112-651: The San Francisco Municipal Railway ( / ˈ m juː n i / MEW -nee ; SF Muni or Muni ), is the primary public transit system within San Francisco , California . It operates a system of bus routes (including trolleybuses ), the Muni Metro light rail system, three historic cable car lines , and two historic streetcar lines. Previously an independent agency, the San Francisco Municipal Railway merged with two other agencies in 1999 to become
224-548: A 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (2.4 km) race: one took the train, and the other walked along Market from Civic Center to Embarcadero. The two reporters tied as both completed their trips in 23 minutes; this was an improvement compared to the previous week, at the height of the Meltdown, when the same trip on Muni Metro could take three times as long. Mayor Brown re-enacted the race as the pedestrian on September 3; this time, Muni Metro service had improved and train passengers completed
336-454: A guideway . This is an uncommon mode of transportation (excluding elevators ) due to the complexity of automation. A fully implemented system might provide most of the convenience of individual automobiles with the efficiency of public transit. The crucial innovation is that the automated vehicles carry just a few passengers, turn off the guideway to pick up passengers (permitting other PRT vehicles to continue at full speed), and drop them off to
448-507: A heritage streetcar line , which is also standard gauge, is also present here, at street level on Market Street. The rail lines, however, do not physically intersect. Muni operates about 1,200 vehicles: 550 diesel-electric hybrid buses , 300 electric trolleybuses , 250 modern light rail vehicles , 50 historic streetcars and 40 cable cars . All vehicles, except for cable cars, are wheelchair accessible . The electricity to run all of Muni's trolleybuses, light rail vehicles, streetcars, and
560-535: A body of water. A foot-passenger ferry with many stops is sometimes called a water bus . Ferries form a part of the public transport systems of many waterside cities and islands, allowing direct transit between points at a capital cost much lower than bridges or tunnels, though at a lower speed. Ship connections of much larger distances (such as over long distances in water bodies like the Mediterranean Sea ) may also be called ferry services. A report published by
672-551: A connector downtown to transfer between the Bayshore, Geary, and North Beach corridors. These have since been implemented as a combination of light rail ( T Third and Central Subway ) and bus rapid transit ( Geary and Van Ness ) services. During the late 1990s, with aging equipment and poor management, Muni developed a reputation for poor and erratic service. In 1996 a group called Rescue Muni representing transit riders formed to organize concerns and press for change, advocating for
784-470: A cost of $ 70 million, three times the original estimate. Riders angry over delays confronted one driver during the Monday afternoon commute on August 24; he responded by locking himself in the driver's compartment and refused to move the train, halting all service for half an hour. Otherwise, no delays were attributable to the new automatic control system that Monday. However, by August 26, Mayor Willie Brown
896-420: A decline in public transport usage. A number of sources attribute this trend to the rise in popularity of remote work, ride-sharing services, and car loans being relatively cheap across many countries. Major cities such as Toronto, Paris, Chicago, and London have seen this decline and have attempted to intervene by cutting fares and encouraging new modes of transportation, such as e-scooters and e-bikes. Because of
1008-548: A few stops per city. These services may also be international. High-speed rail is passenger trains operating significantly faster than conventional rail—typically defined as at least 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph). The most predominant systems have been built in Europe and East Asia, and compared with air travel, offer long-distance rail journeys as quick as air services, have lower prices to compete more effectively and use electricity instead of combustion. Urban rail transit
1120-524: A larger network of manually operated cable cars . The first city-owned line was acquired in 1906, although the current configuration is an amalgamation of several former lines and has operated as such since in 1952. The system was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. There are three cable car lines being the Mason-Powell line,
1232-513: A legacy of the inadequate 38-Geary bus serving these neighborhoods. Construction on BART's Market street tunnel started in 1967, with two decks tracks – the upper intended to provide local service. Major cost overruns in the BART project forced the state legislature to rescue the project in 1969: curtailing local service in San Francisco and converting the partially constructed stations into the basis of
SECTION 10
#17328376090811344-427: A municipal rail line down Geary. Three years later in 1912, the city declined to renew the franchise that bestowed cable car operator Geary Street, Park & Ocean Railway the privilege of operating on Geary Street. The route was converted into a municipal electric streetcar line, the first line of Muni. (In 1912, the average speed of the city's public transit was approximately 8.5 miles per hour – slightly faster than
1456-523: A new light-rail subway called the Muni Metro to connect the downtown stations to the Twin Peaks Tunnel and continuing along reserved tracks to St. Francis Circle. Construction on the metro began in 1970, but the project suffered from further cuts and design changes throughout the 1970s. The Muni Metro finally opened in February 1980, for one line (N-Judah), with other lines following later in 1980, but
1568-676: A railway with freight trains . A rapid transit railway system (also called a metro, underground, heavy rail, or subway) operates in an urban area with high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Heavy rail is a high-capacity form of rail transit, with 4 to 10 units forming a train, and can be the most expensive form of transit to build. Modern heavy rail systems are mostly driverless, which allows for higher frequencies and less maintenance cost. Systems are able to transport large numbers of people quickly over short distances with little land use. Variations of rapid transit include people movers , small-scale light metro and
