The nonprofit Market Street Railway, in conjunction with the SFMTA, introduced a new, limited-edition, summertime cable-car experience on weekends, and it gives locals a chance to ride a historic cable car without the indignity of waiting in too long of a long line of tourists.
It's called the Hyde Ride, and for the $9 price of a regular fare, you can hop on at Hyde and Beach streets from 11 am to 6 pm, Friday through Sunday, and ride a cable car on a loop that takes you up the Hyde Street line, over to the Cable Car Museum, over through Chinatown and loops back past Lombard Street back to the terminus at Beach Street.
As Market Street Railway explains, "This special Hyde Ride service is for everyone. It is a great day out for local folks as well as a special experience for visitors. And it serves a practical purpose. Each segment of the cable car system is powered by its own underground cable. The cable segment under Powell Street carries both the regular Mason and Hyde lines and is at capacity. But the Hyde cable has room for this special extra service. This increases the overall capacity of the cable car system at peak days and hours during summers and shortens the wait for all riders at Aquatic Park."
While there is often a line of tourists, especially in summer, at the Hyde and Beach turnaround, it's not generally as long as at the Powell and Market turnaround — and if you aren't taking a car all the way to Powell and Market, the conductors will pull you out of line ahead of others to take the designated Hyde Ride.
The SFMTA is also pulling out some historic, extra-long cable cars for this service, and these cars have to turn back at the terminus because they're too long for the turntable.
These include the oldest and longest car in the system, dubbed Big 19, which was built for Market Street in 1883 and was first retired in 1942. On the first Sunday of each month until October, the Hyde Ride will feature 1907's Car 42 from the O’Farrell, Jones & Hyde line.
Also, these Hyde Rides feature a red-vested docent from Market Street Railway, who can share historical details about the cable car system and the historic cars themselves. And most will be helmed by veteran gripman Val Lupiz, who is known for his bell-ringing skills.
If you're entertaining friends from out of town and perhaps looking to hop off and back on, you'll want to consider Muni's $15 one-day passport, because otherwise each hop on a cable car is another $9.
As Market Street Railway President Rick Laubscher tells the Chronicle this week, "You’ve got to do a cable car at least once in your life if you live here," and this is the perfect opportunity.
Related: The Cable Car Turns 150 Years Old Today
Top image: Photo by Jeremy Whiteman/Market Street Railway
