F-line

Rick Laubscher

Giving Tuesday: can you help?

Today is Giving Tuesday, a day promoted around the world to focus people’s attention on the needs of many kinds addressed by nonprofits. We at Market Street Railway know full well, especially right now, that there are urgent needs everywhere. We hope you’ll be able to spare a little something for charities in San Francisco, or wherever you’re reading this, that are helping with the Covid-19 pandemic or other human needs.

We do want to let you know that Covid-19 is hurting our nonprofit in a big way as well. Our San Francisco Railway Museum has been closed for almost two months, and when it does reopen, we expect far fewer gift shop sales from reduced and social distanced visitation. More importantly for San Francisco, there is no date set yet to return the F-line and E-line vintage streetcars to service (Car 1015, shown above, has just returned from a complete rebuilding to better-than-new-in-1948 condition and is being tested on the empty tracks right now to be ready to carry passengers when it’s time). Nor is there a date for returning the National Historic Landmark cable cars to service.

We are focusing our efforts on urging and helping Muni to bring these vehicles back to the streets, in passenger service, just as soon as it is safe for both operators and riders. They are symbols of San Francisco and will be symbols of our city’s recovery.

So, as you give to nonprofits on this Giving Tuesday (or any day for that matter), we hope you will consider donating at least $10 to Market Street Railway, to help the cause of the historic streetcars and cable cars. You can donate here.

Another way you can help us is by picking up some great transit-related merchandise in our online store, including this new t-shirt we designed with PCC 1040, the last streetcar of its designed to be built new in America, 68 years ago.

To all of you who are Market Street Railway members or supporters, thank you for helping us keep the past present in San Francisco.

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Rick Laubscher

Status update, April 15, 2020

Muni has put into effect the dramatic service cuts we told you about in our last update. Muni is currently operating just 17 core routes (out of 87), all served by buses. No rail service of any kind currently. Given our focus, we won’t discuss details of that here, but if you read the public comments at the bottom of SFMA’s announcement, you’ll see a lively debate.

The cable car machinery is completely shut down, though some cosmetic and restoration work continues on individual cable cars. The past week did see some additional operator training on vintage streetcars, as captured in this memorable photo by Traci Cox — memorable in large part because Pier 39 is empty and closed down in what would normally have been a very busy pre-Easter week. (When this ends, we hope you will visit and support Pier 39, because they, and other Wharf businesses, including Ghirardelli Square, Cioppino’s Restaurant, and others, have been generous supporters of our work.)

Yesterday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced six critical indicators that would guide his decision on when to modify the state’s lockdown order. He said there is no precise timeline for modifying the stay-at-home order, but from what we’ve seen, it seems clear it will extend at least through the end of May, and likely longer. At that point, transit agencies, including SFMTA, will have to make decisions on when and how to resume various service levels, depending on demand. The governor has said the restart of activity will be phased and gradual. We don’t know at what point cable car or vintage streetcar service might resume, so we won’t speculate, but we will keep you informed here as we get additional information.

Our San Francisco Railway Museum will be closed at least through the lifting of the stay-at-home order, and probably for some time after that. The most likely reopening would be tied to the resumption of F-line streetcar service, but that hasn’t yet been decided. In the meantime, we continue to offer popular items from the museum shop in our online store. Thanks so much to our wonderful museum and operations manager, Alison Cant, for fulfilling incoming orders on a once-a-week basis. She is so important to our organization.

In the meantime, we pass along a message and photo from former MSR board member Steve Ferrario, sent to us on April 9. “Strange days.  Castro end of the F-Line, now terminal for the T buses.  🤨”

Thanks once again to all the SFMTA employees on the job during these most difficult time, maintaining some level of mobility for San Franciscans. Be safe out there!

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Rick Laubscher

Car-free Market Speeds Up F-line

A new study, plus research by our board member Chris Arvin, shows that the first month of the ban on private automobiles on Market Street is making Muni operations, including the F-line, faster, according to this story in the San Francisco Examiner.

For the F streetcar, in particular, the impacts are “really noticeable,” Arvin said. Most morning commute streetcar trip from Ninth and Market streets to First and Market streets took more than 15 minutes. Since the car ban, about 65 percent of those trips are now under 15 minutes, according to data he compiled.

