I just saw a news blurb that they are proposing to raise the cable car fares from $3 to $5. Some say it is gouging the tourists, other say it is fair because it is supporting an historic attraction, not a modern public transit system. I'm curious to see what this group thinks. I personally see it as supporting historic preservation and though I have not been there yet, would have no problem paying this fee to see it preserved.

Scott

Well, when I last visited SF I thought the best (possibly only) bargain in town was public transportation. Not only was it infitely easier than trying to drive car and find an elusive parking space, but, if memory serves, a day pass for all forms of transport was something like a lousy 6 bucks. I wouldn't hesitate to pay that to rise the cable cars, trolleys, light rail, ferries, etc.

Actually, the Exploratorium was a bargain too come to think of it, and the Maritime Museum. Still haven't found much in the way of food bargains there. I figured Rice A Roni (The San Francisco Treat) would be ubiquitous, but no restaurant had it listed. Nobody ever heard of a "snack thin" there either.

Anyhow, what with the gouging you can expect from the hotel, a few bucks to get around? No big deal.......

dave

That may not mean much to a tourist, but what about the poor folks who ride to work 5 days a week?

Scott,
Well, as I don't actually live there, I'd say that an increase to pay for it makes sense. I doubt the locals would agree with me, however. My wife I went there last month for the first time. We didn't actually ride the cable cars as they just weren't going anyplace we wanted to go (only had two days to see everything). I got the impression from the locals that the cable cars are NOT a "modern public transit system," but many do use them to commute who live on the routes. Most of the people I saw riding them had the handy tourist maps and were carrying cameras when I noticed, but I also saw "commuters" on them as well. I was very surprised how little trackage the cable cars actually have. Now as for the streetcars, well, that's another story. They run well into the business district, and we did ride those one early morning (FYI, very little is open before 10AM in the downtown tourist areas, we found out) and I think we were the only tourists on them, everyone else seemed to be local.
They have a lot of PCC cars painted in their original paint jobs. I tried to catch the Pacific Electric-painted PCC, but never could catch it with my camera. I missed all the local museum locomotives being moved out of town by two weeks. Figures. I also had to drive through Jack London Square, just to say I'd been there. The wife still doesn't understand why we crossed the bay just for that.
If you get the chance, GO. We enjoyed the streetcars quite a bit, and yes, probably should have ridden the cable cars, but there it is. I did have some fun with someone at Fisherman's Wharf, though. There's the rail ferry dock which still has rails on it, and a nice sign with a photo of a steam switcher pushing boxcars onto a ferry through the portal. A young lady was leaning on the sign saying what it was, saw me taking photos, and asked what the dock was used for. I stood up, and said it was a resupply ramp for Alcatraz, that the railroad took a good running go, and tossed railcars to a similar ramp over on Alcatraz Island (which must be at least 2 miles away). She looked at the dock, pointed to Alcatraz, which faces about a 90-degree angle to where the dock is pointed, and asked why is was pointed in the wrong direction. I said "The great earthquake of 1947" moved it from it's original position. She said, "Oh," then walked away. My wife, who'd heard the whole thing, wouldn't talk to me until well after breakfast. What can I say, I work in BS like other artists work in oils...
Lee

The locals don't ride the cables much, but if they do it is on a monthly Fast Pass, so they are not affected much.

Muni for all of its problems is a pretty good system, with Cable cars, Light rail, historic streetcars, trolley busses and regular busses. Its pretty cheap compared to other big city transit systems.

They are kind of caught between a political rock and a hard place... They don't have enough income to support the current level of service, but no one wants them to raise fares or cut service. It has regional fall out as well. The Caltrain pennisula commute service is funded in part by Muni, who haven't been keeping up with increases as service increases, and according to at least one rummor are behind in their payment to the joint operating board.

I would imagine that the commuters get a monthly pass. I know that while I was four years at UC Berkeley, it was much much less expensive to purchase a monthly pass ($10.00-$12.00, IIRC) than to spend the 35-50 cents each direction 20 or more days a month.

sc 'doc' lewis

I rode all three cable lines in January. My advice is to ride off-peak, early in the morning or during twilight. Cars can become so crowded with tourists that either the gripman or the conductor will prohibit boarding, forcing people at stops to wait for another car.

A day pass costs $9.00; good for all transit modes except BART. It pays for itself very quickly if you are hitting a number of sites. I never needed a map as I found most MUNI vehicle operators to be friendly and helpful. MUNI's download map is not reader-friendly.

Sloan

folks,

i live in San Francisco and I think that most of you have gotten it right. The Cabe Car Lines (three of them) are rolling historic preservation. I use the Muni Light Rail and BART for serious transportation around the City.

Most of the year the Cables are of limits because of the hour or more wait time.

The F Line is operated with PCC streamlined street cars from Philadelphia. They give the Cables a much needed break and are fun to ride also. F Line runs from the Wharf to Downtown and out to the Castro District.

The Light Rail Lines are under Market Street then on the surface. J,K,L,M,N make trips to a large part of the City. For example the L-Taraval goes out to the SF Zoo

Yes the fares will go up but for locals the monthly Fast Pass will be used for unlimited service on all modes. And there are daily, three day and weekly passes available. San Francisco is not an easy place to drive in and a very difficult and expensive place to park in.

Our family car is for weekend trips out of the City such as volunteering at the Western Railway Museum.

Come and visit and don't forget the San Francisco Maritime National Park, for other old things that move and I'll see you there!

Ted Miles