Getting from EMY to SF

[pebbleworm]

I second the MUNI passport idea- it's well worth it just for the cable cars. Cabs are pretty plentiful at the ferry building, and there is also Lyft and Uber rideshares available. Pretty much a cab ride, but often nicer.

 

[BCL]

They are right across the street from each other. By the by me and my friend did the entire city recently. Buy a muni passport. It's $12 and include cable cars which are $6 a ride with no transfer.

From the time I got off the zephyr (actually from the time I left my house in Roebling and walked to the RiverLINE light rail) until I boarded in Jack London, I didn't use any rubber tired vehicles except Muni busses.

One-day is now $15. The multi-day is an even better deal. $23 for 3 consecutive days and $29 for a 7-day. No discount for kids though. They include cable cars, where the standard fare is for anyone over 4.

http://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/transit/fares-passes/visitor-day-passes

Also consider the San Francisco CityPASS. That includes a 7-day MUNI pass as well as admission to 4 different attractions.

http://www.citypass.com/san-francisco

If you don't get a pass because you feel you won't ride MUNI often enough, be sure to have proper fare. Last weekend I was taking the F-line when a pair of European tourists didn't seem to understand that the operator couldn't give change. The were a pair with only a $20 bill. They didn't get on because they didn't want to forfeit the change. Child (5-17) fare on MUNI is 75 cents and adult fare is $2. I prefer getting a paper transfer since they're often set by the operator/bus driver for well over the minimum 90 minutes. They also have special souvenir fare tickets for the standard $2 fare. They give the passenger exactly 90 minutes from the point they're "tagged" at the gate or on a bus/streetcar. They're not valid for cable cars.

 

[AKA]

Take the thruway bus to the Ferry Building and get a cab. Short and sweet. Best chance to find a cab at the cab stand. With bags and kids you wont like the other options.

 

[BCL]

If you're going to ride MUNI (except cable cars) and pay for individual trips, it can get confusing. There are multiple ways to pay your fare, and how you can do so differs dependings on where you board. For single rides, you can pay cash, use an inter-agency "Clipper Card" or purchase a limited-use paper Clipper Card (for MUNI only) at designated stations.

There is the multi-agency "Clipper Card". I've got one. You literally load cash value onto them and it automatically deducts this cash value when the card is placed on a transceiver like these:

You can "load" a monthly pass onto one of these. I think it might be possible to load a 1/3/7 day pass too. The system is interagency, and it might be possible to load one of these passes from the machines of another agency.

When you board a MUNI bus, streetcar, or "Metro" light rail from the street, you have the option of paying cash, using a Clipper Card, or a limited use Clipper Card. The limited use cards look like this (with various scenes of MUNI vehicles past and present):

At a MUNI Metro station, they have machines where you can purchase the limited-use paper Clipper Cards. While this is the only way you can pay cash fares for MUNI Metro at a station, these cards are valid on the buses and streetcars as an initial fare (i.e. buy one ahead of time to use later). However, if you board MUNI Metro at a station, you enter through fare gates where you tag a card or show your valid transfer to the station agent. The operator will shut their door while they're in the underground sections where the stations are.

MUNI is also a "proof of payment" system. When picked up on the street, you're allowed to board at a center or rear door (they have Clipper readers) if you already have a valid pass or transfer. If you have a cash fare when picked up on the street, you're supposed to pay and get a transfer from the operator or bus driver. These are the old-fashioned tear-off transfers:

If you use Clipper, you're supposed to "tag" the card every time you board, although it's not well enforced. If a fare inspector comes by and checks, I think you're still OK if you can produce a card that was tagged in the past 90 minutes even if it wasn't tagged again when transferring.

 

[JoeSF]

Rather than the Ferry Building Thruway stop it would be better for you to get off at the Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39 stop which is closer to your motel on Lombard. You shouldn't have trouble getting a cab there and it is about 2 miles closer.

If you do get off at the Ferry Building, there is a great little store inside called Bay Crossings where you can purchase your Clipper Card loaded with a Muni passport, and get lots of info about most of the transit agencies. But you should be able to get one at many Walgreen's, which are more common than Starbucks in SF. (if all the talk about multiple transit agencies is confusing it's because the Bay Area, unlike the rest of the world, has a separate transit agency for almost every county, and BART is separate from them all and provides rapid transit linking some of the counties.)

 

[BCL]

Rather than the Ferry Building Thruway stop it would be better for you to get off at the Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39 stop which is closer to your motel on Lombard. You shouldn't have trouble getting a cab there and it is about 2 miles closer.

