Table 3.27: Tramway, Light Railway and LRT
U.S., Canada, Western Europe and Australasia
San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose     (3.27.1, 2008.6)
City and Country
Population Served
System Length, km / mi
Annual Passengers (million)
Average Travel Distance, km / mi
Annual Traffic Density (million)
           
San Diego (CA) - 1907
US
@ 40,000
38.9 / 24.1
7.2
3 / 2
0.5
1921
  
@ 150,000
u 74,000
76.2 / 47.2
29
"
1.2
1927
  
@ 180,000
u 125,000
90.2 / 55.9
39
"
1.4
1947
  
@ 300,000
u 200,000
32.3 / 19.4
29.7
2 / 1.5
2.3
LRT - 1985
  
@ 1,600,000
u 990,000
25.6 / 15.9
5.4
13.9 / 8.6
2.9
1990
  
@ 1,930,000
u 1,111,000
33.1 / 20.5
15.9
11.7 / 7.2
5.6
2007
  
2,100,000
u 1,257,000
74.0 / 45.9
35.2
9.5 / 5.9
4.1
Blue Line - 2007
    
29.5 / 18.3
19.8
10.2 / 6.3
6.8
Green Line - 2007
    
33.7 / 20.9
6.7
8.9 / 5.5
2.0
Orange Line - 2007
    
29.7 / 18.4
8.6
8.8 / 5.4
2.2
Mid-Coast + existing - 2015
    
92 / 57
40
10 / 6
4
             
San Francisco (CA) - MSR - 1929
US
@ 630,000
234 / 145
262
3.5 / 2.2
4
Mission - 1928
    
