List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines

The San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) is the primary public transit system for San Francisco, California. Muni is part of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which is also responsible for the streets, parking, traffic signals, and other transportation in the city. In 2019, Muni had the eighth-highest ridership among systems in the United States, with an average weekday ridership of 684,600.[1][2] Service is operated to all parts of San Francisco - including Treasure Island - as well as small sections of Daly City and Marin County.

Muni operates seven light rail lines in the Muni Metro system, two streetcar lines (E Embarcadero and F Market & Wharves), and three cable car lines. Daytime bus service includes 44 local routes, 5 limited-stop "Rapid" routes, and 15 peak-hour express routes. Four additional express routes provide weekend service to the Marin Headlands, service to Oracle Park (home of the San Francisco Giants), and the Chase Center (home of the Golden State Warriors) and supplement BART in the early morning. Overnight night bus "Owl" service - part of the All Nighter network - includes eight 24-hour routes, two night-only routes, three bus replacements of Muni Metro lines, and five-weekend early-morning Muni Metro replacement lines. Fourteen local routes (two only at certain times), one rapid route, and four Owl routes run as electric trolleybuses. Muni service operates out of ten yards and garages: one cable car barn, three light rail/streetcar yards, two trolleybus garages, and four bus garages.[3]

Routes have two-part names like "19 Polk" and "N Judah", where the second portion is usually a street served by the route (or in some cases, a neighborhood or landmark). Light rail and streetcar lines are lettered, while bus routes are numbered. The letter/number scheme was created by Muni, while the two-part naming scheme was created by the Market Street Railway, which Muni absorbed in 1944.[4]: 127  The three cable car lines are largely known by name (Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde, and California), though they are abbreviated to PM, PH, and C on maps, and have internal numbers 59–61 for operational purposes.[5]

Muni began service on December 28, 1912, when the A Geary-Park line was inaugurated, running between the Financial District and the Richmond District on the western side of the city.[4]: 27  The streetcar system was expanded over the next 16 years, including the Stockton Street Tunnel in 1914, Twin Peaks Tunnel in 1918 and the Sunset Tunnel in 1928. Muni began operating buses in 1917, and trolleybuses in 1941.[4]: 89, 111  The city acquired the competing Market Street Railway in 1944, doubling the size of Muni; its purchase of the bankrupt California Street Cable Railroad in 1952 made it the city's sole transit operator.[6] Replacement of streetcars by buses in the 1940s and 1950s left only five streetcar lines; they were converted to Muni Metro light rail in 1980 with the completion of the Market Street subway. Numerous service changes over the lifetime of Muni gave rise to the lines in use today; a number of other lines have been discontinued.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, service was initially reduced to a limited set of "core service" routes, then gradually expanded. As of July 2022, six Muni Metro routes, one streetcar route, one bus replacement for a Muni Metro route, three cable car routes, 43 local bus routes, four Rapid routes, and three express routes are in operation.[7] Several of those routes have been temporarily modified. Twelve overnight Owl routes and one early-morning express route are in operation.[7]

Cable car lines

A cable car on Powell Street in 2015

All three cable car lines are based out of the cable car barn at Mason and Washington.

RouteInbound terminalOutbound terminalRidership[3]Links
California (C)California and MarketCalifornia and Van Ness4,000Link
Powell-Hyde (PH)Powell and MarketHyde and Beach7,800Link
Powell-Mason (PM)Taylor and Bay5,100Link

Muni Metro and historic streetcar lines

A PCC streetcar and an ex-Milan streetcar on the F Market & Wharves line at the Ferry Building
An N Judah train at Powell station in 2017

Muni runs six Muni Metro light rail lines (J, K, L, M, N, and T), plus a shuttle service (S). The S Shuttle operates as an additional subway service at peak hours; extended S service is also used to serve events at Oracle Park (primarily San Francisco Giants games) and Chase Center (primarily Golden State Warriors games).

Two streetcar lines (E and F) use historic streetcars but serve as full transit routes rather than mere tourist attractions. Muni Metro lines are based out of two yards, Green Division (located at Balboa Park station) and Muni Metro East; the historic streetcar lines are based at Cameron Beach Yard (also near Balboa Park).

