Dear members and friends of Market Street Railway,

 

Since our quarterly magazine, Inside Track, reached our members in June, we're combining the June and July newsletters and tightening up the copy.

The latest news is always available on our website's blog.  (For that reason, we won't be repeating recent website posts here. We hope you choose to spend more time browsing the deep content on our website, which continues to expand with great history articles and news.) 



Cable cars are now tentatively scheduled to return to the Powell-Hyde line on August 2, which happens to be the 148th anniversary of Andrew Hallidie's very first cable car trip. We have recommended to Muni a start-up celebration on that date, featuring a descent of the Hyde Street hill from the crooked block of Lombard to Aquatic Park that echoes Hallidie's landmark descent of Clay Street. We'll let you know what the City decides is an appropriate welcome-back gesture -- keep checking streetcar.org for the latest.

For the first month, cable car rides will be free, and will operate on the Powell-Hyde line from about 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.  (Powell-Mason and California Street line return dates not yet determined.) Masks will be required for all passengers (federal regulations). We're not sure what plan is in place to manage potential crowds.  After all, it now costs a family of four $64 for a roundtrip on the cable cars, so this will be a huge bargain.

(Thanks to Val Lupiz for the photo above, which he captioned "Ketchup and Mustard" on our Facebook group. A reminder that we -- Market Street Railway -- have played a big part in bringing back authentic historic liveries to 11 of the 28 Powell cars, celebrating Powell cable's 133-year history.)

 
F-line hours have just been expanded.  Vintage streetcars will now leave Castro every 10-12 minutes between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., and leave the Fisherman's Wharf terminal between about 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. It's keeping the maintenance team at Cameron Beach Yard on their toes (thanks to Jeremy Whiteman for the photo above). Besides keeping the daily fleet going, they're "burning in" newly restored double-end PCC 1007, resplendent in its accurate and intricate Philadelphia Suburban "Red Arrow" livery (right center), getting it ready for revenue service. Just to the left of 1007 is "EuroPCC" 737, painted to honor Zurich, Switzerland, San Francisco's sister city. It made a surprise appearance Friday, June 25, to bid farewell to the Swiss Consul General, who wrapped up his assignment here.

Speaking of surprise appearances, could the Blackpool boat tram reprise its very popular "Summer of the Boat" trips on The Embarcadero this year?  Operators have received training; no announcement yet from Muni, but we're cheering on the possibility.

Our favorite streetcar poll is in, and here are the results!

June is Pride Month. so we took the opportunity to tell the stories of the LGBTQ+ folks who helped make the F-line possible.

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Finally, the City is giving serious reconsideration to a plan to redo underground utilities along central Market Street in a way that could truncate streetcar service on the F-line at Powell for up to four years. The project team will be presenting two alternatives to city decision-makers in mid-July. No details, but we're hopeful that the advocacy we organized against a prolonged shutdown might carry the day. Again, check streetcar.org for the latest.  

Looking forward, 

Rick Laubscher
President, Market Street Railway