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Muni Services in Brief

Muni provides service throughout the city of San Francisco on a variety of transit vehicles. Here is a brief explanation of these different modes:

Cable cars: these are historic cars which are cable-powered (cables are under the street). There are three remaining lines: the Powell & Hyde, the Powell & Mason, and the California. These are not wheelchair accessible.

Historic Streetcars: The F-Market and Wharves service runs from Fisherman's Wharf to the Castro, all on street-level tracks. This line is wheelchair accessible at most stops.

Metro, light rail vehicles, streetcars: these start underground in Metro stations then come above ground and run on rail on city streets. They travel from downtown San Francisco out to various neighborhoods. These are the J, K, L, M, N, S, and T lines. They are wheelchair accessible at all stations and at key stops on the street level.

Buses: these are the rubber tire diesel vehicles that run on the majority of San Francisco lines. Muni bus lines are wheelchair accessible.

Trolley buses: these also have rubber tires and are powered by electric overhead wires. They travel above ground only. Muni trolley bus lines are wheelchair accessible.

More information on wheelchair accessibility is available.

Muni is one of dozens of transit agencies in the Bay Area. It is not related to BART, the Bay Area Rapid Transit. You must pay a separate fare on each transit agency.

Fare Info and Options

Here is some introductory fare information and some fare options you may be interested in.

  • Muni has a basic cash fare for all services except cable cars and special express service such as football expresses. Exact change required; dollar bills are not accepted in underground turnstiles. Muni passes and Passports are accepted. Proof of Payment is required on the J-K-L-M-N lines.
  • Muni has a flexible transfer policy: Transfers are good for 90 minutes travel on any Muni service except cable cars and special event service. Stopovers and round trips are permitted.
  • However, you must take a transfer whether or not you are planning to transfer to another vehicle. Muni has a Proof of Payment (POP) policy; failure to have POP may result in fines.
  • The cable car fare is priced higher than the basic fare, and no transfers are accepted or issued. Muni passes and Passports are accepted. More cable car information, including the unique souvenir postcards, is available.
  • Candlestick Expresses, and other special event fares are priced higher than the basic fare. Transfers are accepted from the same special event service only; transfers are issued that are good until midnight that night. Muni passes and Passports are accepted with an additional payment required.
  • The Muni Passport is your ticket to unlimited travel on all Muni services. Ride Muni streetcars, buses, and cable cars as many times a day as you wish with your Passport. Available for 1 day, 3 consecutive days, or 7 consecutive days. No transfers needed.
  • The San Francisco CityPass is good as a pass for seven consecutive days on Muni and is also good for admission to several attractions in the city. It's available at those attractions and at the Visitor Information Center at Powell & Market Streets.

    image of City Pass (9kb)
    Get more information, or purchase a CityPass online (offsite link).     There is a shipping and handling charge for online purchases. The CityPass is produced and marketed by CityPass, an independent organization, not by Muni.

More fare information is available, as well as where to buy items mentioned here.

The most likely fare items of interest:

New Customer Guide

For a broader overview of Muni service, you may want to consult Information for New Customers.

Popular destinations

Except as noted, only routes with frequent daytime service are shown.

Destination Muni lines Schedule info at transit.511.org.
Angel Island ferry F, 9X, 9BX, 10, 19, 30, 39, 47, Powell-Hyde or Powell-Mason cable car.
Asian Art Museum 5, 19; short walk from J-K-L-M-N-S-T (Civic Center Station), 6, 9, 21, 47, 49, 66, 71.
AT&T Park N, T; short walk from 10, 30, 45, 47.
Cable Car Museum Powell-Hyde or Powell-Mason cable car.
Cable car terminal: California cable car

(California cable car map and schedule)

F, 1, 2, 9, 14, 19, 21, 31, 47, 49, 71; short walk from 10, 12.
Cable car terminal: Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car

(Powell-Hyde map and schedule)
(Powell-Mason map and schedule)

F, 5, 6, 9, 10, 19, 21, 31, 47, 71; short walk from 14, 49.
California Academy of Sciences 44.
Candlestick Park 29 (Also special 75X, 76X, 77X, and 79X express buses and 86, 87 shuttles on 49ers game days only).
The Castro F, K-L-M-S-T (Castro Street Station), 24, 33, 35, 37.
Chinatown 1, 9X, 9AX, 9BX, 12, 20, 30, 45, cable cars.
Civic Center, City Hall 5, 21, 47, 49; short walk from F, J-K-L-M-N-S-T (Civic Center Station), 6, 9, 31, 71.
Coit Tower 39.
Crissy Field 29.
DeYoung Museum 44.
Ferry Building F, 12; short walk from J-K-L-M-N-S-T (Embarcadero station).
Filbert Steps top of steps: 39;
bottom of steps: 10; short walk from F.
Fillmore Jazz Preservation District 22, 31, 38, 38L.
Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz & Angel Island ferries

