By Justin Franz

The bright and colorful historic streetcars that rumble down San Francisco’s Market Street and along its waterfront could be on the chopping block as the city’s transportation agency faces a “fiscal cliff,” thanks to the state and federal governments cutting off pandemic-era funding. Market Street Railway, the non-profit that supports historic transit in San Francisco, has called the city’s financial issues the “gravest threat to vintage streetcar service since the permanent F-line opened almost 30 years ago.”

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency officials have said that COVID-era funding could run out by mid-2026. Unless new revenue streams are identified, cuts could begin as soon as 2025. Compounding the issues are changing ridership patterns brought on by remote work and downtown San Francisco’s struggles to fill commercial space. SFMTA’s MUNI has identified several lightly used bus lines, the historic F-Line and the city’s three cable car lines as routes to possibly suspend. 

While officials with Market Street Railway said threatening the cable cars could be a red hearing to bring attention to how serious the cuts could be (President Rick Laubscher notes that continued operation of the cable cars is literally written into the city charter and incoming Mayor Daniel Lurie has said they’re “here to stay”), the F-Line is not so secure. The six-mile line connects the Embarcadero with the Castro neighborhood and features a large fleet of historic streetcars, mostly World War II-era PCCs. 

While MUNI officials have suggested the F-Line should be on the chopping block, Market Street Railway officials note that while it uses historic streetcars, it’s not just a tourist attraction and that many workers along the Embarcadero rely on it every day. Groups like the Chamber of Commerce and San Francisco Hotel Council are also coming out in support of the F-Line.