The gap between cable car fares and other Muni fares is now wider than at any time in history. Until 1982, in fact, cable fares were the same as other basic Muni services, with full transfer privileges as well. At that time, despite calls from cable car supporters that wanted the venerable cars to be treated—and priced—like other Muni services, voters approved a measure that uncoupled cable car fares from other Muni services. By 1993, the cable car cash fare reached $3.00 and there were public grumblings about it. Muni responded by cutting the cash fare to $2.00, but revoking transfer privileges. The fare stayed at $2.00 for a decade, was raised to $3.00 in 2003, and now to $5.00—more than doubled in just two years. Though Muni staff considered reinstating transfers between the Powell and California lines as part of the jumbo fare increase this year, the idea was dropped before it got to a vote. (Monthly Fast Passes and shorter–duration Muni Passports can still be used on cable cars as well as on other Muni vehicles.)

Mayor Gavin Newsom told the press last spring that he was strongly opposed to the cable car increase in particular, because the cable cars are a symbol of San Francisco, not just a way to make money. Nonetheless, the Municipal Transportation Agency board, whose members the mayor appoints, voted for the increase anyway.

For a number of tourists or day-trippers from around the Bay Area, the new fare structure threatens to make a cable car ride unaffordable. And this could force more of them to seek out the already overcrowded F-line as a substantially cheaper alternative.

Family unfriendly?
A family of four, including two adults and two children (aged 5-17) must now pay $20.00 for a one-way ride on the Powell or California cable car lines. If they decide to ride the Cal line up Nob Hill and change to a Powell car there, it would cost the family $40.00 to reach the Wharf, since free transfers between cable lines are not allowed. By contrast, that same family can ride the F-line between Downtown and the Wharf for a total of $4.00—and if they come right back, the return trip is free, since transfers are good for at least 90 minutes. Even ignoring that transfer benefit, the basic F-line fare for a family of four is only 20% of the cable car fare. For many visitors and local families on tight budgets, that extra $16.00 in each direction to ride the cable cars may prove to be too much.

Of course, one reason for the F-line’s great success is the number of residents and visitors who consider it an attractive alternative to waiting in line for a cable car.

“There’s no question that we’ve seen more San Franciscans visiting the Wharf since the F-line opened,” says Chris Martin, owner of the Cannery at Del Monte Square. “They know the F-line takes them right to the heart of the Wharf, and is often quicker than waiting in the cable car line.” As the F-line has gained prominent placement in guidebooks and frequent mentions in the ‘best of’ surveys in Bay Area media, more riders can be seen taking a cable car in one direction and an F-line car in the other between Downtown and the Wharf.

What remains to be seen is whether the higher cable car fare pushes more riders to take the F-line in both directions, or perhaps substitute a taxi in one direction...now cheaper for a family of four than the cable car. The outcome could substantially impact the F-line. Currently, F-line service is overcrowded much of the time, especially on weekends. Muni has no plans to increase service frequency for at least a year. If the existing crowds at busy Wharf-bound F-line boarding islands (particularly the two nearest the Powell cable car turntable and the one at Drumm opposite the Cal cable turnaround) grow even denser, at least some visitors may forsake a trip to the Wharf altogether.

“We are very concerned about this situation,” says Rodney Fong, president of the Fisherman’s Wharf Merchants Association. “We are asking Muni to take another look at this cable car fare increase to make sure they don’t harm overall economic activity by discouraging riders to the Wharf, or jamming them onto the overcrowded F-line.”

Market Street Railway will continue to advocate expansion of F-line service to meet growing demand, and institution of E-line service along the waterfront, as soon as enough additional restored streetcars are available for service, which should be the middle of next year (story). We will be monitoring this situation and reporting back to our members in the next issue of Inside Track.