San Francisco Examiner, February 26, 2020

The photo above shows the last PCC built in North America (Muni Car 1040) on the first morning of car-free Market, January 29. You’ll note the motor scooter and private car next to it. We’ve seen occasional violations of the car ban, especially at night, but that’s to be expected in the initial weeks. SFPD and SFMTA parking control officers herded strays off the street with a warning; SFPD is supposed to start issuing tickets for violators soon.

As an early and vocal supporter of the auto ban on Market, we’re encouraged by these early results. We thank Chris for his initiative on this.

We continue to push hard to implement the F-line improvements that are part of the Better Market Street construction about to begin, particularly the addition of a short-turn loop on McAllister Street and Charles J. Brenham Place (Seventh Street north), which will allow additional F-line service to be scheduled on the busiest part of the line, between the Wharf and Civic Center (service to Castro would not be affected). The project will also consolidate F-line stops downtown and make them all accessible (several are not).

All in all, it’s a very good start.

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Rick Laubscher

Hear Mayor Art Agnos’ Inside Stories of Embarcadero Transformation March 21

Nothing has improved San Francisco more in the past 30 years than the transformation of its waterfront boulevard, The Embarcadero. The city’s mayor at the time, Art Agnos, bucked some strong special interests to achieve the removal of the double-deck Embarcadero Freeway in front of the Ferry Building, replacing it with a surface roadway, pedestrian promenade, and — of course — streetcar tracks.

Earthquake-damaged Embarcadero Freeway, 1990

Mayor Agnos was aided in all this by his deputy mayor for transportation, the late Doug Wright (who was serving as Market Street Railway’s board chair at the time of his death in 2014). Art Agnos will share inside stories of how he and Doug got all those things done — including making sure the tracks were laid for the future E-line — at the next edition of Inside Track Live at our San Francisco Railway Museum, 77 Steuart Street (across from the Ferry Building) on Thursday, March 21, from 6 to 7 p.m.

Today’s Ferry Plaza

Market Street Railway President Rick Laubscher, who was active in advocating for the waterfront improvements, will converse with Mayor Agnos and moderate questions from the audience.

The Embarcadero is part of Art Agnos’ legacy

This special event is free for Market Street Railway members. We request that nonmembers donate $5 at the door to support our mission of preserving historic transit in San Francisco. Attendance is limited to 50 people. Please join us!

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Rick Laubscher

E-line Shuts Down for Two Months Starting Jan. 22

Rick Laubscher E-Embarcadero Updates , , ,

Beginning January 22, the E-Embarcadero streetcar line will be completely shut down for approximately two months. The shutdown is related to construction of a new center boarding platform on the T-line to serve the new Golden State Warriors’ arena, Chase Center, on Third Street. Beyond the impact on the E-line, the entire six-mile length of the T-Third light rail line will be converted to bus operation for the same period. Wait, what? That new platform is almost a mile south… — Read More

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Rick Laubscher

“The bell is charming; the horn works”

Rick Laubscher Calendar, Features, PCC - 1050 Class, Posts with Photos , , ,

  The headline above is a great quote from a great story in Curbed SF about a dad and his two kids riding every Muni line terminal to terminal this summer. This installment includes the F-line where they rode the newest PCC to return to service following rebuilding, Car 1050 (pictured above in yet another calendar-worthy photo from Traci Cox). The author, Mc Allen, describes rolling along The Embarcadero on the “retro delight” PCC, “exceptionally maintained as rolling museums”. Along… — Read More

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Rick Laubscher

Buses on F-line, No E-line Sunday, June 24

Rick Laubscher Muni News, Posts with Photos, Uncategorized , , , , , , ,

The Pride Parade has been San Francisco’s summer kickoff celebration for more than decades now, with huge throngs lining Market Street to watch almost 300 parade units go by. Back in the 1980s, historic streetcars were actually part of the parade, shown here in 1983, as a Blackpool boat tram and Muni’s famed Car 1 participated. The boat tram’s authentic destination sign seemed particularly appropriate. This year, though, streetcars will be completely absent from the parade route, not only for the duration… — Read More

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Rick Laubscher

Welcome Back, Harvey Milk’s Streetcar!

