Tips & Tricks to use Public Transit in San Francisco Like A Pro

Heather Jacks
Jan 21, 2016
7 min read

San Francisco is definitely a walking city. If we locals aren’t walking or biking, we are using public transit. There are flaws in our transit, of course, but, it sure beats the hell out of searching for an overpriced and ultra-scarce parking space, which you are probably still going to get ticketed at, because it takes a scholar to decipher the myriad of signs present at any given space.

And parking, like most things in the city, is NOT cheap. I strongly urge you to invest your parking/car rental money int LYFT, public transit or taxis. The only reason to have a car in SanFrancisoc, is to travel to outlying areas such as Napa and Monterey. Within the city, it is highly counterproductive.

Since I don’t drive, I am not going to address how to drive in our fair city of San Francisco, except to say, DON’T DO IT.

Trust me on this; do NOT waste your vacation time searching, stressing and sobbing over parking—or the lack thereof. I LOVE our public transit, flaws and all. So, to understand your options, I wanted to share some tips and tricks that will have you navigating the city like a pro in no time!

There are several types of transit in the city. I’ll mention BART first...(and as a side note; this is what you are in for, IF you decide to drive! Notice the traffic?)

BART stands for Bay Area Rapid Transit. I don’t use BART a lot, unless I am going to the airport or the east bay. It’s our subway or underground, but much more basic than New York. If you are coming from the airports—(SFO or Oakland)—you will use BART and it will drop you off at the Embarcadero, which is walking distance to Union Square. It’s the fastest way to get around the city of San Francisco, but, it only runs on one track and has only seven stops within the city itself—(Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, Civic Center, 16th Street, 24th Street, Glen Park & Balboa Park,) making it somewhat limited.

If you use BART, here are a few tips to know:

Hold onto your ticket. You will swipe it, BOTH entering AND exiting the station, because the fare is distance based.
BART stops running around midnight, so check the timetables carefully.
Unless there is an unexpected emergency, BART runs like clockwork.

Here is a link to BART schedules, which vary on weekends, so take careful note of where you are heading, which means, where you are exiting. https://www.bart.gov

MUNI, is not actually an acronym; it is short for municipal and is the

San Francisco Municipal Railway (SF Muni or Muni). MUNI refers to both city buses and electric trains that run above and below ground—F, J, K, L, M, N, T (and the E which only runs on weekends). MUNI is the transit you will use the most.

Prices: A single trip fare is $2.25; $1.00 for seniors or youths up to 17; under the age of 4 are free. If you choose to use MUNI for single rides, ALWAYS enter the front of the bus and ask for a transfer. There are coin slots in the front of the bus that accept exact change, including dollar bills.

The next option, which I think are the best bang for your buck, are Visitor Passports. They can be purchased for 1, 3, or 7 consecutive days of unlimited rides on Muni, Muni Metro—(aka: trains), historic streetcars—(aka: F Car), and cable cars.

Visitor Passports are the same price for everybody and are NOT valid on BART.

You can purchase passports in tons of places throughout the city; including Walgreen’s, which are on practically every corner.

Cable Cars: Everyone should ride a cable car, while in San Francisco. A one way ticket on the cable car is $7.00 for all ages. Fares can be paid on board the car, using small bills, or better yet, exact change. There are NO transfers on the cable car; but, here’s the great news: Your Visitor Passport INCLUDES the cable car!

There are three cable car lines in San Francisco:

Powell-Hyde Line AND Powell-Mason Line: The Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines both begin at Market Street and do have stops at Union Square. The difference is their destinations. The Powell-Hyde Line ends near Ghirardelli Square; the Powell-Mason Line ends at Bay Street in Fisherman's Wharf.

The Powell-Hyde line crosses the steepest hill of the system just north of the famous crooked stretch of Lombard Street.

California Line:

The California Street Line runs from Van Ness Avenue to the Financial District. It crosses the Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines at California Street/Powell Street in Nob Hill, which is where Top Of the Mark is located, which I mentioned in last week’s post, as having the most spectacular views of the city.

Since the cable cars are hugely popular, the lines are like waiting for Magic Mountain at Disney. For better luck board the Powell line on its route—NOT at the beginning. Also, cable cars are not as busy during the early morning and late evening hours.

Regardless of the line you take, enjoy the sights, the breeze, and the bell ringing (each operator has a unique rhythmic style).

