The familiar hum of the cables, the rumble of the cars and the ding of the bells have returned to San Francisco streets.
The city’s iconic cable cars are back in service starting Monday and are free to ride all month. Lines formed at the Powell and Market St. Turnaround Plaza once again to hop on these famous San Francisco staples.
"I just remember those old detective shows and remember seeing the street cars going down the steep streets," Larry Grantham, a visitor to the city from North Carolina, told KCBS Radio as he waited in line. "Just a nostalgic thing I guess."
The cars reopen with a soft launch in August that is free for all customers. However, Mayor London Breed said getting the system up to full service will take a little time.
"Please listen to your operators, be patient, be understanding. This is a process," she said. "There is not going to be a complete time schedule, but there will be fun and it is worth the wait."
The temporary mock service will work on an irregular basis and won’t follow a particular schedule, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority. The agency expects to return to revenue service and a more rigid schedule in early September.
Masks are required to ride the cable cars, as they are on all Muni buses and light rail vehicles.
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