1680-464: A renovation, with an attendant on duty during all operating hours. Although original plans to include public art at every BART station did not come to fruition, several artworks were included in Embarcadero station. The platform walls and street entrances feature circle-based reliefs by William Mitchell . Wall Canyon , a 37-foot (11 m)-high colored ceramic relief by Stephen De Staebler ,
1792-480: A set of trolley poles for mobility. Online Electric Vehicles are buses that run on a conventional battery, but are recharged frequently at certain points via underground wires. Certain types of buses, styled after old-style streetcars, are also called trackless trolleys, but are built on the same platforms as a typical diesel , CNG , or hybrid bus; these are more often used for tourist rides than commuting and tend to be privately owned. Passenger rail transport
1904-412: A single (or return) trip, or valid within a certain area for a period of time (see transit pass ). The fare is based on the travel class, either depending on the traveled distance, or based on zone pricing . The tickets may have to be shown or checked automatically at the station platform or when boarding, or during the ride by a conductor . Operators may choose to control all riders, allowing sale of
2016-413: A smaller suburban or town center. The stations are often combined with shuttle bus or park and ride systems. Frequency may be up to several times per hour, and commuter rail systems may either be part of the national railway or operated by local transit agencies. Common forms of commuter rail employ either diesel electric locomotives, or electric multiple unit trains. Some commuter train lines share
2128-574: A station and exchange passengers. There is often a potential conflict between this objective and optimising the utilisation of vehicles and drivers. The main sources of financing are ticket revenue, government subsidies and advertising. The percentage of revenue from passenger charges is known as the farebox recovery ratio . A limited amount of income may come from land development and rental income from stores and vendors, parking fees, and leasing tunnels and rights-of-way to carry fiber optic communication lines. Most—but not all—public transport requires
2240-431: A tram line. Light rail lines are, thus, essentially modernized interurbans . Unlike trams, light rail trains are often longer and have one to four cars per train. Somewhere between light and heavy rail in terms of carbon footprint , monorail systems usually use overhead single tracks, either mounted directly on the track supports or put in an overhead design with the train suspended. Monorail systems are used throughout
2352-611: Is 23.1% by a diesel-electric hybrid bus on the 67 line, 22.8% by a trolleybus on the 24 line and 21% by a cable car on the Powell-Hyde line. The busiest Muni bus corridor is the Geary corridor . The two major routes that operate on the corridor, the 38 and 38R , travel 6.5 miles (10.5 km) in the east–west direction along the Geary corridor, and has an average speed of only 8 miles per hour (13 km/h), taking over 50 minutes to travel from
SECTION 20
#17328376090812464-435: Is a stylized, trademarked "worm" version of the word muni . This logo was designed by San Francisco-based graphic designer Walter Landor in the mid-1970s. To cater to the large Hispanic and Latino American and Asian American populations in San Francisco, bus announcements are in four languages: English , Spanish , Cantonese and Tagalog . Bus and trolleybus lines have number designations, rail lines have letters and
2576-659: Is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport , typically managed on a schedule, operated on established routes, and that may charge a posted fee for each trip. There is no rigid definition of which kinds of transport are included, and air travel is often not thought of when discussing public transport—dictionaries use wording like "buses, trains, etc." Examples of public transport include city buses , trolleybuses , trams (or light rail ) and passenger trains , rapid transit (metro/subway/underground, etc.) and ferries . Public transport between cities
2688-507: Is a term used for buses operating on dedicated right-of-way, much like a light rail. Coach services use coaches (long-distance buses) for suburb-to-CBD or longer-distance transportation. The vehicles are normally equipped with more comfortable seating, a separate luggage compartment, video and possibly also a toilet. They have higher standards than city buses, but a limited stopping pattern. Trolleybuses are electrically powered buses that receive power from overhead power line by way of
2800-496: Is a transit technology that moves people in motor-less, engine-less vehicles that are propelled by a steel cable. There are two sub-groups of CPT— gondola lifts and cable cars (railway) . Gondola lifts are supported and propelled from above by cables, whereas cable cars are supported and propelled from below by cables. While historically associated with usage in ski resorts , gondola lifts are now finding increased consumption and utilization in many urban areas—built specifically for
2912-421: Is an all-encompassing term for various types of local rail systems, such as these examples trams , light rail , rapid transit , people movers , commuter rail , monorail , suspension railways and funiculars . Commuter rail is part of an urban area's public transport. It provides faster services to outer suburbs and neighboring satellite cities . Trains stop at train stations that are located to serve
3024-474: Is common with roads for automobiles. Interchanges are locations where passengers can switch from one public transport route to another. This may be between vehicles of the same mode (like a bus interchange), or e.g. between bus and train. It can be between local and intercity transport (such as at a central station or airport). Timetables (or 'schedules' in North American English ) are provided by
3136-610: Is dominated by airlines , coaches , and intercity rail . High-speed rail networks are being developed in many parts of the world. Most public transport systems run along fixed routes with set embarkation/disembarkation points to a prearranged timetable, with the most frequent services running to a headway (e.g.: "every 15 minutes" as opposed to being scheduled for any specific time of the day). However, most public transport trips include other modes of travel, such as passengers walking or catching bus services to access train stations. Share taxis offer on-demand services in many parts of
3248-440: Is either a Clipper card, MuniMobile, Muni Passport, or paper transfer. One fare entitles a rider to unlimited vehicle transfers for the next 120 minutes. Cable cars are $ 8 one way, with no transfers, unless the rider has a Muni Passport or a Muni monthly pass. As of July 2019 monthly passes cost $ 81 for adults ($ 98 with BART privileges within city limits), $ 40 for low-income residents ("Life Line Pass"), or $ 40 for youth, seniors and