If you do get off at the Ferry Building, there is a great little store inside called Bay Crossings where you can purchase your Clipper Card loaded with a Muni passport, and get lots of info about most of the transit agencies. But you should be able to get one at many Walgreen's, which are more common than Starbucks in SF. (if all the talk about multiple transit agencies is confusing it's because the Bay Area, unlike the rest of the world, has a separate transit agency for almost every county, and BART is separate from them all and provides rapid transit linking some of the counties.)

What do you mean? It can't possibly be confusing that there's MUNI, SAMTRANS, Golden Gate Transit/Ferry, AC Transit, Caltrain, BART, Santa Clara County VTA, SF Bay Ferry, etc. And those are just the agencies that take Clipper. Some agencies primarily serve two counties. Heck - a few even cross county lines outside of the primary service area - like AC Transit transbay service, VTA lines going to Fremont BART, SAMTRANS lines going to San Francisco, etc.

Then there's WestCAT, (Contra Costa) County Connection, Altamont Commuter Express, (soon to be) Sonoma Marin Rail Transit, Fairfield and Suisuin Transit, Benecia Breeze, etc. Then there are the free shuttles like Emery-Go-Round, Walnut Creek Route 4, or VTA Route 10 (to the airport). Emery-Go-Round and VTA 10 actually stop by stations served by Amtrak. Then throw in various campus shuttles.

Add to that MUNI operates buses, cable cars, light rail, and historic streetcars. And the Golden Gate Bridge Board operates buses and ferries in addition to the bridge (bridge tolls subsidize their transit services).

Seriously though - you're right that this is one messed up system we've got here, because everyone wants to assert a little bit of control.

 

[Everydaymatters]

Phew! I've been trying to sort all of this out for several weeks, and still can't make any sense of it. For one thing, I can't find a map of the MUNI route. Another question has to do with getting across the bridge from EMY to anywhere in SF, particularly on weekends, if one is staying in EMY. It is very confusing!

 

[tp49]

You forgot Union City Transit.

 

[BCL]

You forgot Union City Transit.

I've actually seen one of their buses.

 

[George Harris]

If your destination is anywhere close to Fisherman's Wharf, take the Amtrak bus to that place.

To add to the confusion, the Amtrak Ferry Building stop and station is not in the Ferry Building, itself. It is in a separate two story brick building south of the Ferry Building but still facing the Embarcadero. To compound this confusion, the waiting room and ticket office are on the back side of this building. The Amtrak buses that start/stop at the Ferry Building do so at a bus stop sign on the street in front of this Amtrak building. The Muni streetcar line stop is directly across the street (The Embarcadero) from the Amtrak Station.

Fisherman's Wharf is also referred to as Pier 39. The Piers are numbered from the Ferry Building, odd numbers going north and even numbers going south.

Search San Francisco MUNI on the internet and you will find a system map and all the bus schedules. Pull up the map which can be saved as a pdf file, print it off in sections that cover the locations you intend to visit and then find the bus schedule numbers that go there and the ones that are near your starting point and work out which lines you need to use. You can then go to the bus schedules themselves and find their hours of operation.

Some buses run so frequently that we don't bother with checking the schedule, just go stand on the street. For others you can call 511 and find out how long until the next bus(es). However, not all bus stops have a stop number on them that you can go to 511 with. Some stops are marked with signs, some stops have shelters. Some stops have only a yellow band of paint on a nearby pole with the bus route number on it in fairly small letters. The bus route numbers are on the signs and shelters. Some shelters, but not all have an electronic sign giving the time until the next bus for the routes serving that stop. Some bus stops on major downtown streets will have more than one sign, as in Golden Gate Transit, SamTrans, AC Transit. Make sure that you are getting on the right bus, as there is some duplication of route numbers among the bus companies.

Market Street in the downtown area has essentially all forms of urban public transit in existence. On the surface there are the streetcar tracks over which the F line streetcars operate. Also on the street run both electric trolley buses and diesel buses. One level down is the Muni light rail lines. Below that is the BART line.

Name the places you want to visit, and maybe I can give some information on how to get there. We have lived car-free in San Francisco for 6 years. Another thought: For travel around the city in San Francisco, DO NOT rent a car. It is far more hassle than it is worth.

Did I miss seeing Caltrain in the list of multiple transit agencies? Caltrain operates the San Francisco to San Jose commuter service.

 

[sechs]

What do you mean? It can't possibly be confusing that there's MUNI, SAMTRANS, Golden Gate Transit/Ferry, AC Transit, Caltrain, BART, Santa Clara County VTA, SF Bay Ferry, etc. And those are just the agencies that take Clipper. Some agencies primarily serve two counties. Heck - a few even cross county lines outside of the primary service area - like AC Transit transbay service, VTA lines going to Fremont BART, SAMTRANS lines going to San Francisco, etc.