13.5 / 8.4
25
3.5 / 2.2
6.5
1946
    
“
22
“
5.8
Bus - ca. 1983-1990
    
13.1 / 8.1
19
3 / 2
4.7
Bus and BART - ca. 1983-1990
    
“
35
5.3 / 3.2
14
             
Sutter - 1928
    
15.3 / 9.5
30
3.5 / 2.2
7
1946
    
“
16.6
“
3.8
Trolleybus - ca. 1983-1990
    
20.2 / 12.5
15
4 / 2.5
3.0
             
31-Balboa - 1946
    
9.3 / 5.7
7.6
3.5 / 2.2
2.9
Bus - ca. 1983-1990
    
12.1 / 7.5
4.5
4 / 2.5
1.5
             
5-McAllister - 1928
    
11.4 / 7.1
17.9
3.5 / 2.2
5.6
1946
    
“
11.2
“
3.5
5 - Trolleybus - ca. 1983-1990
    
11.3 / 7.0
5.6
4 / 2.5
2.0
             
22-Fillmore - 1928
    
7.9 / 4.9
15.2
2.5 / 1.5
4.7
1946
    
“
11.2
“
3.5
Fillmore Hill - 1928
    
1.5 / 0.9
2.0
1 / 0.5
1.1
22 - Trolleybus - ca. 1983-1990
    
10.5 / 6.5
7.7
3 / 2
2.3
             
40 Line - 1928
    
32.2 / 20.0
9.4
5 / 3
1.4
1946
    
“
5.1
“
0.7
South San Francisco - 1907
  
@ 2,000
6.5 / 4.0
0.4
2 / 1.5
0.1
1921
    
4.4 / 2.8
0.8
“
0.4
1927
    
“
0.7
“
0.3
             
Muni - 1929
    
121 / 75
85
4 / 2.5
2.8
1950
  
@ 780,000
55 / 34
66
4 / 2.5
4.9
             
Muni - Geary - 1931
    
17.8 / 11.0
26.3
3.5 / 2.2
5.2
1946
    
16.9 / 10.5
38
“
8.0
Bus - ca. 1983-1990
    
14.0 / 8.7
11.5
4 / 2.5
3.3
             
Muni - F-Stockton - 1931
    
5.0 / 3.1
8.1
2.4 / 1.5
3.8
1946
    
“
13.2
“
6.4
30 - Trolleybus - ca. 1983-1990
    
7.4 / 4.7
9
“
3.0
             
Muni - J, K, L, M, N - 1931
    
30.3 / 18.8
29.4
4.2 / 2.6
4.1
1946
    
“
57.5
“
8.0
1970
  
@ 720,000
31.3 / 19.4
26.4
5.5 / 3.4
4.6
ca. 1974
    
“
25.3
‘
4.4
Muni Metro - 1985
    
35.0 / 21.7
38.9
4.3 / 2.7
4.8
1990
  
@ 720,000
“
40.2
4.4 / 2.7
5.0
2002
  
790,000
42.1 / 26.1
41
“
4.2
             
MSR 8-Market - 1928
    
5.6 / 3.5
8
2.4 / 1.5
3.4
1946
    
“
0.5
“
0.2
8 - Trolleybus - ca. 1983-1990
    
“
1.7
“
0.7
Muni - F Line - 2002
    
9.0 / 5.6
6.5
“
1.7
             
MSR Third Street - 1928
    
15.3 / 9.5
20
3.5 / 2.2
5
15 - Bus - ca. 1983-1990
    
17.7 / 11.0
10
4 / 2.5
2.3
** Third Street LRT - 1
    
8.2 / 5.1
21
“
10
* Third Street LRT - 2
    
11.5 / 7.1
28
“
10
             
MSR Powell Cable - 1928
    
5.3 / 3.3
10.8
2 / 1
3.3
1946
    
“
7.8
“
2.3
MSR Sacramento Cable - 1928
    
4.0 / 2.5
4.3
2 / 1
1.7
MSR Castro Cable - 1928
    
1.5 / 0.9
2.2
1 / 0.5
1.2
MSR Pacific Cable - 1928
    
1.9 / 1.2
0.2
1 / 0.5
0.09
             
CSCR - 1907
    
8.7 / 5.4
5.2
2 / 1
1.0
CSCR - California Cable - 1928
    
4.8 / 3.0
5.7
2 / 1
1.9
CSCR - Hyde Cable - 1928
    
4.0 / 2.5
6.5
2 / 1
2.6
             
Cable Car - 1985
    
7.1 / 4.4
19.9
1.9 / 1.2
5.3
1990
    
“
10.5
“
2.7
2003
    
“
7.4
“
1.9
             
San Jose (CA) - 1907
US
@ 30,000
20.0 / 12.4
2.9
2.5 / 1.5
0.4
1921
  
@ 50,000
37.4 / 23.2
7
3 / 2
0.6
1927
  
@ 60,000
34.7 / 21.5
6
"
0.6
LRT - 1990
  
@ 1,140,000
14.0 / 8.7
2.4
5.0 / 3.1
0.9
1996
  
@ 1,180,000
31.5 / 19.5
6.2
7.4 / 4.6
1.5
2001
    
46.8 / 29.0
9.2
"
1.5
2005
  
1,720,000
u 950,000
58.5 / 36.3
6.8
7.7 / 4.8
0.9
PRy - 1921
  
@ 130,000
98.2 / 60.9
2.6
8 / 5
0.2
1927
  
@ 170,000
92.5 / 57.3
1.2
"
0.1
Key to Symbols:
* = in planning; ** = under construction.
*** = operated for less than 12 months as noted; traffic density scaled up to annual rate.
@ = population corresponds with historic data year.
u = population within municipal boundary.
 