3360-430: Is especially valuable in cases where there are capacity problems for private transport. Investments in infrastructure are expensive and make up a substantial part of the total costs in systems that are new or expanding. Once built, the infrastructure will require operating and maintenance costs, adding to the total cost of public transport. Sometimes governments subsidize infrastructure by providing it free of charge, just as
3472-479: Is narrower than the other three – 50 feet (15 m) rather than 60 feet (18 m) – because of adjacent buildings and the high water table . It has six street entrances along its length. The station contains an unused underground entrance to the 388 Market Street building. The BART Board approved the name "Embarcadero" in December 1965. At that time, it was only planned to be used for Muni Metro. BART service at
San Francisco Municipal Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
3584-427: Is partially hidden behind a staircase at the southwest end of the station. It was installed on January 1, 1977. A duotone granite portrait of Tallie Maule – the chief architect of the original BART system – is on the mezzanine level. A 50-foot (15 m)-tall, 7,000-pound (3,200 kg) rope sculpture called Legs was installed at the northwest end of the station in 1976 or 1978. Created by Barbara Shawcroft,
3696-656: Is reasonably comfortable (seats, toilets, services), and can thus be scheduled and used pleasurably, productively or for (overnight) rest. Chauffeured movement is enjoyed by many people when it is relaxing, safe, but not too monotonous. Waiting, interchanging, stops and holdups, for example due to traffic or for security, are discomforting. Jet lag is a human constraint discouraging frequent rapid long-distance east–west commuting, favoring modern telecommunications and VR technologies. An airline provides scheduled service with aircraft between airports. Air travel has high speeds, but incurs large waiting times before and after travel, and
3808-444: Is the conveyance of passengers by means of wheeled vehicles specially designed to run on railways. Trains allow high capacity at most distance scales, but require track , signalling , infrastructure and stations to be built and maintained resulting in high upfront costs. Intercity rail is long-haul passenger services that connect multiple urban areas. They have few stops, and aim at high average speeds, typically only making one of
3920-553: Is the nearest Muni Metro and BART station to the Ferry Building , the primary San Francisco terminal for Golden Gate Ferry , San Francisco Bay Ferry and Treasure Island Ferry . The Salesforce Transit Center , located about 1 ⁄ 4 mile (0.40 km) to the south, is the primary San Francisco terminal for AC Transit transbay routes, WestCAT , Greyhound lines, Amtrak Thruway buses (at 401 Mission), some Golden Gate Transit routes, and Muni route 25 . The second phase of
4032-721: Is therefore often only feasible over longer distances or in areas where a lack of surface infrastructure makes other modes of transport impossible. Bush airlines work more similarly to bus stops; an aircraft waits for passengers and takes off when the aircraft is full. Bus services use buses on conventional roads to carry numerous passengers on shorter journeys. Buses operate with low capacity (compared with trams or trains), and can operate on conventional roads, with relatively inexpensive bus stops to serve passengers. Therefore, buses are commonly used in smaller cities, towns, and rural areas, and for shuttle services supplementing other means of transit in large cities. Bus rapid transit (BRT)
4144-489: Is underground in the lower level of the Market Street subway), Muni Metro 's 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge (also underground in the upper level of the subway), and the San Francisco cable car system 's 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow gauge (at street level a few hundred feet away to the north of Market Street in both cases). The F Market and Wharves ,
4256-584: The Market Street subway in downtown San Francisco . Located under Market Street between Drumm Street and Beale Street near The Embarcadero , 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. Embarcadero station opened in May 1976 – almost two years after service began through
4368-753: The Richmond District to the Transbay Terminal when operating on schedule. As of 2015, the corridor has a total of 55,270 average daily boardings, making it the second busiest transit corridor west of the Mississippi after the Los Angeles Metro Wilshire transit corridor. At Powell and Market Streets and California and Market Streets, three types of rail gauges come within a few hundred feet of each other: Bay Area Rapid Transit 's 5 ft 6 in ( 1,676 mm ) broad gauge (which
4480-893: The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). In 2018, Muni served 46.7 square miles (121 km) with an operating budget of about $ 1.2 billion. Muni is the seventh-highest-ridership transit system in the United States , with 142,168,200 rides in 2023, and the second-highest in California after the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . Most bus lines are scheduled to operate every five to fifteen minutes during peak hours, every five to twenty minutes middays, about every ten to twenty minutes from 9 pm to midnight, and roughly every half-hour for
4592-618: The Transbay Tube – as an infill station . Embarcadero and nearby Montgomery Street stations are typically the two busiest in the BART system. The station is served by the BART Blue , Green , Red and Yellow lines, and the Muni Metro J Church , K Ingleside , L Taraval , M Ocean View , N Judah , and S Shuttle lines. A major Bay Area transit hub, Embarcadero is also served by numerous bus routes of several other agencies which stop above
San Francisco Municipal Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-478: The stagecoaches traveling a fixed route between coaching inns , and the horse-drawn boat carrying paying passengers, which was a feature of European canals from the 17th century onwards. The canal itself as a form of infrastructure dates back to antiquity. In ancient Egypt canals were used for freight transportation to bypass the Aswan cataract. The Chinese also built canals for water transportation as far back as
