Public Art Projects
T-Third Street Light Rail Public Art Projects
Project Synopsis
Third Street Light Rail Project Overview
In April of 2007, San Francisco successfully completed a new 5.2 mile long light rail transit system along the Eastern side of the city from the southern end of the downtown business district to the San Mateo County border. Connecting residents on the east side of San Francisco to the downtown as well as to suburban communities and Silicon Valley located south of San Francisco via a new Caltrain station at the county line, this new transit system provides transportation for visitors to the many older neighborhoods and new developments in this rapidly changing bayside area.
The new light rail line traverses a diverse range of neighborhoods, from industrial to residential, many undergoing redevelopment, and encompassing many cultures, including African American, Chinese, and Latino, among others. The transit system includes 18 surface stations, many consisting of two platforms, totaling 28 platforms in all. A new vehicle operations and maintenance facility (the Metro East Light Rail Maintenance and Operations Facility), currently under construction adjacent to the new light rail line, will accommodate the increased number of vehicles required for this transit addition. The Metro East facility is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2008.
The San Francisco Arts Commission began working with the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) on this project in 1997, prior to the hiring of an urban design firm by Muni. Arts Commission staff worked with Muni staff to develop a scope of work based on a percent-for-art budget that includes artists’ fees for design, fabrication and installation, a youth arts program, all implementation costs, maintenance, as well as administrative costs.