Market Street Railway -- San Francisco

[hunter]

"Museums in Motion"

http://www.streetcar.org/index.html

I've always been fascinated by electric streetcars and buses, which makes San Francisco one of my favorite places to visit.

In comparison to automobiles, the technology is robust, reliable, and does not require petroleum or biomass derived fuels.

No new technology is required to significantly reduce our dependence upon the automobile. Our greatest environmental problems will be addressed when we create urban environments that are much more attractive places to live than lonely and expensive suburban sprawl.

1912 San Francisco car No. 1



Built 1912.
Served San Francisco 1912-present.

This vehicle is easily worthy of National Historic Landmark status,
or inclusion in the Smithsonian transportation collection. For it
is the first big city publicly–owned streetcar in American history.

Enjoy!

[Gormy Cuss]

1. It's a hoot riding the F- Market Street line.

Tourists love it. Until the car pulls up you never know whether you'll be stepping into a time capsule of Milan, or Boston, or some place else. It is also a more practical way to travel that route than on a bus or in a private car for that matter. Part of its route (along Market St.) parallels a faster if less charming underground rail service but for the trip down the Embarcadero the streetcar can't be beat.

In the right cities (those with a history of streecars and with a lot of tourism trade to supplement local ridership) this sort of trolley service would be a boon. Boston is certainly one place where interest would be high although creating right of ways would be difficult with the narrow roadways.

[nxylas]

2. I have fond memories of riding the tram in Greece when I was a kid

I'm half-Greek and we would often visit my dad's family in Pireaus. One time, when I was about 9, my dad took us on the number 4 tram from Piraeus to Perama, the last remaining streetcar route in the Athens metropolitan area. When we got to Perama, we went straight back again. At the time, I wondered what the point of that journey was, but I later found that the tram was due to be discontinued and my dad wanted to ride it one last time before it went. The good news is that streetcars are now back in Athens, as part of an attempt to tackle the city's chronic smog problem. Hey, all that Olympics money had to go somewhere, and at least Athens's government had the sense to invest some of it in transit.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. Have you ridden the restored trolleys in Portland?

cool site...
http://home.comcast.net/~dthompso1/

[nxylas]

4. Yet another reason to love Portland

I tell ya, if I wasn't so settled where I am, I'd up sticks and move there.

[hunter]

5. I haven't, but Portland is one of my favorite cities.

I'll try to see more of it next time I visit... well maybe, if I actually get hungry enough to leave Powell's Books.

http://www.powells.com/technicalbooks

[knight_of_the_star]

6. Being someone who goes to school in SF

And am seriously considering moving there, it is the first time in my life of living in California where gas prices weren't something to worry about, between the Muni and the BART I can get anywhere in the Bay Area for max $15 for a round-trip that would easily cost much more in gas, parking, tolls, etc. Its nice only needing my car once a week for grocery shopping!