4816-833: The warring States period which began in the 5th century BCE. Whether or not those canals were used for for-hire public transport remains unknown; the Grand Canal in China (begun in 486 BCE) served primarily the grain trade . The bus , the first organized public transit system within a city, appears to have originated in Paris in 1662, although the service in question, Carrosses à cinq sols (English: five-sol coaches), which have been developed by mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal , lasted only fifteen years until 1677. Buses are known to have operated in Nantes in 1826. The public bus transport system
4928-561: The 1950s and 1960s, the regional BART system was conceived as a much more extensive system than was eventually built, with plans for express trains through San Francisco and local service within San Francisco. Because it was assumed BART would provide local rail service, investment in Muni infrastructure failed to keep pace with major urban redevelopment projects. For example, BART was intended to provide Richmond district and Western Addition service as part of its Golden Gate Bridge/Marin line. This leaves
5040-533: The Beale Street entrance from September 5, 2023, to March 2024. The Federal Reserve Bank entrance was closed for construction on October 18, 2023; the Pine Street entrance closed on March 14, 2024. Thirteen BART stations, including Embarcadero, 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
5152-518: The California State line, and the Powell- Hyde line. Popular areas from the Embarcadero to Fisherman's Wharf are served by cable cars. In the system, there are 62 allocated stations. The system accrues five million annual riders and has always been a tourist destination as well as a convenient means for travel around the city. Additionally, Muni operates two heritage streetcar lines distinct from
5264-813: The Clipper system. Fares can also be paid with a mobile app called MuniMobile since 2015. The app is developed by moovel, who have built mobile ticketing apps for a number of other transit agencies such as Caltrain and TriMet. The app is planned to be deployed until around 2021 when the next generation Clipper card mobile app is planned to launch and replace agency-specific ticketing apps. Muni operates 14 express lines, 5 Rapid lines, and 12 Owl lines, which run between 1 am and 5 am. For San Francisco Giants games, additional "baseball shuttles" supplement N Judah and T Third service to Oracle Park . Express lines only run during peak hours ; during mornings they run towards downtown (the Financial District ) and during
5376-497: The Market Street entrances was to begin in 2020, with completion in 2027. The entrances on the southern side of the station were closed from April 13, 2020, to May 15, 2021, due to low ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Concourse-level preparation for canopy construction at Embarcadero station began on November 15, 2021. The entrance at Davis Street was closed for canopy construction from June 13, 2022 until October 2023, followed by
5488-576: The Muni Metro: the E Embarcadero and F Market & Wharves , however the former has been suspended since April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Formerly run for the Historic Trolley Festival , in the 1980s, regular service of heritage equipment began in 1995. Streetcars do not utilize tunnel segments and the F line utilizes infrastructure optimized for trolleybuses along Market Street (the former routing of all downtown streetcar lines before
5600-509: The Netherlands many individuals use e-bikes to replace their car commutes. In major American cities, start-up companies such as Uber and Lyft have implemented e-scooters as a way for people to take short trips around the city. All public transport runs on infrastructure, either on roads, rail, airways or seaways. The infrastructure can be shared with other modes, freight and private transport, or it can be dedicated to public transport. The latter
5712-700: The R-Howard line. Trolleybuses had been running in San Francisco since 1935, but operated only by the Market Street Railway Company (MSRy), successor to the URR. By 1944, the MSR was in financial difficulties. Thus, at 5 am on September 29, 1944, Muni acquired its commercial competitor. Along with the routes and equipment, Muni adopted its competitor's more expensive seven-cent fare. Following national trends, Muni replaced most of its rail lines with trolleybus service in
SECTION 50
#17328376090815824-596: The SFMTA since August 15, 2019 has been Thomas Maguire, appointed by the SFMTA Board as the interim replacement for Director of Transportation Edward Reiskin. On April 29, 2019, Director Reiskin announced that he would step down at the end of his contract in August 2019. On November 13, 2019, the agency announced that Jeffrey Tumlin would take over as the new director on December 16, 2019. The day-to-day operations of Muni are overseen by
5936-568: The San Francisco County Transportation Authority released The Four Corridor Plan , a vision to extend Muni Metro service along four major routes in the city: Bayshore (north-south along Third from the county line to California), Geary (east-west along Geary from 48th to Market/Kearny), North Beach (extending the new north-south Bayshore line along Kearny and Columbus to Fisherman's Wharf), and Van Ness (north-south along Van Ness from 16th and Mission to Aquatic Park), with
6048-529: The Transit division of the SFMTA, which is currently headed by Director of Transit Julie Kirschbaum. Muni has its origins in the period following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . Until then the city had been served by several commercial horsecar , cable car and electric streetcar operators. Many of these had been amalgamated into the United Railroads of San Francisco (URR) company. In 1909, voters approved
6160-528: The UK National Infrastructure Commission in 2018 states that "cycling is mass transit and must be treated as such." Cycling infrastructure is normally provided without charge to users because it is cheaper to operate than mechanised transit systems that use sophisticated equipment and do not use human power . Many cities around the world have introduced electric bikes and scooters to their public transport infrastructure. For example, in
6272-539: The average speed of 8.1 in 2007.) Muni soon started on a large building program. On December 29, 1914, the new Stockton Street Tunnel under Nob Hill opened, allowing streetcars from downtown to go to North Beach . The new line also served the Marina District , the site of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition . On February 3, 1918, the Twin Peaks Tunnel opened, making the southwestern quarter of