Then there's WestCAT, (Contra Costa) County Connection, Altamont Commuter Express, (soon to be) Sonoma Marin Rail Transit, Fairfield and Suisuin Transit, Benecia Breeze, etc. Then there are the free shuttles like Emery-Go-Round, Walnut Creek Route 4, or VTA Route 10 (to the airport). Emery-Go-Round and VTA 10 actually stop by stations served by Amtrak. Then throw in various campus shuttles.

Add to that MUNI operates buses, cable cars, light rail, and historic streetcars. And the Golden Gate Bridge Board operates buses and ferries in addition to the bridge (bridge tolls subsidize their transit services).

Seriously though - you're right that this is one messed up system we've got here, because everyone wants to assert a little bit of control.

Come down here. I've one county with more transit systems than I can count on two hands, and they can't agree to a single payment card system.

 

[sechs]

Did I miss seeing Caltrain in the list of multiple transit agencies? Caltrain operates the San Francisco to San Jose commuter service.

Caltrain isn't a transit agency, it's a railroad owned by the Penninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. The PCJPB is made up of San Francisco, SamTrans, and VTA. SamTrans is the managing agency.

 

[BCL]

Did I miss seeing Caltrain in the list of multiple transit agencies? Caltrain operates the San Francisco to San Jose commuter service.

Caltrain isn't a transit agency, it's a railroad owned by the Penninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. The PCJPB is made up of San Francisco, SamTrans, and VTA. SamTrans is the managing agency.

Golden Gate Transit isn't an agency either.

However, I think it's well understood that Caltrain is run by an agency that only runs Caltrain.

 

[sechs]

Golden Gate Transit is a district, as are BART and SamTrans. VTA is an authority. They're all transit agencies, however.

SamTrans manages itself as well as Caltrain. Caltrain is run by TransitAmerica.

 

[George Harris]

Caltrain was operated by Amtrak until recently. They lost out to TransitAmerica the last go round. Altamont Commuter Express which is an equivalent type of service was in the initial list of agencies.

 

[BCL]

Golden Gate Transit is a district, as are BART and SamTrans. VTA is an authority. They're all transit agencies, however.

SamTrans manages itself as well as Caltrain. Caltrain is run by TransitAmerica.

Golden Gate Transit is not a district and technically not even an agency. It's a public transit system. The district (and agency) is the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and covers more than just the buses and ferries. VTA is a district. They even say so themselves.

http://www.vta.org/about-us/inside-vta/about-vta

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is an independent special district that provides sustainable, accessible, community-focused transportation options that are innovative, environmentally responsible, and promote the vitality of our region.

VTA was created in 1972 pursuant to the Santa Clara County Transit District Act.

If you're going to play semantic games, at least get it right.

 

[sechs]

Golden Gate Transit is a district, as are BART and SamTrans. VTA is an authority. They're all transit agencies, however.

SamTrans manages itself as well as Caltrain. Caltrain is run by TransitAmerica.

Golden Gate Transit is not a district and technically not even an agency. It's a public transit system. The district (and agency) is the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and covers more than just the buses and ferries. VTA is a district. They even say so themselves.

http://www.vta.org/about-us/inside-vta/about-vta

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is an independent special district that provides sustainable, accessible, community-focused transportation options that are innovative, environmentally responsible, and promote the vitality of our region.

VTA was created in 1972 pursuant to the Santa Clara County Transit District Act.

If you're going to play semantic games, at least get it right.

I was using shorthand with Golden Gate Transit. Sloppy, perhaps.

VTA has it wrong. They're not the district. They're the authority that administsters the district.

 

[roadman3313]

This all seems to be going off topic. I do have to say however, that if you believe that VTA is wrong then why not contact them to inform them of this oversight? I can ask my transportation colleagues who work there but I am sure they were taught what the website says.

Transit Districts and/or Transit Authorities are considered to be special-purpose districts. While the words are different and we can go on about technicalities, they are generally considered to be Special Districts in the State of California for financing and funding purposes (as well as for the public salary database look-ups). They must adhere to Special District rules and regulations as such.

Districts and Authorities aside...

EMY to SF I'd suggest taking the Amtrak Bus if connecting from an Amtrak train. It is the most seamless connection at EMY to SF. There are tons of other options and connecting points as highlighted before, however the Amtrak bus is simple. Might not be the best option but it more often than not is the simplest one.