Transportation

Chapter 8

San Francisco, like most other major cities, relies on transportation for goods and public transportation. The City was thought important enough to make major highways, rail systems and air lines a large part of the transportation system (i.e., U.S. Highway Route 40).

The City also cares much for their public transporation. I think that this is one of the reasons, like New York, that San Francisco is so popular and successful as city and major tourist attraction. People that I know who have visited Los Angeles, as well as locals, realize that one can barely get around Los Angeles without a car. For a tourist to come here, they either have to know someone to take them around, visit only certain areas that they can walk to, or have a great sense of direction to drive themselves around!

But in San Francisco, you can get lost, but you are never far from a MUNI bus, a BART Subway station, or one of the light rails M, T, J, K, N, to name a few. And its affordable too.

This is a picture of a MUNI bus.

This is a picture of a light rail (LRT).

Public Transportation is the best choice for the City because of its limited space, therefore, lack of parking. If and when I have drove my own car there that is the biggest problem–trying to find parking! I usually ditch my car somewhere and then take the MUNI everywhere else. Not to mention traffic!

A famous Cable Cars of San Francisco (anyone remember Rice-a-Roni?)

The MUNI (Municipal Railway), which oversees the buses, trolleybus, light rail, street and cable cars, began its operation in 1912, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. There are some MUNI buses that are electric, and others that run on ethanol. All light rails are electric. Many bus lines also have night owl services.

The BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is the heavy rail part subway system that covers in the City and the surrounding Bay Area (Richmond, Oakland, etc.). It began operation in 1972.

San Francisco is always working to improve their transit. As of this year, they added the light rail T line, which services the southeast side, making sure that lines hit key places such as Giant’s Stadium, the 49ers stadium and The Embarcadero.