6384-788: The cable car powerhouse comes from the hydroelectric dam at the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park . All of Muni's current internal combustion buses use diesel-electric hybrid powertrains, fueled with renewable diesel fuel made from bio-feedstock sources, including fats, oils and greases. The combination of hybrid technology and renewable diesel fuel helps reduce fuel consumption and cut vehicle emissions. Weekday mode share on Muni services in 2019 In November 1999 San Francisco voters passed Proposition E setting standards for performance of having at least an 85% on-time record In July 2012 Muni vehicles were on-time 60% of
6496-555: The city available for development. On October 21, 1928, the Sunset Tunnel opened, bringing the N Judah streetcar line to the Sunset District . These improvements plunged Muni into direct competition with the URR on the entire length of Market Street. The two operators each operated their own pair of tracks down that thoroughfare, which came to be known as the "roar of the four". In 1941, Muni introduced its first trolleybus line,
6608-454: The city vary from Metro stations with raised platforms in the subway and at the more heavily used surface stops, to small shelters to signposts to simply a yellow stripe on a utility pole or on the road surface. 70% of stops are spaced closer than recommended range of 800–1,000 feet (240–300 m) apart. The system is popularly known as "Muni", a shortening of the "Municipal" in "San Francisco Municipal Railway" (and not an acronym). Muni's logo
6720-584: The city; they are good on all regular-service lines without surcharge, including cable cars. As of September 2018, Passports cost $ 23 for a 1-day pass, $ 34 for a 3-day pass, or $ 45 for a 7-day pass, with discounts for using Clipper card or MuniMobile. Muni has implemented a dual-mode smart card payment system known as Clipper (formerly TransLink). The transponders have been in use since at least 2004, and replaced most paper monthly passes in 2010. BART , Caltrain , Golden Gate Transit , VTA , AC Transit , SamTrans , SMART and San Francisco Bay Ferry also utilize
6832-713: The commuter rail hybrid S-Bahn . More than 160 cities have rapid transit systems, totalling more than 8,000 km (4,971 mi) of track and 7,000 stations. Twenty-five cities have systems under construction. People movers are a special term for grade-separated rail which uses vehicles that are smaller and shorter in size. These systems are generally used only in a small area such as a theme park or an airport. Trams (also known as streetcars or trolleys) are railborne vehicles that originally ran in city streets, though over decades more and more dedicated tracks are used. They have higher capacity than buses, but must follow dedicated infrastructure with rails and wires either above or below
SECTION 60
#17328376090816944-447: The day or part of the day (known as clock-face scheduling ). Often, more frequent services or even extra routes are operated during the morning and evening rush hours . Coordination between services at interchange points is important to reduce the total travel time for passengers. This can be done by coordinating shuttle services with main routes, or by creating a fixed time (for instance twice per hour) when all bus and rail routes meet at
7056-611: The delays frustrated many commuters. On Friday, August 28, 67 of the 131 LRVs (55 Boeing and 12 Breda) in the Muni Metro fleet were out of service for the morning commute; Mayor Brown personally rode from Civic Center to Embarcadero in the afternoon to experience the chaos for himself. Muni riders abandoned the underground system for carpools, taxis, buses, and F-Market streetcars after LRVs were delayed and stopped with no communication as to when they would resume service; transit times from 4th and Irving to Powell swelled to 120 minutes. On August 31, two San Francisco Chronicle reporters staged
7168-504: The disabled. Passes are valid on all Muni lines—including cable cars—and the $ 98 adult pass allows BART transit entirely within San Francisco (between Embarcadero and Balboa Park ). Other passes and stickers are valid on all Muni lines, including cable cars, but not on BART (with the exception of BART-Plus ticket types). Cable car fare is $ 8 per trip, with no transfers issued or accepted. "Passports" are folding scratch-off passes that can be purchased by mail, or at various places throughout
7280-623: The early 2000s. Likewise, the diesel bus fleet saw an infusion of 45 new NABI buses from AC Transit in 1999. Construction on a sixth light rail line from Caltrain Depot in Mission Bay to Visitacion Valley and Bayview/Hunters Point was completed in December 2006. The new line, named the T Third Street , consisted of 19 new high-platform stations at street-level. Public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation , public transit , mass transit , or simply transit )
7392-406: The evening they run away from downtown. All express lines have an "X", "AX", or "BX" following the line's number. Some lines are divided into A and B Expresses. The B Express line is shorter and has stops that are closer to downtown, while the A Express makes stops further away from downtown and will make few or no stops in the area where the B Express stops. The 8 Bayshore, as the 8X Bayshore Express,
7504-598: The exception of several lines serving locations in the northern part of neighboring Daly City , and the 76X Marin Headlands Express line to the Marin Headlands area on weekends and major holidays. Most intercity connections are provided by BART and Caltrain heavy rail, AC Transit buses at the Salesforce Transit Center , and Golden Gate Transit and SamTrans downtown. Bus and car stops throughout
7616-492: The fleet. In September 1982, the cable car system was shut down for 21 months for rebuilding, and there were massive line reorganizations as Muni restructured their route network to provide stronger cross-town services. In 1983, Muni temporarily ran streetcars down Market Street as part of the San Francisco Historic Trolley Festival, initially conceived of as a substitute attraction for tourists during
7728-439: The formation of Muni Metro). The longest Muni line is the 24.1-mile (38.8 km) 91 Owl a nighttime-only route that blends several other routes together, while the longest daytime route is the 17.4-mile (28.0 km) 29 . The shortest route is the peak-hour only 88 BART Shuttle at 1.4 miles (2.3 km), while the shortest off-peak route is the 39 Coit at 1.6 miles (2.6 km). The steepest grade climbed by Muni vehicle
