the construction company, not the City,” said Robert Guerra, a senior partner of Guerra’s Meat Market. Guerra’s has been a fixture on Taraval Street 1954. It originally openend at 22nd Avenue and later moved to its current location at 15th Avenue.

The market was left with chipped tiles and concrete splattered outside of the storefront after construction. 

“There’s really no money nor is there any sort of accountability,” Guerra emphasized. “That’s really what the bottom line is. There’s no accountability.” 

Newer businesses have had trouble gaining traction within the neighborhood because of accessibility issues. Mayra “MJ” Watson opened her massage studio, The Hidden Gem, roughly one year ago and has slowly felt the effects of the Taraval construction on her business. Her studio is located at 2505 Taraval St. 

“My business has really suffered,” Watson said. “Not only because the noise and shaking makes it impossible to relax, but also because there is no parking some days.” 

Watson has even been hesitant to put her logo on the storefront because of other businesses’ experiences with window damage during construction. 

“I work with people that have disabilities, mobility issues and elderly people,” Watson said. “I have to just cancel their appointments.” 

Watson explained one of her clients walks with a breathing machine and she had to begin using Uber, creating extra costs, because she could no longer find parking near The Hidden Gem. 

“It creates tension in the neighborhood,” Watson added. 

Exhausted by the ongoing construction, business owners began organizing a protest to speak out on the duration of the Taraval project in February. However, District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio stated that he would advocate for compensation for the loss of business in the area to the Board of Supervisors. The protest was called off afterward. 

Smith is considering arranging another protest in June if compensation does not materialize and enough traction could be gained among business owners.