E Embarcadero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids E Embarcadero |
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Streetcar 1010 at Brannan station in 2017
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| Overview | |
| Owner | San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) |
| Locale | San Francisco, California |
| Termini | Jones and Beach station Fort Mason (planned) 4th and King station |
| Stations | 18 |
| Service | |
| Type | Heritage streetcar |
| System | San Francisco Municipal Railway |
| Operator(s) | San Francisco Municipal Railway |
| Rolling stock | Double-ended historic Muni streetcars |
| History | |
| Opened | August 31, 2008 (trial service) August 1, 2015 (weekend service) April 23, 2016 (weeklong service) |
| Technical | |
| Character | Mostly in dedicated median; some shared lanes |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Electrification | Overhead lines, 600 V DC |
The E Embarcadero is a special streetcar line in San Francisco, California. It's like a moving museum! This line uses old-fashioned streetcars, making it a fun way to explore the city. It's the second "heritage streetcar" line in San Francisco.
The E Embarcadero first started as a test in 2008. At first, it only ran on weekends. But because it was so popular, it began running every day in April 2016.
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The E Embarcadero Route
The E Embarcadero streetcar travels along The Embarcadero in San Francisco. This is a famous waterfront area. The streetcar shares its tracks with other train lines, like the F Market & Wharves historic streetcar. It also uses tracks from the N Judah and T Third Street Muni Metro lines.
The E Embarcadero line starts near Fisherman's Wharf. This is a popular spot for tourists. It then travels all the way to the Caltrain station at 4th and King Street. This station is in the Mission Bay neighborhood.
Because there isn't a special loop at the Caltrain station, only streetcars that can drive in both directions are used on this line.
Future Plans for the E Line
There are plans to make the E Embarcadero line even longer! They want to extend it to Aquatic Park. This would move the starting point from Jones and Beach to a new station closer to the park.
There's also an idea to extend the line even further. It could go through the old Fort Mason Tunnel and into Fort Mason Center. This would help people in the Marina district get around more easily. It would connect them to bigger train networks like the Market Street subway and the Caltrain station. Right now, they are trying to get money to study how to make this extension happen.
Streetcar Stops Along the Way
The E Embarcadero streetcar makes many stops along its route. Even though it shares tracks with other train lines, it uses different stops. This is because the historic streetcars can't use the raised platforms that the newer light-rail trains use. So, the E line uses stops at sidewalk level.
The E Embarcadero stops at many important places. These include:
- Popular tourist areas like Fisherman's Wharf.
- The Ferry Building, where you can catch ferries.
- Areas near Oracle Park, where the Giants baseball team plays.
- The Caltrain Station, which connects to other train services.
History of the E Embarcadero
The idea for a streetcar line along The Embarcadero has been around for a long time. In 1974, people first suggested having historic streetcars here.
In 1987, there was a special test service. It ran for a few weeks to see if people would like a regular streetcar service. They used old tracks and special generators to power the streetcars. People liked it!
Later, in 1998, a different train line called the Muni Metro started running on some of these tracks. This temporary line was also called the E Embarcadero. But it was replaced by the N Judah line later that year. In 2007, the T Third Street line also started using these tracks.
The current E Embarcadero historic streetcar line officially started weekend service on August 1, 2015. Then, it expanded to run every day on April 23, 2016. It connects parts of the city that were already served by other lines, using some unused tracks to link them all together.