7840-414: The late night "owl" routes. On weekends, most Muni bus lines are scheduled to run every ten to twenty minutes. However, complaints of unreliability, especially on less-often-served lines and older (pre-battery backup) trolleybus lines, are a system-wide problem. Muni has had some difficulty meeting a stated goal of 85% voter-demanded on-time service. All Muni lines run inside San Francisco city limits, with
7952-456: The location of their choice (rather than at a stop). Conventional transit simulations show that PRT might attract many auto users in problematic medium-density urban areas. A number of experimental systems are in progress. One might compare personal rapid transit to the more labor-intensive taxi or paratransit modes of transportation, or to the (by now automated) elevators common in many publicly accessible areas. Cable-propelled transit (CPT)
8064-400: The lost time and statistically higher risk of accident in private transport , together with the initial, running and parking costs. Loss of control , spatial constriction, overcrowding , high speeds/accelerations, height and other phobias may discourage use of public transport. Actual travel time on public transport becomes a lesser consideration when predictable and when travel itself
8176-422: The many design compromises and piecemeal planning led to long-term operational challenges and inefficiencies. In 1970, Muni also suffered a severe diesel bus crisis. Muni experienced a diesel bus availability crisis in 1981–1982 when most of their diesel buses, 401 GMC and Flxible "New Looks" purchases in 1969, reached the end of their 12-year design life and funds for their replacement were not available. Most of
8288-504: The one summer when no cable cars would be in operation. The service became so popular that the festival was repeated for several years following. Anticipating the return of permanent streetcar service on Market Street, Muni began rehabilitating tracks in 1987, a process that culminated in the opening of the F line in 1995. The first modern Muni shelter was installed in front of the War Memorial Opera House in 1987. The F line
8400-480: The orange-and-white Nomex sculpture moved with the breeze from passing Muni and BART trains. Legs soon accumulated the same dark grime as the station walls, hiding the original color. BART was required by the artist's contract to clean the sculpture but several attempts were unsuccessful. In 2013, BART included removal of Legs in its 2014 budget, which prompted a debate about whether it should be cleaned regardless of cost (which Shawcroft supported), or removed from
8512-718: The passage of Proposition E in November 1999, Muni has been part of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), a semi-independent city agency created by that ballot measure. The agency, into which Muni, the Department of Parking and Traffic, and the Taxicab Commission were merged, is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Board of Supervisors. The acting Director of Transportation of
8624-497: The platform at Embarcadero was installed in December 2021. This allows passengers using the elevator to enter and exit fare control through the faregate, rather than having to use a "difficult and cumbersome" process of tagging in or out at the concourse faregates. Bathrooms at underground BART stations were closed after the September 11 attacks due to security concerns. The bathroom at Embarcadero station reopened on June 30, 2023, after
8736-492: The public transport leg of their journey and how close it leaves them to their desired destination. Timeliness is how long they must wait for the vehicle. Directness records how far a journey using public transport deviates from a passenger's ideal route. In selecting between competing modes of transport , many individuals are strongly motivated by direct cost (travel fare/ ticket price to them) and convenience , as well as being informed by habit . The same individual may accept
8848-481: The purchase of a ticket to generate revenue for the operators. Tickets may be bought either in advance, or at the time of the journey, or the carrier may allow both methods. Passengers may be issued with a paper ticket, a metal or plastic token , or a magnetic or electronic card ( smart card , contactless smart card ). Sometimes a ticket has to be validated, e.g. a paper ticket has to be stamped, or an electronic ticket has to be checked in. Tickets may be valid for
8960-600: The purposes of mass transit. Many, if not all, of these systems are implemented and fully integrated within existing public transportation networks. Examples include Metrocable (Medellín) , Metrocable (Caracas) , Mi Teleférico in La Paz , Portland Aerial Tram , Roosevelt Island Tramway in New York City, and the London Cable Car . A ferry is a boat used to carry (or ferry ) passengers, and sometimes their vehicles, across
9072-611: The reduced emissions and other environmental impacts of using public transportation over private transportation, many experts have pointed to an increased investment in public transit as an important climate change mitigation tactic. Conveyances designed for public hire are as old as the first ferry service . The earliest public transport was water transport . Ferries appear in Greek mythology writings. The mystical ferryman Charon had to be paid and would only then take passengers to Hades . Some historical forms of public transport include
9184-416: The rest of the fleet were undersized 36-foot AM Generals purchased for neighborhood routes, and their use on heavier lines exacerbated conditions. The trolley bus fleet was in good order and had excess capacity at the time so Muni improvised a few temporary services with them to help out. One such service was a trolley 14-Limited that used the abandoned trolley overhead on South Van Ness. The diesel 82-Chinatown
9296-561: The role of diesels in the total operation. Three trunk diesel lines were converted to trolley bus service in the next twelve years. But these efforts have not been as successful as hoped. Out of necessity most of the fleet, 330 standard bus equivalents out of 506, were replaced in just two years in 1985–1986. (Standard bus equivalents factor the 30-foot and 60-foot into their equivalent capacity in 40-foot buses). And seven years passed without any new buses coming on board before Muni started its next full diesel fleet replacement cycle in 1999. This
9408-464: The smoke filled subway tunnels from the steam engines. In 1894, Boston built the first subway in the United States, an electric streetcar line in a 1.5-mile tunnel under Tremont Street's retail district. Other cities quickly followed, constructing thousands of miles of subway in the following decades. In March 2020, Luxembourg abolished fares for trains, trams and buses and became the first country in
