San Francisco cable automobiles return to service after COVID shutdown
Passengers waited in long lines Monday as they eagerly waited their turn to board the iconic cable cars in San Francisco.
According to the Associated Press, “25 million tourists visited San Francisco annually before the pandemic, with many of them riding the cable cars. About 17,000 riders packed onto the cable cars daily before they were parked in March 2020 as the city locked down and sheltered in place. It was the longest shutdown since the 1980s, when the system was fully reconstructed, according to the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency.”
“Our cable cars are part of what makes San Francisco a world-class destination, and their return is just the latest sign that our city is bouncing back,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
Visitors from cities such as Houston and Washington boarded the Powell-Hyde line and rode the cars all the way to the end of the line. The cable cars currently are free to ride and are on limited service. However, starting in September, they will return to full service from 7 am to 10 pm on all three cable car lines; the fare is $8.
A San Francisco cable car on the Powell-Hyde line is turned around near Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021. The world-famous cars returned to service after a 16-month shutdown because of the pandemic. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Passengers hold on tight while riding a cable car on the Powell-Hyde line Monday in San Francisco. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Lisa Abrams, of Los Angeles, points to a landmark to her daughter Rose, 6, as they ride a cable car on the Powell-Hyde line Monday in San Francisco. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Francis Givens, a cable car gripman, rings the bell while during a trip along the Powell-Hyde line Monday in San Francisco. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Lafayette Allen, 15, of Houston, rides a cable car on the Powell-Hyde line Monday in San Francisco. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Passengers huddle close as they ride a cable car Monday on the Powell-Hyde line in San Francisco. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Hundreds of passengers line up as they wait to board the cable cars Monday on Powell Street in San Francisco. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