Remember to watch out for traffic and other cable cars when hanging off the side. And don't forget to stop by the Cable Car Museum at 1201 Mason Street, which is one of Gaines’ favorite places to take visitors; especially kids. It’s noisy, has bells to ring, you can check out vintage cable cars, learn some history and watch the cables work!

Trains, (aka: Light Rail):

I LOVE the SF Trains. They are much faster than the bus, which is always appreciated in the city. If you are paying with cash, as always, make sure you have EXACT change. As an aside; full size bikes are not allowed on the trains; however we have over 87 mile of bike paths within our city limits, which I will give some tips on in a later in post.

There are six metro lines in San Francisco: J Church, K Ingleside, L Taraval, M Ocean, N Judah, and T Third. The N and T lines both stop at AT&T Park. Here’s the thing with the trains; FIRST determine your stop—where you want to go; that will determine which train you will take. As you can see, the destination is a very important piece of the puzzle here; i.e.: N Judah---travels towards and eventually down, Judah Street.

There are above ground and underground stops. The above ground stops are in the middle of the street, so make sure to honor the crosswalk signals for your own safety. I’m always amazed that more people don’t get smacked by vehicular traffic in the city. The underground stops are along Market and can be reached via stairs. Remember, when you purchase a ticket, make sure to use the Muni Metro vending machines and not the BART ticket machines and then go to the platform below, which is marked with MUNI signs, NOT BART!

Some tips you will NEED to know about using San Francisco Public Transit.

The bus stop signs may be on a post or on the road itself. The stops may have a bench, a shelter or nothing at all. The bus lines will be listed on the post.

If you are the only one at a bus stop, you will need to flag the bus down---much like a cab. They often will not stop if you don’t hail the bus!
When exiting the bus, step down! Yes, STEP DOWN into the stairwell, so the doors will open. Otherwise you will be getting off at the next stop! However, when riding the bus, do NOT stand in the stairwell. The bus can’t leave until you are out of the way.

Which brings me to the next point; IF you have purchased a Visitor Passport, you can enter through the back of the bus. You will see buttons by the back door. You will need to hold the button down UNTIL the door opens. Don't just 'push', hold it down.
The paper transfer ticket you received when you got on the bus, is valid on BOTH buses and trains—(not BART). Keep your ticket handy, as it is proof of payment and transit police randomly invade the buses to check them. The tickets are hefty, so always have proof of payment with you. The transfers are valid for 90 minutes.

The front seats of the bus are reserved for seniors and disabled people. Move to the back of the bus. Be aware of passengers around you, and give up your seat, if you see someone who needs it more than you.
Exit at the back of the bus.
MUNI is notoriously late, sometimes the buses don’t show at all, don’t stop or end midway through their route. This can be frustrating. Two things; board MUNI with the idea that you are going to see a real slice of San Francisco. Just for fun, here is a link to MUNI Diaries…a place where people share transit stories. http://www.munidiaries.com/

I use Trip Planner, when going anywhere on public transit. It’s very Straightforward. You put in your beginning point, destination, time you are leaving/or would like to arrive; and it generates several trip options for you. Here is the link: http://tripplanner.transit.511.org/

San Francisco, is the land of apps and tech, so another option—(and a good one, I might add)—is LYFT. There are a number of ridesharing apps, including Uber, but, for the locals, LYFT is the choice. Quite frankly, they just have better drivers; cleaner cars and people who know and love the city. To quote one of my LYFT drivers, “LYFT is just ridiculously cool.” This attitude—which you will not find at Uber, will just make your ride better.

Here’s how it works: Download the free Lyft app and enter promo code "LYFT50GIFT " in the payment section before requesting a ride for up to $50 IN FREE RIDE CREDIT - this code is for new users and valid for 30 days and there's no extra charge for passengers!

If the above code doesn't work, no worries, here is a link with a complete listing of LYFT codes. http://rideshareapps.com/lyft-promo-code-credit/ LYFT is great if you are venturing out to an event, live music, comedy or late night, as the buses don’t run well and they get super weird, the later into the night you get. LYFT is especially essential, if you are hitting up The Mission or SoMa at late night.

Have you heard about the LYFT driver who leaves a notebook in his car? In it, passengers leave messages to the next rider-he published these stories of love, advice, regret and adventure here: http://amzn.to/1i06rjQ

He has a Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/lyftmeupsf/

I hope this helps clarify public transit a bit. Until next week….