New streetcar line debuts next month

Do you think it’s weird how the F-Market doesn’t run on the Embarcadero south of Market, despite there being hella streetcar tracks along that stretch? You’re not alone.

Muni is set to start its much anticipated E-Embarcadero service on weekends starting in late-July. Hoodline has the deets:

Five historic streetcars will be put into service from 10am–7pm Saturdays and Sundays, with rollout of seven-day service planned in early 2016. They’ll make the same stops as the N-Judah from the Folsom stop to Caltrain, using separate street-level platforms, and will share the same stops as the existing F-line historic streetcar from the Ferry Terminal north to the Wharf. Streetcars will run about every 15 minutes.

“There are two really exciting benefits of the E-line,” said Julie Kirschbaum, operations planning and scheduling manager for SFMTA. “The first is it makes new connections. It provides a one-seat ride for people traveling from the Embarcadero to 4th and King or the ballpark.” It also provides additional capacity where the F-line is most packed: between Pier 39 and the Ferry Building. “By giving this extra service on the weekends,” she added, “it will help make the F-line less crowded.”

Check out the full story over at Hoodline, including information about drivers training to operate streetcars. Neat stuff.

We look forward not only to (EVEN MOAR) confused tourists, but also to stories that are bound to come out of this new Muni line. Muni Forward, indeed!

Photo by Jeremy Whiteman