The news coverage sounds confusing. Muni is planning to spend $660,000 to buy cable car artifacts from the museum at its own cable car barn and powerhouse at Washington and Mason Streets. What’s up with that?
If not for the broken Bay Bridge, it would have been the biggest transportation story of the day: the reaction to Mayor Newsom’s musings about eventually removing all Muni service, including the F-line, from Market Street. The chatter started in Blogsville the moment the Mayor appeared looking pensive on the front page of the Examiner yesterday.
This morning’s Examiner has a startling story: Mayor Gavin Newsom is dreaming about going way beyond the current test auto restrictions on Market Street, and move all vehicles, including Muni buses and F-line streetcars off the street.
Pittsburgh’s “Mod Desire” livery, the word at the center of the cars is “trolley”
PCC No. 1006 in its original “Wings” livery in the early 1950s. Will Whittaker photo.
Since our blog has attracted new readers of late, it’s a good time to make sure folks are clear on what Market Street Railway does, and what it doesn’t do. We are Muni’s non-profit preservation partner. Muni, a city agency, actually owns and operates the F-line and cable cars as part of San Francisco’s overall transit system, and are responsible for maintenance, security, and safety.
Our friends at Streetsblog San Francisco unearthed a wonderful photo by an old friend of MSR, Leroy Demery, Jr. It was taken in 1972 at the L-Taraval terminal at 46th and Wawona, and features Muni’s streetcar No. 1 at the height of its restored glory.
1006 at 33rd Avenue and Anza on the old
B-Geary line around 1952.
Photo courtesy Ian Green
