Press Release - San Francisco Celebrates Willie Mays Day
SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), announced today that it is proud to join San Francisco’s “Willie Mays Day” on Feb. 4, 2024, in honor of one of the city’s most iconic figures and his legendary career as a San Francisco Giant and his work as a civil rights advocate away from the diamond. On Sunday afternoon, the Muni cable car dedicated to Mays will be featured in a bell ringing ceremony at the Hyde Street Terminal.
To join the festivities taking place across the city, the SFMTA will bring out Cable Car #24 that was dedicated as the “Willie Mays Car” on his 85th birthday in 2016. The car will depart from the Hyde Terminal with a bell-ringing ceremony at 2:24 p.m. and will be in service for the rest of the day. Car #24 is not only a perfect fit for being Mays’ iconic uniform number, but for its history with its restoration in 1958, the same year that our beloved Giants moved to San Francisco.
We’re honored to have a cable car dedicated to Mays and commemorate his legacy with the Willy Mays Car. All are welcome to join the SFMTA at the Hyde Terminal on Sunday to celebrate the Say Hey Kid and catch Car #24 rolling through San Francisco. The idea of Willie Mays day came from Adam Swig, the founder and executive director of the California nonprofit Value Culture, who saw Feb. 4, 2024 coming up on the calendar and realized the numbers 2/4/24 was the perfect fit to celebrate his longtime friend. The idea grew from there with San Francisco Mayor London Breed making the proclamation official with this special day.
WHERE: Hyde Street Cable Car Terminal. Hyde and Beach streets, San Francisco, CA.
WHEN: Feb. 4, 2024, 2:24 p.m.
ABOUT THE SFMTA
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is a department of the City and County of San Francisco responsible for the management of all ground transportation in the city. The SFMTA has oversight over the Municipal Railway (Muni) public transit, as well as bicycling, paratransit, parking, traffic, walking, and taxis. Established by voter mandate in 1999, the SFMTA aggregated multiple San Francisco city agencies, including the Department of Parking and Traffic, Muni, and since 2007, the Taxi Commission.