San Francisco public transportation
 

We're going to SFO and I'd like to figure out the public transportation before we get there. Is it possible to request a map and schedules via mail? Can anyone recommend a website that explains it? What are the options for day and week passes? Thanks!

I think all your questions are answered here:
http://www.fodors.com/world/north-am...p_2536986.html

~Liz

Information abounds, here are a few:

http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/transportation/

http://www.511.org/

http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/cas...fgetaround.htm

Visitor 1, 3, or 7 days transit passes are the best bang for your buck - including unlimited rides on Cable Car. ["unlimited rides on Muni, Muni Metro, historic streetcars, and cable cars"]

They cover just about everything except BART which is needed to get from SFO into the city. That is a separate entity.

http://www.sfmta.com/th/getting-arou...tor-day-passes

http://www.bart.gov/

Just FYI - especially if you post other threads: . . SFO is specifically and only the airport. If you are visiting the city it is San Francisco, or SF for shorthand.

Just don't call it Frisco! :)

There is "noise" about raising the "historic" F-line streetcar fare from $2 to $6. A "sock-it-to-the-tourists" move.

Stu Dudley

wow! That would be awful, Stu. While I realize the F streetcar does get a lot of use by tourists, especially between Union Sq area and FW, there are plenty of locals that use it up to The Castrl.

The Castro. Sorry.

read the same thing about raising fares on the F car. I sure hope they don't as my husband takes that to work if he takes the train into town. That would be a killer expense wise... It is the only money maker on the muni system so they will try to take advantage of it I suppose. 3 day pass is worth it if you are using public transportation in town....If you are a senior it might be cheaper so ask about that as well if the age fits

I use google maps on my phone. THey show real time schedules from point a to point b

>> there are plenty of locals that use it up to The Castro<<

Yep - That's what the district supervisor for the Castro pointed out.

Stu Dudley

And a few of us locals have to take it to get to jobs and offices along the Embarcadero and near the Wharf!!!

Totally off topic!
But to join in- raising the fare will force regular riders to purchase Muni fast passes therefore increasing revenue even more.

Don't "regular" riders already have fast passes??? I did when we lived in the City. They may choose to raise the price of the Fast Pass - making SF more costly to live/ & work in (where have I heard "more costly" before?).

Stu Dudley

511.org is a good source of information. For Android smartphones, QuickMuni (for up-to-the-minute schedules for the location nearest you) and MobileMuni (for complete transit routes to specific destinations) are very useful. IPhone users likely can find similar apps.

I'm a so-called regular user of Muni and find that loading a Clipper card with a bank of money, and using auto-reload via clippercard.com, is most convenient. The monthly passes require a certain amount of travel to be cost-effective, and I'm usually just on the border of making one worthwhile. If you are 65 or older, the senior fare is a real bargain. As a visitor, you will likely benefit from a pass covering a more limited period.

Public transportation in San Francisco has its aggravations but is generally a very good means of getting around the city.

When I used the monthly Fast Pass in '75-'77 to get downtown and back for work each work-day, it was cheaper than just paying two single fares. Is that no longer the case??

On weekends, we drove our car everywhere we wanted to go.

Stu Dudley

Not sure if it's your first time visiting, but if you are doing the typical tourist attractions you might consider a San Francisco CityPass.
http://www.citypass.com/san-francisco
If the included attractions were on your list anyways, it might save a few $'s as it includes a 7-day Muni pass. It costs $84. 7-day Muni is $29.

Note: CityPass prices are rising on March 1 to $86 for adults, $64 for kids (ages 5-11). Make sure the attractions it covers (all worthy) are things you are sure you want to do.

Stu -- if I were commuting 5 days a week a monthly pass at $66 would indeed save money, but I only commute 2 days a week, so even though I use Muni to get around for other reasons, paying by the ride is more cost-effective for me ($2/ride with free transfers within 90 minutes). Looking forward to the senior rate at $23/month!

Just a follow-up, we bought 7 day Muni passes at the visitor info by the baggage claim in SFO and also got a map there. Public transportation in San Francisco is really easy and convenient. The 7 day pass is a really good deal and we definitely got our money's worth! One trip on a cable car is $6 without a pass. Loved it!!