 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
INSET: DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO
THE SAN MATEO INTERURBAN
THE EAST BAY AREA (OVERALL)
INSET: OAKLAND AND BERKELEY
I created the above maps by overlaying OpenStreetMap (OSM) maps with my own data. Copyright on the OSM maps is © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under a CC-BY-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 licence).
Please note that the OSM maps used as templates for these maps correspond to the situation at the time the maps were downloaded and may show features that did not exist at the time the GS Tram Site is supposed to show. In particular, they may show bridges and highways that were built later.
ROUTES
STREETCAR ROUTES OPERATED BY THE SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL RAILWAY
| B | Bridge Terminal – Market St. – Geary St. – Geary Blvd. – 33rd St. - Balboa St. - Ocean Beach |
| C | Bridge Terminal – Market St. – Geary St. – Geary Blvd. – 2nd Av. – California St. – Lincoln Park |
| D | Ferry Bldg. – Market St. – Geary St. - Van Ness Av. – Union St. – Greenwich St. – Presidio |
| F | Scott St. – Chestnut St. – Van Ness Av. – North Point St. – Columbus Av. – Stockton St. – 4th St. - Townsend St. - SP Terminal [Evenings, Sundays and holidays: Scott St. - Market St. only] |
| H | Fort Mason – Van Ness Av. – 11th St. – Potrero Av. – Army St. (now Cesar Chavez St.) - San Bruno Av. - Wilde Av. [Evenings, Sundays and holidays: Fort Mason - Army St. only][ |
| J | Ferry Bldg. – Market St. – Church St. – 30th St. |
| K | Bridge Terminal – Market St. – Twin Peaks Tunnel – West Portal – Ocean Av.- Brighton Av. – Onondaga and Mission St. [Some weekday rush-hour and all Sunday services to Brighton & Grafton] |
| L | Ferry Bldg. – Market St. – Twin Peaks Tunnel – Taraval St. – San Francisco Zoo |
| M | Ferry Bldg. – Market St. – Twin Peaks Tunnel – West Portal – Ocean Av.- 19th Av. - Broad St. - Plymouth Av. [Evenings, Sundays and holidays: Ferry Bldg. - West Portal only] |
| N | Bridge Terminal – Market St. – Sunset Tunnel - Judah St. – La Playa |
| 1 | Ferry Bldg. – Market St. – Sutter St. – Presidio Av. – California St. – Clement St. – 33rd Av. - Geary Blvd. - 45th Av. |
| 2 | Ferry Bldg. – Market St. – Sutter St. – Presidio Av. – California St. – Euclid Av. – Clement St. – 33rd Av. - Geary Blvd. – Sutro Station |
| 3 | Bridge Terminal – Market St. – Sutter St. – Fillmore St. – Jackson St. – Presidio Av. - California St. |
| 4 | Bridge Terminal – Market St. – Sutter St. – Fillmore St. – Sacramento St. – 6th Av. – Fulton St. (Golden Gate Park) |
| 5 | Bridge Terminal – Market St. – McAllister St. – Fulton St. – Ocean Beach (Balboa St.) |
| 6 | Ferry Bldg. – Market St. – Haight St. – Parnassus Av. – Judah St. - 9th Av. – Pacheco St. [Daytime workday service only] |
| 7 | Bridge Terminal – Market St. – Haight St. – Lincoln Way – 47th Av. |
| 8 | Ferry Bldg. – Market St. – Castro St. - 18th St. [Daytime workday service only] |
| 9 | Ferry Bldg. – Embarcadero - Mission St. - Valencia St. – Richland Av. - Murray St. [Daytime workday service only] |
| 11 | Ferry Bldg. – Embarcadero - Mission St. – 24th St. - Hoffman Av. [Daytime workday service only] |
| (12) | 5th St. & Market St. – Mission St. – Ocean Av. – Sloat Blvd. – San Francisco Zoo [Sundays and holidays only] |
