While the smelly bus is something to be avoided, the squeaky street car, emanating a yellow glow from the interior lights, is seen as charming. We used to take them for granted. But at one time cable cars also used to run in many cities. What others discarded, San Francisco held on to, and soon the city will be known for its street cars as much as it is for its cable cars. The street cars have gone beyond their historical role as a good way to get around and more than proven to be a good way to see San Francisco.
New plans are constantly in the works to find more cars and expand the system.
The street cars not only bring more tourists to Market Street, but connect most of the city's tourist attractions including Fisherman's Wharf, the cable cars and the Giants Stadium with the Castro. If a proposed plan is adopted, the cars may also extend into Golden Gate Park and other locations. From the city's origins along the wharf, up Market Street through the financial district, past some of the offices of the early industrialists, to the great department stores and hotels in Union Square, to the recently restored beaux arts City Hall. It's a trip that wouldn't be the same on a diesel bus. When the landscaping is complete and the Embarcadero line opens early in 2000, the cars will also connect other destinations like Giants Stadium and Fisherman's Wharf.