L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 5 5 Riding the Rails Italian Style: Italian Wheels on the Streets of San Francisco Have you ever noticed the jaunty vintage streetcars rolling along Market Street and around the Embarcadero? Have you ever wondered why some of them have foreign identifications on them? That would be because they are vintage streetcars from around the world, including Milan, Italy! In 1962 San Francisco county voters approved several bond measures that included funding for the construction of the Market Street subway, BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), and for street reconstruction and beautification. The saga of the historic streetcars actually began a few years later in 1971 when a proposal was made for a line along Market Street (the F line), and in 1974 for a line on The Embarcadero (the E line). Finally, in 1981, historic street- car service began but only on summer weekends. By 1986 support for perma- nent service was overwhelming and the non-profit organization, the Market Street Railway Company, dedicated efforts to the acquisition, restoration, and operation of historic rail vehi- cles. Construction and improve- ments on Market Street contin- ued until, on September 1, 1995, the F Market Street historic streetcar line began service between Castro and Market Streets to the Transbay Terminal at 1st and Mission Streets. Service was extended to Fisherman's Wharf beginning on March 4, 2000. Of course, San Francisco's original light rail service began well before the F line and actual- ly dates back to the 1800s when electric streetcars replaced horse drawn carriages on Market Street in the 1880s. The original F line began in 1915 but it was on a different route than the current one, connecting the Marina District with downtown. Service on that line was discontinued in cAThERINE AccARDI 1951. Da Milano Con Amore It has been many decades since the days of horse-drawn transportation on the streets of San Francisco, and, since then, streetcars from all over the world have been added to the fleet, including the classic "Peter Witt" streetcars from Milan which feature stunning hard- wood interiors. These Italian cars, originally built in 1928, were acquired by Muni specifi- cally for the F Line. The cars are called "Peter Witt" cars because they are based on Cleveland transit Commissioner Peter Witt's design from 1915. Nine of the Milan cars are currently in service to Fisherman's Wharf, and others will be ready for ser- vice in the future. Most of San Francisco's Peter Witt cars are currently painted in the overall orange color scheme that they carried in Milan. Many European countries use the word "tram" rather than the American word, "streetcar." In Milan, trams are an impor- tant component of the city's transportation network which is comprised of about 200 kilome- ters, or approximately 124 miles, of rails used by the Milanesi every day. Milan acquired the first trams in 1876 after the inau- guration of the Milan-Monza tramway. At that time, they were operated using animal trac- tion. In 1892 a project began to electrify the urban tramway net- work and by 1901 the electrified system was completed. In 1917, the comune (an administrative division in Italy) of Milan assumed direct control of the city's tramway network through the Ufficio Tramviario Municipale. By the 1920s, Milan's tram network was crowded and over- worked so in the late 1920s the famous 1500 series trams were added to Milan's fleet. These trams, many of which are still in service, were modelled on the American Peter Witt streetcars. Fast forward to present day and we find Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM), responsible for Milan's public transportation. It operates 18 tram lines, some of which are still Witt's from the 1920s, along with various other bus lines, carrying over 734 mil- lion passengers in 2010. San Francisco's F Market Streetcar Line San Francisco's F Market Streetcar Line begins at Fisherman's Wharf, a few blocks from the Hyde Street cable car turnaround. It travels along the Embarcadero, San Francisco's waterfront, to San Francisco's Ferry building then turns onto Market Street, up to the cable car turnaround at Powell and Market near Union Square. From there the street cars contin- ue up Market Street past the Civic Center and City Hall into the upper Market area. F-Market & Wharves Historic Streetcar Line (the F-line), is operational 365 days a year from 6:00 a.m. until midnight. For more information on riding the rails, check out the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SF- MTA), website at http://www. sfmta.com/getting-around/tran- sit/routes-stops. For more infor- mation on Muni's preservation partner, the Market Street Railway organization, visit their website at http://www. street- car.org. Residents and visitors to San Francisco have the amazing opportunity to travel Italian style in "Museums in Motion". Very few cities in the world can offer what San Francisco does every day, the opportunity to enjoy amazing vistas, historic sites, colorful neighborhoods and unforgettable attractions, all from a seat on an Italian street- car. Areas waiting to be explored by riding these historic rails are along The Embarcadero, the Ferry Building, Fisherman's Wharf, Aquatic Park, Russian Hill, Ghirardelli Square, and North Beach. Riding the rails Italian style is not quite like travelling to Milan, but, if you think about it, it is quite a treat to ride Italian style down the streets of San Francisco. And, these rails are available for charter! Godetevi il vostro viaggio sul tram! Milan streetcar currently in service on Market Street in San Francisco. Photo credit: "SF Streetcar 1" by Daniel Schwen - Milan, Italy streetcar as it appeared when in service during the 1920s Milan, Italy streetcar as it appeared when in service from the 1930s to the 1970s Milan, Italy streetcar as it appears from the 1970s to the present 650.400.4747 AdeleDS@aol.com www.AdeleDS.com BRE# 00911740 Certied Trust, Probate and Estate Specialist Expert in preparation, promotion, and negotiation! SELLING HOMES THROUGHOUT THE BAY AREA Adele Della Santina "e Right Realtor makes all the difference."

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