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"I just want to get from point A to point B"

If you don't want to learn our system, let the SFMTA and its partners plan the trip for you.

Where does Muni go?

When does Muni go there?

How much will my Muni trip cost?

  • Bus, historic streetcar, and Metro trips for adults cost $2.00, including a free transfer.
  • Bus, historic streetcar, and Metro trips for seniors, youth, and persons with disabilities cost $0.75, including a free transfer, when you show valid ID.
  • Fares can be paid with any US coins.
  • Except in Muni Metro underground stations, fares can be paid with US $1 bills plus additional coins to add up to your fare.
  • Exact change is required. Drivers and station agents do not provide change.
  • The free transfer will serve as proof of payment for 90 minutes of riding.
  • Cable car trips cost $5.00 per single ride.
  • Before 7 a.m. and after 9 p.m., cable car trips for seniors and persons with disabilities cost $1.00 per single ride when you show valid ID.
  • Cable cars do not accept or issue transfers.
  • Special event service (Candlestick Park expresses and other selected events) has special fares.

How do I know if my bus or streetcar is on time?

NextMuni.com provides arrival predictions for all Muni streetcars and several Muni bus lines. Muni plans to extend this service to all lines over the next few years.

You can get Muni predictions for the F, J, K, L, M, and N lines by phone (offsite link). Dial 511, then say "Muni" and then "Arrival Times."

How do I find a bus stop?

  • Look for a bus (or streetcar) shelter. These are in the middle of the sidewalk and made of glass. The line numbers served by that bus shelter will be listed on the glass overhead at each end of the shelter.
  • Look for a signpost. These will have a small metal "flag" at the top with a list of the lines that serve that stop. The flag may be brown or gray.
  • Look for a painted pole. This may be a telephone pole or a concrete pole with a yellow band around it. The lines serving that stop will be painted below the yellow band.
  • Look for a yellow rectangle on the street. The rectangle will read "Bus Stop" or "Car Stop" and have a list of lines served painted below it. It may be surrounded by a large white rectangle reading "Bus Zone".
  • Not all stops are at corners. Sometimes they are in the middle of the block.
  • Buses don't stop at every corner. This helps us provide faster service. You may need to walk a block or two.
  • Call and ask the San Francisco 3-1-1 Customer Service Center. They can look up the stop on their system and tell you where your stop is, which direction your bus will be going, and what type of stop to look for at your particular stop.
  • We don't currently have a list of stops that you can look at online.
  • We do have a map of stops on downtown Market Street as a gif or as a zoomable PDF.

How do I exit the bus (or streetcar)?

  1. Pull the signal cord after the bus passes the stop before yours.
    • Pull the cord even if you see people are waiting at the stop. This lets the driver know they need to activate the back door when they get to the stop.
    • If you are not sure where your stop is, then, when you board the bus, ask the driver to announce your stop.
    • You do not need to pull the signal cord in the subway.
  1. Exit through a rear door if at all possible.
    • In the subway, the driver will open the doors at all stops, once the streetcar has reached the proper position on the platform.
    • On the surface, you will need to open the rear door:
      1. Step down. This will open the door on historic streetcars and on many buses.
      2. If the door doesn't open, then gently push the door handle.
        • On a bus, the handle will be in front of you.
        • On a modern streetcar, the handle will be to your left side and your right side. Use whichever handle is closer
      3. If the door doesn't open at this point, make sure you push the door handle in the movable middle portion, not at the very ends.
      4. If that doesn't work, call out "Back door!" to notify the driver of the problem, then repeat step 2.

"I need a map"

"I have a special need"

"I want to avoid 'gotchas'"

Don't we all. This may seem like a lot at first, but you'll be a seasoned customer before you know it.

  • Check for alerts (at 511.org) to advise you of a service change. Alerts for your particular Muni line will also show up in the schedule for that line.
  • Be at your stop a few minutes early.
  • Exact change is required. Muni drivers and station agents do not make change.
  • Muni Metro underground stations do not accept dollar bills, so bring change.
    • Change machines (for $1 bills) are available, but can run out of change or have long lines.
  • Make sure you board the right bus. Some stops serve multiple lines. Some lines have not only local but express and limited service, and a few lines have multiple branches. For example:
    • 38-GEARY serves all stops. It also has 3 branches west of 33rd Avenue.
    • 38L-GEARY LIMITED serves only selected stops between 33rd Avenue and Powell Street.
    • 38AX-GEARY "A" EXPRESS runs non-stop between 25th Avenue and the Financial District.
    • 38BX-GEARY "B" EXPRESS runs non-stop between Presidio Avenue and the Financial District.
  • Always ask for a transfer when you pay your fare.
    • Notice the expiration time of the transfer.
    • Transfers are good for 90 minutes of riding, in any direction including a round-trip.
    • If your transfer is going to expire before the end of your ride, you need to pay a new fare and get a new transfer.
  • Always board by the front door
    • However, if it's a Metro (J, K, L, M, N) line and you have Proof of Payment, you can board by any door at street level.
      • There's a lighted white button on either side of the doors. Push it to make the doors open.
    • And you can board a cable car, or a streetcar in the subway, through any entrance.
  • Never enter the paid area, the part of the station within the fare gates, of a Muni Metro underground station without Proof of Payment.
    • If an agent is present, you must show that Proof of Payment to the agent.
  • There is a fine for attempting to evade fare payment or to bypass Muni fare collection and inspection policies.
  • Please follow the rules. There are fines for breaking some of them.
  • San Francisco has a lot of hills. If you have difficulty climbing steep streets, you may want to call the San Francisco 3-1-1 Customer Service Center. They have information about steep streets near stops.
  • Know the cross street or neighborhood where you want to go. For example, if you ask a driver if their bus goes to Third Street, you might wind up on the wrong bus. Do you want Third Street in Downtown, in Dogpatch (near Potrero Hill), or in Bayview? Third Street, like many streets in San Francisco, is a long street.
  • Know the difference between numbered avenues and numbered streets. San Franciscans tend not to say "Street" or "Avenue," but sometimes we have to. "Third Street," which runs along the east side of San Francisco, is miles away from "Third Avenue," which is in San Francisco's western neighborhoods. Even with numbered streets and avenues, we tend to drop "Street" or "Avenue" if you name an intersection, such as "Third and Folsom" (Third Street) or "Third and Geary" (Third Avenue).
  • If you want a street in The Presidio, be sure to specify you mean The Presidio. Several streets in The Presidio have the same name as a street elsewhere in San Francisco - Mason Street for example - but can be miles away from the same-named street elsewhere in San Francisco.
  • The Trip Planner may have trouble planning some trips for travel around 4 a.m. so it's best to try these well in advance, then call us if you run into any problems.

 

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San Francisco Muni is part of the SFMTA. Copyright © 2000-2009 SFMTA. All rights reserved. Updated June 30, 2009