9520-443: The station and on surrounding streets. Like the three other shared Muni/BART stations in the Market Street subway, Embarcadero has three underground levels. The uppermost level is a fare mezzanine, with one Muni paid area in the middle flanked by two BART paid areas. The second level has a single island platform (of which only the center portion is used) for Muni Metro, and the third level has an island platform for BART. The station
9632-409: The station began on May 27, 1976, three years after the other San Francisco stations. As a result of increasing development in the lower Market Street area, the basic structure of the station was added into the construction of the Market Street subway, anticipating a later opening. This resulted in the Embarcadero station having a different design than the other three Market Street stations. The station
9744-804: The station include routes 1 , 9R , 14R , 14X , 30X , 41 , 81X , 82X , 714 , J Bus , K Bus , K Owl , L Bus , L Owl , M Bus , N Owl , and N Bus . The California Street line of the San Francisco cable car system terminates adjacent to the Drumm Street station entrance. Muni's F Market and Wharves heritage streetcar line stops on the surface at Market and Main (westbound) and Market and Drumm (eastbound). A number of Golden Gate Transit bus routes stop near Embarcadero on Fremont Street (2, 4, 38, 44, 54, 56, 58, 72, 72X, 74, 76) and/or Pine Street (2, 4, 8, 18, 24, 24X). Other transit agencies that stop nearby include SamTrans (292, 397, 398, 713, FCX) and PresidiGo (Downtown Shuttle). Embarcadero station
9856-517: The succeeding decades. A few lines with dedicated rights-of-way (including those serving the Twin Peaks and Sunset tunnels) continued as rail lines running 1940s-era PCC streetcars through the 1970s. These lines became the foundation of the Muni Metro. During World War II, because male employees had been called to serve in the military, both MSRy and Muni hired female 'motorettes' and conductors, including poet and author Maya Angelou in 1943. In
9968-641: The successful 1999 Proposition E that formed the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and set service standards for Muni. In August 1998, San Francisco residents witnessed a protracted malfunction of Muni Metro after switching to an automatic train control implemented by Alcatel Transport Automation , culminating in an event that is now known as the Muni Meltdown . Automatic control of Muni Metro light rail vehicles began on Saturday, August 22, three years behind schedule and at
10080-551: The three cable car lines are typically referred to by name only (Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde and California). Except for cable cars, cash fares are $ 3.00 for adults; $ 1.50 for seniors over 65, people with disabilities, and Medicare card holders; and free for low- and moderate-income seniors, youth aged 18 and under, and people with disabilities residing in San Francisco. Clipper card and MuniMobile fares are $ 2.50 for adults and $ 1.25 for seniors, and people with disabilities. Proof-of-payment , which fare inspectors may demand at any time,
10192-436: The ticket at the time of ride. Alternatively, a proof-of-payment system allows riders to enter the vehicles without showing the ticket, but riders may or may not be controlled by a ticket controller ; if the rider fails to show proof of payment, the operator may fine the rider at the magnitude of the fare. Embarcadero Station Embarcadero station is a combined BART and Muni Metro rapid transit subway station in
10304-705: The time and in August 2012, they were on-time 57% of the time. A report conducted by the San Francisco Municipal Transport Agency in early 2013 noted that Muni was on time only 58% of the time. It delayed its customers a total of 172,195 hours and reduced the city's economic activity by US$ 50 million per year. In 2013 the performance hit an all-time low of 57%, the on-time performance improved to 60% in January 2014, 60% in February 2014, and 60% in March 2014. Muni Metro on-time performance as of June 2022: Since
10416-504: The track, limiting their flexibility. In the United States, trams were commonly used prior to the 1930s, before being superseded by the bus. In modern public transport systems, they have been reintroduced in the form of the light rail. Light rail is a term coined in 1972 and uses mainly tram technology. Light rail has mostly dedicated right-of-ways and less sections shared with other traffic and usually step-free access. Light rails line are generally traversed with increased speed compared to
10528-517: The transport operator to allow users to plan their journeys. They are often supplemented by maps and fare schemes to help travelers coordinate their travel. Online public transport route planners help make planning easier. Mobile apps are available for multiple transit systems that provide timetables and other service information and, in some cases, allow ticket purchase, some allowing to plan your journey, with time fares zones e.g. Services are often arranged to operate at regular intervals throughout
10640-668: The trip in just seven minutes. At the request of the San Francisco Examiner , a member of the executive committee for Rescue Muni tracked the length of each ride on her eight-stop daily commute to the Financial District from the Sunset that week. Four of the ten trips took longer than 40 minutes, and the best time was 15 minutes. By the third week of operation under automatic train control, the Muni Meltdown had passed and service
10752-517: The unsuitable environment of the station. The sculpture was removed in June 2014 and returned to Shawcroft – a professor emerita at UC Davis School of Design – who planned to repurpose it into other pieces. Embarcadero station is located in the busy Financial District; numerous routes by several transit providers stop at or near the station. Most radial Muni bus routes terminate at several nearby locations: Other Muni routes that stop or terminate near
10864-408: The use and extent of public transport. The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is the international network for public transport authorities and operators, policy decision-makers, scientific institutes and the public transport supply and service industry. It has over 1,900 members from more than 100 countries from all over the globe. In recent years, some high-wealth cities have seen
10976-410: The walls of the station. A sandblasting in 2014 revealed the original white terrazzo platform walls under the dark grime. Since before 1992, the station was serenaded by Ronald Brewington, known as the "Jazz Man". He would play saxophone for commuters, and entertain them with conversation and charm. He claimed his name was Garrick Sherrod; however, that was an identity he had stolen . The Jazz Man