F, 9X, 9BX, 10, 19, 20, 30, 39, 47, and Powell-Hyde or Powell-Mason cable car.
Fort Mason 28; short walk from 22, 30, 43.
Golden Gate Bridge 28 (daily); 76 (Sundays and Sunday-service Holidays only). Or any Golden Gate Transit buses from downtown San Francisco.

Golden Gate Park

East end of park:

  • California Academy of Sciences,
  • Conservatory of Flowers,
  • DeYoung Museum,
  • Japanese Tea Garden,
  • National AIDS Memorial Grove,
  • Sharon Meadow,
  • Strybing Arboretum.

N, 5, 21, 44, 71.

Middle of park:

  • Speedway Meadow,
  • Stow Lake.

N, 5, 28, 29, 71.

West end of park:

  • Beach Chalet,
  • Bison Enclosure,
  • Windmills.

N, 5, 18.

Greenwich Steps 39 (top of steps); F, 10 (bottom of steps) .
The Haight (formerly Haight-Ashbury) 6, 33, 37, 43, 71.
Japantown 2, 3, 4, 22, 38, 38L.
Legion of Honor 18.
Little Saigon 19, 31; short walk from 5, 38, 38L, 47, 49.
Marin Headlands 76 (Sundays and Sunday-service Holidays only).
Mission District 14, 18, 22, 24, 33, 48.
Moscone Convention Center 12, 30, 45; short walk from F, J-K-L-M-N-S-T (Powell Street Station), 5, 6, 9, 14, 15, 21, 31, 38, 38L, 71.
Mount Davidson 36; short uphill walk from 43, 48.

Museum District:

Includes:

  • California Historical Society;
  • Cartoon Art Museum;
  • Contemporary Jewish Museum;
  • Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society (GLBTHS);
  • Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD);
  • Museum of Craft and Folk Art;
  • San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA);
  • San Francisco Camerwork;
  • The Society of California Pioneers;
  • Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA);
  • Zeum.

9X, 9AX, 9BX, 14, 30, 45; short walk from F, J-K-L-M-N-S-T (Montgomery Street Station), 5, 6, 9, 21, 31, 38, 38L, 71.
North Beach 9X, 9BX, 30, 45; short walk from 9AX, 12.
Ocean Beach N, 5, 18, 23, 31, 38 to La Playa, 71.
Palace of Fine Arts, Exploratorium 28; 76 (Sundays and Sunday-service Holidays only); short walk from 30, 43.
Piers 39 & 41

F, 9X, 9BX, 10, 19, 30, 39, 47, Powell-Hyde or Powell-Mason cable car.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art 9X, 9AX, 9BX, 14, 30, 45; short walk from 5, 6, 9, 21, 31, 38, 38L, 71, F and J-K-L-M-N-S-T (Montgomery Street Station).
San Francisco Zoo 23, L.
Twin Peaks 37 (take stairway from Crestline Drive).
Union Square shopping district 38, 38L, Powell-Hyde or Powell-Mason cable car; short walk from 5, 6, 9, 21, 27, 31, 66, 71, F, J-K-L-M-N-S-T (Powell Street Station).
Union Street shopping district 22, 45.

 

Additional popular destinations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area are available on the 511 Transit Web site.

Airport Transit

Links in this section are offsite links.

Muni does not serve the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The airport is located 14 miles south of downtown San Francisco, in San Mateo County. For public transit information to the airport, contact BART, SamTrans, or Caltrain. For shuttles and other services, see SFO ground transportation info.

For information about accessible transit to the airport, call Muni Accessible Services, 415-923.6142.

For the Oakland International Airport (OAK), see OAK ground transportation info or contact BART or AC Transit.

For the Mineta San José International Airport (SJC), see SJC ground transportation info or contact Caltrain or VTA.

Paratransit services for visitors

Information on paratransit services for San Francisco visitors (PDF), along with additional information including hours of service, is available on the San Francisco Paratransit Web site.

 

Explore:

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Muni transit service is operated by the Transit Division of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). Copyright © 2000-2010 SFMTA. All rights reserved. Updated August 16, 2010