Market Street Railway’s mission is “Preserving Historic Transit in San Francisco”.
Our group’s leaders were the driving force in making vintage streetcars a full-time part of the San Francisco scene in the 1980s and 1990s. Leaders of Market Street Railway also played important roles in rebuilding the city’s irreplaceable cable car system in the 1980s.
Ever since, we’ve worked closely with leaders from neighborhoods, businesses, Muni, and City Hall to ensure that the historic transit lines in San Francisco provide reliable, attractive transit service to residents and visitors alike.
San Francisco’s historic F-Market & Wharves streetcar line on Market Street and The Embarcadero didn’t just happen by itself. It took years of concerted effort, led by our non-profit organization, Market Street Railway.
Our mission includes four primary areas of focus:
- Supporting the San Francisco Municipal Railway in its daily operation of vintage transit vehicles as Museums In Motion and continuously advocating for historic transit enhancements.
- Identifying, helping acquire, and advocating for restoration of additional historic transit vehicles suitable for operation by the San Francisco Municipal Railway.
- Educating the public on the historic contribution of mass transit to San Francisco’s high quality of urban life and the importance of vintage transit in maintaining that quality of life for the future.
- Operating the San Francisco Railway Museum to interpret the city’s transit history through vintage films and photos, artifacts, and displays, as a complement to the streetcars and cable cars themselves.
Our volunteer-based nonprofit organization lends important support to Muni. Since we receive no government funding whatsoever, we depend on your help to continue it. If you enjoy the vintage streetcars and cable cars of San Francisco, we hope you’ll help us to keep them great.