Trolleybuses in San Francisco
Encyclopedia
The San Francisco trolleybus
system forms part of the public transportation network serving San Francisco, in the state of California
, United States
. Opened on October 6, 1935, it presently comprises 14 lines, and is operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway
, commonly known as Muni (or the Muni), with 313 trolleybuses – or trolley buses (two words), the common American English
spelling of the term.
One of only five such systems currently operating in the U.S., the Muni trolley bus system is the second largest trolley bus system in the western world
, after the Athens/Piraeus system
in Greece
. A special feature of its operations are the steep gradients. On line 24, for example, there is a 22.8% incline.
The Muni trolley bus system is complementary to the city's rail-bound Caltrain
, Bay Area Rapid Transit
, Muni Metro
and cable car system
. In addition, it shares some of its overhead wires with the F Market & Wharves streetcar line.
Line 41 operates only in rush hour
. The San Jose Avenue terminal of line 14 is in the neighboring municipality of Daly City.
Muni trolley bus fleet presently comprises three different types, of which 240 are conventional length (two-axle) buses and 73 articulated bus
es. The latter are used on lines 14, 30 and 49.
The suffix SF in the two ETI model numbers stands for San Francisco. These two types were specially derived from the standard series Škoda
14Tr for use on the Muni system. The New Flyer E60 series originally comprised 60 units; 20 have been withdrawn from service.
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
system forms part of the public transportation network serving San Francisco, in the state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Opened on October 6, 1935, it presently comprises 14 lines, and is operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway
San Francisco Municipal Railway
The San Francisco Municipal Railway is the public transit system for the city and county of San Francisco, California. In 2006, it served with an operating budget of about $700 million...
, commonly known as Muni (or the Muni), with 313 trolleybuses – or trolley buses (two words), the common American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
spelling of the term.
One of only five such systems currently operating in the U.S., the Muni trolley bus system is the second largest trolley bus system in the western world
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
, after the Athens/Piraeus system
ILPAP
I.L.P.A.P. was a public Greek company, part of the general Athens Mass Transit System, responsible for the operation of the trolleybuses network...
in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. A special feature of its operations are the steep gradients. On line 24, for example, there is a 22.8% incline.
The Muni trolley bus system is complementary to the city's rail-bound Caltrain
Caltrain
Caltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
, Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
, Muni Metro
Muni Metro
Muni Metro is a light rail system serving San Francisco, California, operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway , a division of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency...
and cable car system
San Francisco cable car system
The San Francisco cable car system is the world's last permanently operational manually operated cable car system, in the US sense of a tramway whose cars are pulled along by cables embedded in the street. It is an icon of San Francisco, California...
. In addition, it shares some of its overhead wires with the F Market & Wharves streetcar line.
Lines
Trolley buses currently operate the following Muni routes:| 1 | Drumm Street – California Street – 33rd Avenue/Geary |
| 3 | Sutter Street – Jackson Street – Presidio Avenue |
| 5 | Transbay Terminal San Francisco Transbay Terminal San Francisco Transbay Transit Terminal, or simply Transbay Terminal, was a transportation complex in San Francisco, California, USA, located roughly in the center of the rectangle bounded north–south by Mission Street and Howard Street, and east–west by Beale Street and 2nd Street... – Fulton Street – La Playa/Ocean Beach |
| 6 | Ferry Plaza – Parnassus Street – Quintara Street |
| 14 | Ferry Plaza – Mission Street – San Jose Avenue/Daly City |
| 21 | Ferry Plaza – Hayes Street – Stanyan/Fulton |
| 22 | 3rd St./20th – Fillmore Street – Marina Boulevard |
| 24 | Jackson Street – Divisadero Street – Oakdale/Palou/3rd Street |
| 30 | Caltrain Depot – Stockton Street – Jefferson/Beach |
| 31 | Ferry Plaza – Balboa Street – La Playa/Ocean Beach |
| 33 | Maple Street – Stanyan Street – Utah/25th Street |
| 41 | Main Street – Union Street – Lyon/Greenwich |
| 45 | Lyon Street – Union Street – Stockton Street – Caltrain Depot |
| 49 | North Point Street – Van Ness Avenue – Mission Street – City College |
Line 41 operates only in rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
. The San Jose Avenue terminal of line 14 is in the neighboring municipality of Daly City.
Current fleet
The exclusively high-floorHigh-floor
High-floor is an expression used to distinguish tram, light rail and other rail vehicles, along with buses and trolleybuses, built to formerly conventional design, from their counterparts of low-floor design....
Muni trolley bus fleet presently comprises three different types, of which 240 are conventional length (two-axle) buses and 73 articulated bus
Articulated bus
An articulated bus is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-deck design, and comprises two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint...
es. The latter are used on lines 14, 30 and 49.
| Fleet numbers | Quantity | Manufacturer | Electrical equipment |
Model No. | Configuration | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5401–5640 | 240 | Electric Transit, Inc. Electric Transit, Inc. Electric Transit, Inc. was a joint venture between the Škoda group in the Czech Republic and AAI Corporation in the United States which made trolleybuses for the Dayton and San Francisco trolleybus systems, constructing a total of 330 trolleybuses. ETI was formed in 1994, and ownership was divided... (ETI) (Škoda Škoda Works Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century... /AAI Corp. AAI Corporation AAI Corporation is an aerospace and defense development and manufacturing firm in Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA. It is formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of United Industrial Corporation, AAI was acquired by Textron in 2007 and currently is an operating unit of Textron Systems Corporation... ) |
Vossloh Kiepe Vossloh Kiepe Vossloh Kiepe is a German manufacturer of electrical traction equipment for trams, trolleybuses and other transport vehicles, as well as air-conditioning and heating systems, and conveyor device components.-History:... |
14TrSF | Conventional | 1999–2003 |
| 7000–7059, with gaps | 40 | New Flyer New Flyer Industries New Flyer Industries Inc. is a bus manufacturer in North America, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It also has factories in Crookston and St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA.-History:... |
General Electric General Electric General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States... |
E60 | Articulated | 1993–1994 |
| 7101–7133 | 33 | Electric Transit Inc. (ETI) | Vossloh Kiepe | 15TrSF | Articulated | 2003 |
The suffix SF in the two ETI model numbers stands for San Francisco. These two types were specially derived from the standard series Škoda
Škoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
14Tr for use on the Muni system. The New Flyer E60 series originally comprised 60 units; 20 have been withdrawn from service.
See also
- San Francisco Municipal Railway fleetSan Francisco Municipal Railway fleetWith five different modes of transport from many different vendors, the San Francisco Municipal Railway, or Muni as it is commonly known, runs one of the most diverse fleets of vehicles in the United States. Roughly 1,000 buses, 200 streetcars, and 40 cable cars see active duty...
- List of trolleybus systems in the United States
External links
- San Francisco Municipal Railway - official website
- Muni's Trolley Bus History
- System map on www.sfu.ca