| 14 | Ferry Bldg. – Embarcadero - Mission St. – Ocean Av. – Daly City (at San Jose Av.) |
| 21 | Ferry Bldg. – Market St. – Hayes St. – Stanyan St. - Fulton St. – 8th Av. – Clement St. |
| 22 | Broadway – Fillmore St. – 16th St. – 18th St. – 3rd St. & 18th St. (Potrero) |
| 25 | Ferry Bldg. – Mission St. – 6th St. - Bryant St. - Army St. - Potrero Av. [Daytime workday service only] |
| (27) | Market St. - 2nd St. - Bryant St. - 26th St. - Mission St. [Weekday rush hours only] |
| 31 | Ferry Bldg. – Market St. – Eddy S. [back: Turk St.] – Turk St. – Balboa St. – 30th Av. [Daytime workday service only] |
| (41) | Market St. - 2nd St. - Brannan St. - 3rd St. - SP Terminal [Weekday rush hours only] |
Last day of operation of (former) San Francisco Municipal Railway streetcar lines abandoned between 1 Jan. 1948 and 1 Jan. 1950:
- 1948 June 6: 5, 21, 32
- 1948 July 4: 6, 7
- 1948 Aug. 1: 4, 22, 25
- 1948 Aug. 13: 27
- 1948 Nov. 1: 12
- 1949 Jan. 16: 9, 11, 14, 40 (San Mateo Interurban)
- 1949 July 3: 1, 2, 3, 8, 31 (last of the numbered lines)
SAN MATEO INTERURBAN RAILWAY (OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL RAILWAY)
| 40 | [Weekday rush hours & weekends: 5th St. & Market St. – Mission St. – Ocean Av. – ] Daly City – Colma - San Bruno - Millbrae - Burlingame - San Mateo (Third & "B" Streets) |
The San Mateo Interurban Railway ceased operation on 16 Jan. 1949.
CABLE CAR ROUTES OPERATED BY THE SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL RAILWAY
| Powell & Market – Powell St. – Jackson St. [Back: Washington St.] - Mason St. – Bay St. | |
| Powell & Market – Powell St. – Jackson St. [Back: Washington St.] – Alta Plaza Park |
CABLE CAR ROUTES OPERATED BY THE CALIFORNIA STREET CABLE RAILWAY CO.
| California | California & Drumm – California St. – Presidio Av. |
| Jones St. Shuttle | Jones & Market – Jones St. – Jones & O'Farrell |
| O'Farrell/Jones/Hyde | O'Farrell & Market – O'Farrell St. – Jones St. – Pine St. – Hyde St. – Beach St. |
INTERURBAN ROUTES
Operator: Key System
| A | Bridge Terminal (San Francisco) - Bay Bridge - 12th St. (Oakland) - 14th St. - Melrose - Havenscourt |
| A1 | Bridge Terminal (San Francisco) - Bay Bridge - 12th St. (Oakland) - 3rd Av. & E 18th St. |
| B | Bridge Terminal (San Francisco) - Bay Bridge - Oakland (Grand Av. - Trestle Glen Rd.) |
| C | Bridge Terminal (San Francisco) - Bay Bridge - Oakland (40th St. - Piedmont) |
| E | Bridge Terminal (San Francisco) - Bay Bridge - Claremont Av. - Claremont Hotel |
| F | Bridge Terminal (San Francisco) - Bay Bridge - Berkeley (Adeline St. - Shattuck Av. - Solano Av. & The Alameda) |
STREETCAR ROUTES IN OAKLAND AND BERKELEY
Operator: Key System
| 1 | 105th Av. | 6th St. - Washington St. - 13th St. - 14th St. - Melrose - San Leandro (105th Av.) |
| 2 | San Pablo - Ashby | Pine St. - 7th Av. - Washington St. - San Pablo Av. - Ashby Av. |
| 4 | Shattuck | 1st St. - Broadway - Telegraph Av. - Shattuck Av. - Berkeley Stn. |
| 5 | Grove & Telegraph | 1st St. - Broadway - Telegraph Av. - Bancroft Way - Oxford St. - University Av. - Martin Luther King Way (Grove St.) - San Pablo Av. - Broadway - 1st St. [Circular route] |
| 7 | Arlington | Arlington Av. / Ardmore Rd. - Martin Luther King Way (Grove St.) - University Av. - - Euclid Av. - Regal Rd. |