11088-527: The world (especially in Europe and east Asia , particularly Japan ), but apart from public transit installations in Las Vegas and Seattle, most North American monorails are either short shuttle services or privately owned services (With 150,000 daily riders, the Disney monorail systems used at their parks may be the most famous in the world). Personal rapid transit is an automated cab service that runs on rails or
11200-544: The world to make all public transport free. The Encyclopædia Britannica specifies that public transportation is within urban areas, but does not limit its discussion of the topic to urban areas. Seven criteria estimate the usability of different types of public transport and its overall appeal. The criteria are speed, comfort, safety, cost, proximity, timeliness and directness. Speed is calculated from total journey time including transfers. Proximity means how far passengers must walk or otherwise travel before they can begin
11312-745: The world, which may compete with fixed public transport lines, or complement them, by bringing passengers to interchanges. Paratransit is sometimes used in areas of low demand and for people who need a door-to-door service. Urban public transit differs distinctly among Asia, North America, and Europe. In Asia, profit-driven, privately owned and publicly traded mass transit and real estate conglomerates predominantly operate public transit systems. In North America, municipal transit authorities most commonly run mass transit operations. In Europe, both state-owned and private companies predominantly operate mass transit systems. For geographical, historical and economic reasons, differences exist internationally regarding
11424-525: Was actually a fugitive from Albuquerque facing capital murder charges stemming from the 1987 death of his wife Diedre. He was arrested at a BART station in 2012, and extradited to New Mexico . In 2013, he pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. 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. Construction of
11536-761: Was built for 11 miles of track for the Union Passenger Railway in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1888. Electric streetcars could carry heavier passenger loads than predecessors, which reduced fares and stimulated greater transit use. Two years after the Richmond success, over thirty two thousand electric streetcars were operating in America. Electric streetcars also paved the way for the first subway system in America. Before electric streetcars, steam powered subways were considered. However, most people believed that riders would avoid
11648-399: Was designed by chief BART architect Tallie Maule and Hertzka & Knowles & Associates in collaboration with Parsons Brinckerhoff , Tudor Construction, and Bechtel . The station cost $ 30 million to construct. Muni Metro service began in February 1980 and Embarcadero was originally intended to be the inbound terminus for all of the Muni Metro lines. In 1998 a new southward extension
11760-428: Was fourteen years after the previous cycle instead of the twelve years that buses are designed to last. Muni is now aware that they must expect to keep diesel buses past their design life and have also found that funds granted for mid-life rebuilds require that the buses be kept longer still. As the fleet replacement cycle begins again in 2013, Muni has arranged for life-extending rebuilds of 142 buses, by count over 30% of
11872-692: Was introduced to London in July 1829. The first passenger horse-drawn vehicle opened in 1806. It ran along the Swansea and Mumbles Railway . In 1825 George Stephenson built the Locomotion No 1 for the Stockton and Darlington Railway in northeast England, the first public steam railway in the world. The world's first steam-powered underground railway opened in London in 1863. The first successful electric streetcar
11984-584: Was opened, extending the N Judah along the Embarcadero to the Caltrain station at 4th and King Streets . On March 4, 2000, F Market & Wharves streetcar service was extended northward to Fisherman's Wharf , with new stops above Embarcadero station at Main Street (inbound) and Drumm Street (outbound). Because the station is adjacent to the Transbay Tube, brake dust and other particles from train operations coat
12096-475: Was reintroduced in 1995 as a heritage streetcar service. Initially designed as a temporary tourist attraction to make up for the suspension of cable car service for rebuilding, the F has become a permanent fixture. E line service, initially known as the Muni Metro Extension, started in January 1998 initially as a shuttle between Embarcadero station and Caltrain's 4th and Townsend station. In June 1995,
12208-424: Was replaced with short runs of the 30-Stockton. But the trolleys could only go where their wires went. Muni adopted some policies to alleviate future service issues due to an aged fleet. They would stagger bus purchases so not as large a portion of the fleet would hit retirement age at once. They would arrange for mid-life rebuilds to keep the buses more serviceable in their final years. And they would work to reduce
12320-438: Was the only Express route that ran daily until April 25, 2015, the date when it was no longer an Express route. Rapid lines (having an R following their route number) are limited-stop services. They stop at only a subset of the stops of their corresponding "standard" line—typically every third stop and at transfer points. Muni also operates the San Francisco cable car system , a heritage streetcar system descendant of
12432-532: Was threatening to sue Alcatel. Alcatel and Muni instead blamed delays on malfunctioning train cars. In addition, a proof-of-payment fare enforcement system went into effect that week, compounding rider confusion. Finally, riders who had previously been able to secure a seat by riding in the opposite direction (outbound) to Embarcadero station were forced to disembark there because of the E/Muni Metro Extension service that had begun in January; these changes and
12544-559: Was uneventful, albeit with fewer LRVs than normal and with drivers onboard each train. Muni officials apologized for the rough transition and promised to continue to improve service; privately they called the Meltdown "the biggest fiasco in the railway's history." In an effort to improve service, Muni began to replace its troublesome fleet of Boeing-Vertol light rail vehicles with newer Italian Breda light rail vehicles in late 1996. The two-decade-old fleet of Flyer trolleybuses were replaced with Electric Transit, Inc. (ETI) trolleybuses in
#80919