Rick Laubscher Muni News, PCC - 1050 Class, Video , , , , ,

The streetcar honoring Harvey Milk, civil rights icon and transit advocate, was rededicated in a ceremony at the Castro Street F-line terminal on Wednesday, March 15. Car 1051, looking factory fresh, was on display at the spare track next to Jane Warner Plaza while a parade of speakers, led by district Supervisor Jeff Sheehy, paid tribute to Harvey Milk — and to Muni’s parent, SFMTA, and Market Street Railway for their respective roles in keeping the F-line up to date.… — Read More

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Rick Laubscher

“Service Improvement” on the F-line? You decide.

Rick Laubscher Muni News, Policy & Planning, Posts with Photos , , ,

If you’re riding the F-line this sunny Saturday morning, you’ll find fewer streetcars out there, and longer wait times. But not to worry, it’s a “service improvement.”  Who says so? Muni. Muni’s parent, SFMTA, sent out a blog post entitled “More Muni Forward Service Improvements Roll Out”. The F-line is mentioned. But when you click through to the story, it’s, well, a different story. After listing other “improvements” (including cutting back a major crosstown bus line to eliminate transfers to the… — Read More

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Rick Laubscher

E-line NextBus Map Working!

Rick Laubscher E-Embarcadero Updates, Muni News , , , ,

NextBus, Muni’s vendor for live displays showing where every vehicle is on every route, has launched the full-time E-Embarcadero map. You can now see what’s on both the E- and F-lines by clicking here, then selecting the map you want: F-line only, E-line only, or a combination (as shown in the screenshot above). We thank NextBus (which labels its maps here “NextMuni”) for including the icons (which we supplied them) of the actual streetcars that are on the line, a… — Read More

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Rick Laubscher

Buses Back on the F as E Starts Daily Service

Rick Laubscher Muni News, Posts with Photos , ,

Today marks the beginning of daily service on the E-Embarcadero historic streetcar line, which will now run daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Fisherman’s Wharf to AT&T Park and the Caltrain Depot along The Embarcadero and King Street. It’s a major service expansion following nine months of the weekend-only service that inaugurated this long-anticipated line. And what greeted the E-line streetcars on their first day of daily service?  A too-familiar sight on the original historic streetcar service, the F-line:… — Read More

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Rick Laubscher

“Super Bust 50”

Rick Laubscher News, Policy & Planning, Posts with Photos , , , ,

“Super Bust 50” is the headline of the new Castro Merchants monthly President’s Letter by Daniel Bergerac. You can read his entire letter here, but here’s the gist. As the Super Let Down after Super Bowl 50 starts to fade, let’s remember who is going to end up paying the biggest price for Santa Clara hosting this huge sporting event – – we are: local merchants, especially in The Castro.  But, we are not alone, we hear, as local merchant associations all over… — Read More

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Rick Laubscher

F-line, Our Museum Adapt to Super Bowl Week

Rick Laubscher News, Posts with Photos , ,

The foot of Market Street is very different this week. The streetcar tracks have PVC pipes stuck in the flangeways to reduce the tripping hazard for thousands of strollers visiting corporate-sponsored displays where the F-line and Muni buses usually run. Lower Market and the southbound lanes of The Embarcadero in front of the Ferry Building have been turned over to an event called “Super Bowl City”, demoting the F-line streetcars to a Ferry-Wharf shuttle service, with buses taking over for… — Read More

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Rick Laubscher

Hoodline Reports on Our Agenda

Rick Laubscher News , ,

The popular San Francisco neighborhood news website, Hoodline, reports on Market Street Railway’s priorities for improving historic streetcar service. We appreciate the coverage and hope it helps move these items closer to reality.  The tremendous popularity of the F-line has made a major impact on service quality, as anyone who tries to ride knows.  We do feel strongly that the line can operate more efficiently than it does and become even more popular with locals, including people moving into the many new residential… — Read More

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Rick Laubscher

Video Birthday Card

Rick Laubscher

Muni turns 103 this week (December 28) — the first publicly owned big city transit system in the United States.

Seems only fitting to celebrate history with videos of Muni’s historic vehicles, keeping the past present in the future. First, F-line streetcars, shot this past summer by one of our best contributing photographers, Kevin Mueller:

And, to bookend the streetcars, some of the best natural sound we’ve heard on a cable car video. Just a pure ride, the only music coming from the percussive click of the cable, the ratchet of the hand brake, and of course, the bells.

 

Happy Birthday, Muni!

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