Bigwigs, Neighbors Gather For Ceremony To Launch E-line

Bigwigs, Neighbors Gather For Ceremony To Launch E-linePhotos: Geri Koeppel/Hoodline
Geri Koeppel
Published on July 31, 2015

A gaggle of bigwigs, media and observers gathered in the median of the Embarcadero and Mission Street for a ceremony around 11am today to celebrate the launch of the new E-line tomorrow.

The new E-Embarcadero vintage streetcar line includes five colorful, historic streetcars running every 15 minutes from Fisherman's Wharf to the Caltrain Station at Fourth and King. Service is from 10am–7pm Saturdays and Sundays for now, with seven-day service starting in early 2016. 

The new line adds much-needed service to locals in the eastern neighborhoods; workers at Fisherman's Wharf, AT&T Park and various waterfront businesses; and of course, throngs of tourists—all of whom have been scrunched into overfilled F-line streetcars far too long. That line, which sees about 23,000 riders daily, began in 1995.

The nonprofit Market Street Railway advocated for the line for more than 20 years, when now-U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein was mayor (read the full history of the F-line on the Market Street Railway website). It was announced she'd try to make the ceremony, but she wasn't in attendance. Those who were there included Mayor Ed Lee; Ed Reiskin, director of transportation of SFMTA; Supervisors Julie Christensen, Jane Kim and Scott Wiener; various Port of San Francisco and SFMTA personnel; and neighbors. Bruce Agid, board chair of Market Street Railway, couldn't attend due to jury duty.


Speaking to the crowd, Mayor Lee said to laughs, "The E-line is not the Ed line." He added the new line exemplifies SFMTA's recent 10 percent service increase. Christensen said, "As charming and fun and wonderful as it will be, for my constituents, it's serious business.... This transportation on the east side is vitally important." She said most of her constituents in District 3 don't own cars, and workers, residents and tourists need the added line to get around. 

Kim also noted the density in her area and noted that 60 percent of the city's new residential construction is taking place in District 6. "Transit is incredibly important," she said. "As we grow and become more dense as a city, we know everyone can't drive."

Market Street Railway also is advocating an extension of the E-line south from Caltrain along the existing T-line tracks to serve the Giants’ proposed development, the Warriors arena, UCSF Mission Bay, Crane Cove Park, Pier 70, and Dogpatch.