Are cable cars free in San Francisco?

The standard fare is $8 (regardless of distance) and an average trip is less than a mile and a half. I used to think that the city transit system, SF Muni, used the cable car to subsidize its bus and light rail services, but a deep dive into the numbers disabused me of this notion.



People Also Ask

For the most part, public transit is not free in San Francisco, but there are discounts for seniors and students. There are also tickets for unlimited rides for set amounts of time and bulk discounts. Muni has a $5 day pass for unlimited rides — except on cable cars.

MORE DETAILS

How much is it to ride the SF Muni buses and trolleys: Adults: $3.00 (Clipper card/MuniMobile: $2.50) Seniors: $1.50 (Clipper card/MuniMobile: $1.25) Anyone under 19 years of age rides buses and streetcars free (but not cable cars).

MORE DETAILS

Cable cars are often misidentified as 'trolleys', but that term refers specifically to the trolley pole used by streetcars to get power from an overhead wire (hence streetcars are often called trolleys, correctly). Cable cars use no overhead wire, and have no trolley poles.

MORE DETAILS

Two of San Francisco's three cable car lines connect the Union Square area downtown with Fisherman's Wharf. The Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines share the most-photographed cable car turntable, where Powell meets Market Street.

MORE DETAILS

How much is it to ride the SF Muni buses and trolleys: Adults: $3.00 (Clipper card/MuniMobile: $2.50) Seniors: $1.50 (Clipper card/MuniMobile: $1.25) Anyone under 19 years of age rides buses and streetcars free (but not cable cars).

MORE DETAILS

BART/Muni Adult A Fast Pass® The A Fast Pass is available on the Clipper card and is valid for a calendar month and lets you take unlimited rides on SFMTA/Muni vehicles and BART between the Embarcadero station to Balboa Park station in San Francisco.

MORE DETAILS

January and February are the cheapest months to visit San Francisco. The weather is least pleasant in winter, but the crowds are the smallest, and hotel room prices lower. But avoid New Year's Eve and the days around Chinese New Year parade in February to save money.

MORE DETAILS

Muni Passports are good on Muni only. They are not valid on BART, other transit systems, tour buses, or for transportation to or from San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

MORE DETAILS