How safe are cable cars in San Francisco?

Cable cars average about an accident a month and routinely rank among the most accident-prone mass transportation modes in the country per vehicle mile traveled annually, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Over the last 10 years, city officials have reported 126 accidents injuring 151 people.



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You may have heard that you can hop off and on cable cars as many times as you like once you purchase a ticket. This isn't exactly true, though there is a way to use cable cars as a hop-on/hop-off tour experience. So, how much does it cost to take a cable car ride in San Francisco?

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Most San Franciscans will tell you that the Powell-Hyde line is the most exciting trip to take and we wholeheartedly agree. The Powell-Hyde Street line starts at the cable car turnaround at Powell Street and Market Street (map).

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The Cavalese cable car crash is the deadliest cable car crash in history. On 9 March 1976, the steel supporting cable broke as a fully loaded cable car was descending from Mt. Cermis, near the Italian ski resort of Cavalese in the Dolomites, 40 km (25 mi) north-east of Trento.

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During busy times, there is likely to be a very long line at this stop. However, the cars run every ten minutes or so and each car holds up 65 people so the line often moves more quickly than you'd expect. TIP: If you want to avoid the long line then you can walk north a few blocks and get the car at the next stop.

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Cable cars are the most expensive of San Francisco's public transportation options, in part because they're as much an attraction as they are a way to get around. The $7 one-way ticket price applies to everyone—adults, youth and seniors (except in the very early morning before 7am and late night after 9pm).

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California Line (Red) It's the least busy of the three. It's also full of thrills as it climbs the steep hill from California and Market to the top of Nob Hill, then runs back downhill to Van Ness.

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Powell Hyde Cable Car Powell Hyde starts at the Powell and Market cable car turnaround near Union Square and ends at Fisherman's Wharf. The route is 2.1 miles long and takes about 20 minutes.

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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.

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Powell/Hyde Line: Union Square, Lombard Street to Fisherman's Wharf. The Powell/Hyde line is one of two cable cars in San Francisco that run from Union Square to Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf.

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