If you build it, will they run? Not in Philadelphia, apparently. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on 3,000 feet of brand new streetcar track and wires on a historic transit street, Germantown Avenue, that’s likely to just gather rust, despite the strong desire of neighbors for streetcars. What’s up? Well, the transit agency, SEPTA, which “temporarily” took trolleys off the street in 1992, says buses are better, never mind what residents think, never mind the $3 million in state funds to put down new tracks and wires at the residents’ request as part of a street overhaul. This is, as Yogi would say, “deja vu all over again.” SEPTA dragged its feet for years when residents on Girard Avenue demanded that the 15-line there be restored to PCCs. Editorial comment: all San Franciscans who complain about Muni, take a field trip and see SEPTA.
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Evocative Cal Cable Book Worth a Read
Nothing evokes vanished San Francisco more than the old California Street Cable Railroad Company, more familiarly known as “Cal Cable.” This private company, founded by Leland Stanford, operated cable cars from 1878 to 1951, when it went bankrupt and was taken over by Muni. After that, politicians effectively dismembered it, and we’re still talking about whether its remnants can be improved.
Muni Streetcar No. 1051 Dedicated to Supervisor Harvey Milk
Streetcar to be Dedicated to Harvey Milk on Tuesday
Streetcar No. 1051 turning at the corner of Noe & Market, one block from Castro.
On Tuesday, October 28, at 11 a.m. at Castro and Market Streets, PCC streetcar No. 1051, painted in Muni’s 1970s green and cream “simplified” livery, will be dedicated to Harvey Milk for his advocacy of public transit during his all-too-brief tenure as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978. At that time, Milk was the only member of the Board who rode Muni every day, and he was the first Board Member to use the then-new Fast Pass regularly. The dedication is co-sponsored by Muni and Market Street Railway and will complement the many other tributes paid to Harvey Milk as a human rights pioneer. The public is invited to attend.
Loss of a Young Friend
In one of those tragedies that just leaves you feeling so hollow, a young man — and friend of the vintage streetcars — has been taken from us. His name was Pippin Seales. He was playing with two friends in a cave at Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz on October 11 when it collapsed on them. One friend got out, one was injured, and Pippin was killed. He had just turned 11.
Muni Derailed by Wall Street?
The Los Angeles Times ran a troubling story saying that many large transit agencies, Muni among them, could face big-time financial problems because of rail car lease deals gone sour in the current economic meltdown. The Times noted that between 1980 and 2003, many transit properties sold their rail cars and leased them back, reaping a one-time cash infusion. But in the case of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, at least, the leases — with the troubled financial services giant AIG — may have to be paid back suddenly, which would require drastic service cuts.
See the ‘Dinky’ Streetcar at Castro Street Fair
Market Street Railway will be operating a booth at the Castro Street Fair this Sunday, October 5, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, and we’re happy to announce that we will be showing off one of the seldom-seen members of Muni’s historic streetcar fleet: Market Street Railway Co. streetcar No. 578.
Streetcar Rebuilding Proposals Delayed
Muni has two major requests for proposals to rebuild vintage streetcars out on the street. One proposal would renovate sixteen streamlined PCC streetcars to double the existing fleet of that type of car. The other would restore Muni’s flagship streetcar, vintage-1912 car No. 1, to its original glory in preparation for Muni’s centennial in 2012.
Important Muni Meeting Tuesday
Muni has been working on its Transit Effectiveness Project for two years now, trying to make service more effective. This is an important project, because it will determine which lines receive the most operating and capital funding, based on how they fit into the overall network and how many people they carry. “Rapid” is the highest category. We at MSR are pleased to see that after staff initially classified the “F” line as “local” service (even though it met every criterion they set out for “Rapid”), they looked more closely and reclassified both the F and the future E-line as Rapid.
E for Excellent, Embarcadero Streetcar Line Proves Popular
Rick Laubscher photo.
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