| 10 | Piedmont | 8th Street - Broadway - Piedmont Av. - Piedmont - Hampton Rd. |
| 11 | Oakland Av. | 9th St. - Broadway - Harrison St. - Piedmont Av. |
| 12 | Grand & W 16th | Frontage Rd. - 16th St. - 14th St. - Harrison St. - Grand Av. - Oakland Av. |
| 14 | E 18th & W 12th | Jefferson St. - 13th St. - 14th St. - 18th St. - 14th Av. - 21st St. - 25th Av. - 26th Av. 27th St. - Fruitvale Av. |
| 15 | Hopkins | Jefferson St. - 13th St. - 14th St. - MacArthur Blvd. - 35th Av. |
| 18 | Park Blvd. & Lakeshore | Oakmore Rd. - Park Blvd. - 13th St. - Broadway - Grand Av. - Walavista Av. |
Last day of operation for Key System streetcars in Oakland and Berkeley:
- 14, 15, 18: 27 March 1948
- 7, 10, 11, 12: 26 June 1948
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: 27 Nov. 1948
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM
NETWORK LENGTH
- Streetcar lines (San Francisco): ? km.
- Streetcar lines (Oakland - Berkeley): ? km.
- Cable car lines: ? km.
- Interurban lines (Key System): 102 km.
- Interurban line (San Mateo): 32 km. (?)
HISTORY
- San Francisco streetcars: (horse-drawn) 4 July 1860 - 1882; (electric) 1892 - today.
- San Francisco cable-cars: 1 Sept. 1873 - today.
- BART (Subway): 11 Sept. 1972 - today; H-Line: 22 Nov. 1914 - today
- Key System (Interurbans): 26 Oct. 1903 - (Into San Francisco only from 15 Jan. 1939, following the opening of the Bay Street Bridge on 12 Nov. 1936) - 20 Apr. 1958.
- East Bay Electric Lines (Interurbans) (from Dec. 1938 Interurban Electric Railway (IER)): 1911 - July 1941
- Northern Electric Railroad (Interurbans) (from 1925 Sacramento Northern Railway): 1905 - 1941
- San Mateo Interurban: 27 Apr. 1892 - 15 Jan. 1949
- Oakland-Berkeley streetcars: (horse-drawn) 1869 - 1893; (electric) 1891 - 28 Nov. 1948
- Oakland cable-cars: 1886 - ?
GAUGE
- Streetcars: 1435 mm. (some early streetcar lines of the predecessors of the Key System in Oakland were 1067 mm. [3 1/2"])
- Cable-cars: 1067 mm.
- BART (Subway): 1676 mm.
- Interurbans: 1435 mm.
TRAM PRESERVATION
The San Francisco Railway Museum displays many relics of the streetcar and cable car history of the city. The Market Street Railway operates many historic streetcars over actual line F of the San Francisco streetcar system (Muni). The cable car system has its own museum at the Cable Car Museum at Washington and Mason.
The Western Railway Museum in Rio Vista Junction, Suisun City, about 40 miles (65 km.) north-east of San Francisco, has both restored heritage streetcars and interurbans in its collection, running them on museum tracks for visitors.
SOURCES
- "Around San Francisco Bay", The Bulletin - National Railway Historical Society, 1970 (35: 2), p.10-52.
- "Balancing act on Fillmore", Inside Track, 2014 (No.1), p.7-10.
- Currington, B. "San Francisco Municipal Railway modernisation (Part 1)", Modern Tramway & Light Rail Transit, Oct. 1984 (47: 565), p.339-347.
- Currington, B. "San Francisco Municipal Railway modernisation (Part 3: Completion)", Modern Tramway & Light Rail Transit, Jan. 1985 (48: 568), p.16-24.
- Demoro, H.W. "A documented account of the conversion from rail service to motor bus bv the Key System", National Railway Bulletin, 1979 (44: 6), p.4 - 44.
- Dodge, J.W. et al. "Key System interurban lines", The Western Railroader, date ?, p.3-14.
