Streetcars have returned to the fabric of downtown San Francisco
Published: August 6, 2005
In most cities, streetcars are but a memory — replaced long ago by subways and exhaust-spewing cars and buses.
Not so in San Francisco, where a civic celebration decades ago brought in dozens of unwanted streetcars from around the world and created a beloved institution.
Now, a trip on a restored streetcar — whether the Milan car that looks like an orange sneaker box, the green and cream Philadelphia car, or Number 952 from New Orleans, still named “Desire” — is considered as much a part of visiting the city as a cable car ride, which costs more and usually requires a long wait.
“It’s so different from getting a regular transit bus,” said Deanna Taylor, 67, a tourist from the Bahamas who was surprised to learn that the ride cost just $1.25.
Streetcars first ran in the city in 1892, and after the 1906 earthquake and fire, they all but replaced cable cars because public transportation systems were destroyed along with much of the city.
They seemed to lose luster when the city began switching to lightweight subway-style cars, but their renaissance began again in 1983 at the start of the San Francisco Historic Trolley Festivals. Retired streetcars from Moscow to Osaka, Japan, to Blackpool, England, were given to the city, and volunteer carpenters, electricians and painters helped refurbish them.
In 1995, the F line became a permanent fixture. Running down Market Street and then along the waterfront, it offers a panorama of modern San Francisco life. Today, there’s no better way for tourists to experience an authentic part of the city.
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