All routes except the E Embarcadero and L Taraval are in operation; bus replacements operate for the L Taraval.[7]

RouteInbound terminalOutbound terminalLinks
Jones and Beach
(Fisherman's Wharf)
4th and King
(Caltrain Depot)
Link
17th Street and CastroLink
EmbarcaderoBalboa ParkLink
Link
46th Avenue and Wawona
(SF Zoo)
Link
San Jose and Geneva
(Balboa Park)
Link
4th and King
(Caltrain Depot)
Judah and La Playa
(Ocean Beach)
Link
EmbarcaderoWest PortalLink
ChinatownSunnydaleLink

Local bus lines

A route 5 Fulton bus at the street-level bus plaza at the Transbay Transit Center in 2018
A route 18 bus on 46th Avenue in 2018
Route 21 Hayes and 31 Balboa trolleybuses at Ferry Plaza in 2019
A 30-foot (9.1 m) route 37 Corbett bus in Cole Valley in 2018
A route 49 bus on red transit-only lanes in the Mission District in 2017

Muni operates 44 local bus routes. Most routes operate on weekdays and weekends; the 41 and 88 operate only during weekday peak hours. A number of routes have different terminals during evenings and/or weekends. Route 2, which uses diesel hybrid buses, is supplemented by short turn trolleybuses at peak hours. Route 5 uses trolleybuses only during evenings and weekends.

Key to table notes
Electric trolleybus routes
Community routes using 30–32-foot (9.1–9.8 m) buses
^Routes using 60-foot (18 m) articulated buses
NRoutes not operating during COVID-19 pandemic
MRoutes with modified routing during COVID-19 pandemic

Rapid bus lines

A route 9R bus on Market Street in 2019

On five high-ridership corridors, local buses are supplemented with rapid buses with limited stops. The Rapid routes largely follow the route of the local buses, with some variations; at times when the 5R and 9R operate, the 5 and 9 are cut back to a shorter route. The 5R, 9R, and 28R operate only on weekdays until 7pm; the 14R and 38R operate every day until 7pm.

RouteNoteInbound terminalOutbound terminalRidership[3]Links
5R Fulton Rapid†^Transbay Transit CenterCabrillo and La Playa12,900Link
9R San Bruno Rapid^Main and MissionSunnydale and McLaren School11,700Link
14R Mission Rapid^Mission and MainDaly City station18,900Link
28R 19th Avenue RapidMCalifornia and 6th AvenueDaly City station4,500Link
38R Geary Rapid^Transbay Transit CenterPoint Lobos and 48th Avenue29,500Link

Express bus lines

A route 8BX bus at Balboa Park station
A route Nx bus on 19th Avenue in 2018

Muni operates several types of express routes. Twelve routes operate between outer neighborhoods and downtown. The local sections in the outer neighborhoods overlap with local routes of the same number, while the non-stop express sections operate on expressways or major arterials. They operate only during weekday peak hours, with service only in the peak direction. Buses in the opposite direction run deadhead except for the 8AX and 8BX, which are paired with the local route 8 in the non-peak direction. Eight of the express routes are paired into 'A' and 'B' types, which have different local segments on the same corridor. All express routes except routes 1X, 8AX, 8BX, and 78X are suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

RouteNoteInbound terminalOutbound terminalRidership[3]Links
1X California Express^Davis and Pine (mornings)
Sacramento and Drumm (evenings)
Geary and 33rd AvenueN/ALink
1AX California 'A' ExpressN ^Davis and PineGeary and 33rd Avenue1,200Link
1BX California 'B' ExpressN ^California and 6th Avenue1,500Link
7X Noriega ExpressN ^Market and Steuart (AM)
Main and Market (PM)
Ortega and 48th Avenue1,600Link
8AX Bayshore 'A' Express^Kearny and PacificGeneva and Schwerin5,800Link
8BX Bayshore 'B' Express^Kearny and North PointCity College (Unity Plaza)5,600Link
14X Mission ExpressN ^Steuart and Mission (Ferry Plaza)Mission and San Jose4,200Link
30X Marina ExpressN ^Howard and SpearScott and Beach2,000Link
31AX Balboa 'A' ExpressNDavis and PineCabrillo and La Playa1,100Link
31BX Balboa 'B' ExpressNBalboa and Park Presidio900Link
38AX Geary 'A' ExpressNPoint Lobos and 48th Avenue900Link
38BX Geary 'B' ExpressNGeary and 25th Avenue1,000Link
Nx Judah ExpressNBush and Montgomery (AM)
Sutter and Sansome (PM)
Judah and 48th Avenue1,300Link
A route 76 bus (renamed 76X in 2012) at the Rodeo Beach parking lot in the Marin Headlands in 2007