- From shore to shore: The Key Route [San Francisco (?)]: Peralta Associates, 1948.
- "East Bay transit: Oakland-Berkeley streetcars, 1937-1948", The Western Railroader, May 1973 (36: issue 397), p.2-8.
- Laflin, A.H. (Jr) "A chronology of changes in San Francisco Street RY routes since 1944", Timepoints Special Reference Supplement No. 7, June 1953.
- Laubscher, R. On track - A field guide to San Francisco's historic streetcars & cable cars. Berkeley: Heyday, 2014.
- "Los Angeles and San Francisco", The Modern Tramway, Nov. 1949 (12: 143), p.221-224.
- Market Street Railway Co. [Timetable and route map]. San Francisco, May 1941.
- "Municipal Railway of San Francisco", The Western Railroader, Aug. 1961 (24: 8), p.2-12.
- Rice, W. "Andrew Smith Hallidie's cable legacy", Tramways & Urban Transit, Apr. 1999 (67: 736), p.136-139.
- Rice, W. "San Francisco rail is moving forward", Tramways & Urban Transit, Sept. 1998 (61: 729), p.336-339.
- Rice, W. & Echeverria, E. The Key System: San Francisco and the Eastshore Empire. Charleston (NC): Arcadia Publishing, 2007.
- "Richmond Shipyard Railway", The Western Railroader / The Western Railfan, Sept. 1981 (44: 491), p.1-8.
- Russell, M. "San Francisco's decade of achievement", Tramways & Urban Transit, Apr. 2010 (73: 868), p.156-157.
- Russell, M. "Waterfront torpedoes", Tramways & Urban Transit, Feb. 2017 (80: 950), p.76-77.
- "San Francisco Municipal Railway, 1950-1964", The Western Railroader, Jan. 1965 (28: 1), p.2-16.
- "San Francisco Municipal Railway - Merger of 1944", The Western Railroader, 1963 (26: ?), p.2-24.
- Sappers, V. Key System streetcars Berkeley: Signature Press, 2007.
- Simons, V. "San Francisco: Are Muni and BART running out of cash?", Tramways & Urban Transit, July 2023 (86: 1027), p.268-272.
- Smallwood, C. The White Front cars of San Francisco Glendale (CA): Interurbans, 1978
- Townley, R.P. San Francisco transit milestones Manuscript, 2005.
- Vielbaum, W., Hoffman, P., Ute, G. & Townley, R. San Francisco's Market Street Railway. Charleston (NC): Arcadia Publishing, 2004.
- Vielbaum, W., Townley, R., Rice, W., Echeverria, E. & Holmgren, D. San Francisco's interurban to San Mateo. Charleston (NC): Arcadia Publishing, 2005.
WIKIS
- BayArea Rapid Transit (BART)
- East Bay Electric Lines
- History of Bay Area Rapid Transit
- Key System
- List of defunct San Francisco Municipal Railway lines
- List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines
- Market Street Railway (transit operator)
- Market Street Subway
- Muni Metro
- Sacramento Northern Railway
- San Francisco cable car system
- San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni)
- San Francisco Railway Museum
- Shipyard Railway
- Third Street Light Rail Project
WEB SITES
- AC Transit
- BART (San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit)
- Bay Area Rails: Then and now
- The Cable Car Home Page (by Joe Thompson)
- Market Street Railway
- Metropolitan Transportation Commission
- OB&E (Oakland Berkeley & Eastern)
- San Francisco Cable Car Website
- San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)
- San Francisco Railway Museum
Special thanks to Bob Townley of Fairfield CA and to Alexander Rapp of Boston MA for their kind help in preparing these maps.
Copyright Gabor Sandi 1998-2024
Disclaimer: Everything on this site was written and/or prepared at the author's discretion. The author has tried to be accurate where facts are presented, but this does not mean that these facts are necessarily accurate. People needing more reliable information should refer to appropriate sources presented, on the Internet or elsewhere, by authoritative professional or academic bodies.
To get in touch with the webmaster, send an e-mail to g_sandi at hotmail.com.
Flags on this site are from the FOTW Flags Of The World website.