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California Street cable cars

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  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Hope, AR
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Posted by narig01 on Tuesday, April 10, 2012 2:23 PM

Back in the 1980's Muni started to print schedules.  I do not know if the still are.   Their are apps to let you know when the next bus, cable car or streetcar will be along.

      Also I think you can still get a 3 day pass at the cable car kiosks.

Rgds IGN

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, April 1, 2012 7:15 AM

I heartely recommend the website www.streetcar.org

for the latest information on SF local transportation,  It is the website of the Market Street Railway Association, a group well worth joining.  I find their four-times-a-year publication THE INSIDE TRACK well worth the dues.

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 31, 2012 4:33 PM

NKP guy

Thanks for your input.  I'll certainly hope that's the case when I'm there in May.  I'll be checking out the website, too.

You're so right about the quality of the entire transportation system in San Francisco.  When I lived there in 1971, I recall that when I asked for a few schedules to be mailed to me, I was told that because the service was so frequent (at least on the lines I was asking about) that there was no need to publish schedules!

To top it off, in 1971 all service, including cable cars, was 25 cents a ride.  Cable cars today are $6 a ride!

Sic transit gloria Barbary Coast! 

The agency claims that 90 per cent of San Franciscans are within two blocks of a transit service.  That is one of the reasons people use it.

Most electric powered vehicles draw their power from a wire or third rail, which in turn is energized from a central power plant burning some form of fossil fuel, although there are exceptions in the case of nuclear, wind, etc. Thus, most electric energy is not as environmentally benign as many people may think. 

In San Francisco, however, the trolley buses, as well as some of the street cars, get their power from a city owned hydro-electric plant.  I think the same is true for Vancouver, B.C. This is probably about as clean as energy can get.  

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Posted by NKP guy on Saturday, March 31, 2012 2:03 PM

Thanks for your input.  I'll certainly hope that's the case when I'm there in May.  I'll be checking out the website, too.

You're so right about the quality of the entire transportation system in San Francisco.  When I lived there in 1971, I recall that when I asked for a few schedules to be mailed to me, I was told that because the service was so frequent (at least on the lines I was asking about) that there was no need to publish schedules!

To top it off, in 1971 all service, including cable cars, was 25 cents a ride.  Cable cars today are $6 a ride!

Sic transit gloria Barbary Coast!

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 31, 2012 12:22 PM

NKP guy

Can anyone here confirm or deny that in San Francisco the California Street cable car line is shut down until the end of June?  Any further information on this line would be appreciated. 

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency webpage does not show anything regarding the California Street cable car.  As a rule it includes a complete list of transit projects, i.e. station improvements, line detours, bus substitution for rail, etc. You can check with them directly for more information at http://www.sfmta.com/cms/home/sfmta.php

I travel to San Francisco two or three times a year.  It has one of the best public transit systems that I have used.  And I have used a bunch of them.  The management of the agency is very good in letting riders know of disruptions, etc.

  • Member since
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California Street cable cars
Posted by NKP guy on Friday, March 30, 2012 10:19 AM

Can anyone here confirm or deny that in San Francisco the California Street cable car line is shut down until the end of June?  Any further information on this line would be appreciated.

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