Notes for Table 3.27
San Diego: Operator title: San Diego Electric Railway Company (to 1949).
LRT: Blue Line extends Old Town – Centre City – 12th & Imperial – San Ysidro.
Green Line extends Old Town – San Diego State University (SDSU) – Grossmont – El Cajon – Gillespie Field – Santee Town Center.
Orange Line extends 12th & Imperial – Bayside – Centre City – 12th & Imperial – Grossmont – El Cajon – Gillespie Field.
Mid-Coast: "Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project", in planning. To extend Old Town – University of California at San Diego (UCSD) – University Towne Centre, 18 km / 11 mi. Opening planned for 2015. Traffic density estimate based on ridership forecast (17,600 / weekday), and pertains to Mid-Coast line and existing LRT segments.
San Francisco-MSR-1920: Operator title: Market Street Railway Company. Absorbed by Municipal Railway of San Francisco (below) from 1944 September 29.
MSR - Mission - 1928: Includes MSR lines operating in Mission Street (10, 11, 12, 14, 18, 24).
1946: Includes lines 11, 12 and 14.
Mission - Bus - ca. 1983-1990: Includes trolleybus and motorbus lines operating in Mission Street (14, 14L, 14X, 49).
Mission - Bus and BART - ca. 1983-1990: Includes trolleybus and motorbus lines operating in Mission Street (14, 14L, 14X, 49), and BART traffic among stations between Embarcadero and Daly City, exclusive of traffic among the four business center stations (Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell and Civic Center).
MSR Sutter - 1928: Includes MSR lines operating in Sutter Street (1, 2, 3).
1946: Includes lines 1, 2 and 3.
Sutter - Bus - ca. 1983-1990: Includes trolleybus and motorbus lines operating in Sutter Street (1, 2, 3, 4).
31-Balboa: Line established, and segment in Turk and Balboa streets (Divisadero Street - 30th Avenue, 4.7 km / 2.9 mi) opened, 1932 May 15. This is thought to be one of the "last" new U.S. tramway services opened pre-Second World War.
The "Balboa Dip" extends between 22nd and 24th avenue in Balboa Street. The segment between 22nd and 23rd avenues had a 12.9 percent gradient. The segment between 23rd and 24th avenue had a 15.0 percent gradient. This is thought to be the record, or "near-record," for steepest gradient in the world on a conventional adhesion tramway.
MSR - Fillmore Hill - 1928: Extension of line 22-Fillmore, included a 0.3-km / 0.2-mi "counterbalance" segment equipped with unpowered cable because of steep gradient.
MSR - 40 Line - 1928: MSR line 40-San Mateo Interurban. Exclusive of passengers transported by other lines operating along Mission Street in San Francisco (10.8 km / 6.7 mi), and by urban services extended from Daly City to the cemeteries at Colma. The average travel distance was derived from historic operating data and is consistent with similar lines of the era.
South San Francisco: Operator title: South San Francisco Railroad & Power Company. Subsidiary undertaking of MSR.
Muni - 1929: Operator title: Municipal Railway of San Francisco (MRSF). Route length includes 2.4 km / 1.5 mi of double track shared with MSR, and 6.2 km / 4.4 mi of four-track segments where each operator had its own pair of tracks.
Muni - Geary - 1931: Includes MRSF lines operating in Geary Street (A, B, C, D).
1946: Includes lines B, C and D.
Geary - bus - ca. 1983-1990: Includes motorbus lines operating in Geary Street (38, 38L, 38AX, 38BX).
MSR Third Street - 1928: Includes MSR lines operating in Third Street (15, 16, 29).
Third Street LRT - 1: Includes Third Street LRT Phase 1 (4th & King – Sunnydale Avenue, 8.7 km / 5.4 mi). Introductory service (Saturday and Sunday only, daytime only) started 2007 January 13. Full-time service started 2007 April 7. Traffic density estimate based on ridership forecast (71,000 / weekday, at 2015).
Construction of segment Sunnydale Avenue – CalTrain Bayshore Station, 0.5 km / 0.3 mi, postponed.
Previous Third Street tramway line opened ca. 1865, electrified ca. 1895, closed 1941 September 12 (short segment restored 1945 May 15 for peak-period service, closed 1946 October 7).
Third Street LRT-  2: includes Phase 1 and "Central Subway," in planning. Traffic density estimate based on ridership forecast (92,000 / weekday, at 2015).
MSR Powell Cable - 1928: Cable tramway ("cable car") lines in Powell Street (Powell-Bay and Powell-Jackson).
MSR Sacramento Cable - 1928: Cable tramway line in Sacramento and Clay streets.
MSR Castro Cable - 1928: Cable tramway line in Castro Street.
MSR Pacific Cable - 1928: Cable tramway line in Pacific Avenue.
CSCR - California Cable - 1928: Operator title: California Street Cable Railroad Company. Cable tramway line in California Street.
CSCR - Hyde Cable - 1928: Cable tramway line in O’Farrell, Jones and Hyde streets.
San Jose: Operator titles: San Jose Railroad Company (at 1907), San Jose Railroads Company (at 1922).
LRT: The significant decline in LRT passenger traffic from 2000 is a reflection of the severe downturn in the local economy during 2000-2002 (known locally as the "Dot-Com Bust").
Heritage tramway ("vintage trolley") service on 2.4 km / 1.5 mi of LRT track in business center. Seasonal operation, Memorial Day - Labor Day, and evenings (weather permitting) during Christmas shopping season.
PRy: Operator title: Peninsular Railway Company. Operated San Jose – Cupertino – Los Altos – Palo Alto, San Jose – Campbell – Los Gatos – Saratoga, and San Jose – Alum Rock Park, with branches. Operated town tramway services in San Jose and Palo Alto.
 
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