Three express routes provide specialized service. The 76X, which runs only on weekends and holidays, provides service to recreational and tourist areas in the Marin Headlands. The 78X and 79X provide service to the Chase Center; they run only before and after events at the arena.[8]

RouteNoteInbound terminalOutbound terminalLinks
76X Marin Headlands ExpressNSutter and SansomeFort Cronkhite (Marin Headlands)Link
78X 16th Street Arena ExpressN ^Chase Center16th Street Mission stationLink
79X Van Ness Arena ExpressNVan Ness and North PointLink

Two additional routes provide shorter-distance express service between the Caltrain commuter rail terminal at 4th and King station and business areas near Market Street. Like the outer express routes, they operate only at peak hours. The 81X and 82X operate only in the peak direction (the 81X operates only in the morning peak).

RouteNoteInbound terminalOutbound terminalRidership[3]Links
81X Caltrain ExpressNBeale and HowardTownsend and 4th Street100Link
82X Levi Plaza ExpressNSansome and Filbert (Levi's Plaza)500Link

Owl bus lines

A route K Owl bus on Market Street in 2019

Owl routes provide night bus service from 1am to 5am daily (including holidays) as a part of the Bay Area's All Nighter network.

The 90 Owl route is a combination of the daytime 47 Van Ness and 9 San Bruno routes, while the 91 Owl route is a combination of the daytime K Ingleside, 8 Bayshore, T Third, 30 Stockton, and 28 19th Avenue routes. The 5 Fulton, 24 Divisadero, 44 O'Shaughnessy, and 48 Quintara-24th Street Owl routes are truncated from their daytime counterparts.

Route 714 is part of the Early Bird Express system, which provides service while BART performs seismic retrofit earthquake work in the Transbay Tube. It runs a limited number of trips during the early morning between 4am and 5am, while BART is closed.[9]

The K, L, and N Owl motor coaches replace daytime light rail service and run on surface streets, making local stops, rather than in the Market Street subway, Twin Peaks Tunnel, and Sunset Tunnel. The L Owl also covers the route of the daytime F-Market line. The L and N Owl buses run all night, while the K Owl runs only a small number of trips in the early morning and just after the subway closes.

RouteNoteInbound terminalOutbound terminalLinks
5 FultonJones and McAllisterCabrillo and La PlayaLink
14 MissionSteuart and MissionMission and San JoseLink
22 FillmoreFillmore and BayMission Bay North and Third StreetLink
24 DivisaderoDivisadero and SutterCortland and BayshoreLink
25 Treasure IslandTransbay Transit Center13th and Gateview (Treasure Island)Link
38 GearyPoint Lobos and 48th AvenueLink
44 O'ShaughnessyGlen Park BARTHudson and NewhallLink

48 24th Street22nd Street and IowaCastro and 24th StreetLink
90 San Bruno OwlVan Ness and North PointSan Bruno and BayshoreLink
91 Third Street/19th Avenue OwlHolloway and 19th AvenueWest Portal stationLink
714 BART Early Bird^Transbay Transit CenterDaly City stationLink
K OwlNSteuart and MissionBalboa Park stationLink
L OwlJones and BeachWawona and 46th AvenueLink
N Owl4th Street and TownsendOcean BeachLink

Early morning lines

In addition to the Owl service, buses normally provide weekend service along all Muni Metro lines from 5am until rail service begins (6am on Saturdays, 8am on Sundays) to allow for overnight maintenance work in the subway.[10] The K, L, and N Bus routes differ slightly from the nightly Owl routes and do not make local stops along their surface street detours, instead stopping only at stops used by the normal L and N daytime light rail routes. Several of the early morning routes are suspended, while the L bus operates the same shortened route as the daytime bus.[7]

RouteNoteInbound terminalOutbound terminalLinks
J Church BusFerry Plaza
(Embarcadero station)
Balboa Park stationN/A
K Ingleside BusLink
L Taraval BusMWest Portal stationWawona and 46th AvenueLink
M Ocean View BusOnly if neededSan Jose and Geneva
(Balboa Park)
Link
N Judah BusTownsend and 5th StreetOcean BeachLink
T Third Street BusBayshore and SunnydaleStockton and Washington
(Chinatown station)
Link

References

External links