Check out the bad ‘ol days from this 1940s Muni Map

old muni city map curbed

The good people at Curbed have combed through lots of old San Francisco maps, including this 1940s Muni map (courtesy of our favorite map nerd, Eric Fischer). You’ll see that the F used to go through the Stockton tunnel, and there was no M line at the time. Click here to see a bigger version of the map. Oh, and here are some more Muni maps from 1920s and 1930s.

The Curbed story has lots more old fascinating maps of our city. Go on and check ’em out!

h/t our friends at Tiny Rides. thanks, guys!

4 comments

  • 14AX-Mission "A" Express

    Well the old routes maybe coming back on the upcoming route changes

    SFMTA maybe bringing back the 4-Sutter route, but the number would be 2-Sutter (Formerly 2-Clement) along with reduced peak frequency on the 3-Jackson. (It was better to combine it without reducing service)
    2-Sutter would be a trolley bus service.

    57-Parkmerced Starts at 5AM on Weekdays
    1 California Increasing AM/PM peak frequency
    6 Haight-Parnassus Increasing late night frequency
    7 Haight-Noriega Increasing late night frequency
    10 Townsend Increase all day frequency
    12 Folsom Increase all day frequency
    31 Balboa Increase PM peak frequency
    35 Eureka Increase all day frequency
    37 Corbett Increasing PM peak frequency
    47 Van Ness Increase AM/PM peak frequency
    25 Owl Frequency increase from 45 minutes to 30 minutes

    All Day Service for the 28R-19th Avenue Rapid California and 6th Avenue (with 44 Terminal) through Balboa Park 28R 19th Ave Rapid– All day Rapid service from
    6AM to 7PM
    14R Mission Rapid: All day Rapid to Daly City
    BART (currently peak only)
    Richmond Expresses– Extended to 7PM
    E Embarcadero– Extend weekend service to
    include weekdays from 10AM to 7PM

    New Owl Routes
    44 – (Sliver) Owl
    48 – (24th Street) Owl

    https://www.sfmta.com/calendar/meetings/citizens-advisory-council-meeting-january-7-2016

    https://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/agendaitems/2015/1-7-16%20CAC%20Muni%20Forward%20Update.pdf

  • Art Curtis

    The “M” line was actually started in October 1925 as a shuttle car from West Portal to Broad & Plymouth, connecting with the “K” & “L” at West Portal. In October1927, partial through service to the Ferries commenced. But due to lack of ridership, the “M” was discontinued entirely in August 1939. But on the map, the blue line that says “Bus 10” is actually the “M” route as far as Broad & Plymouth. The “M” line was restored to full route service to the Ferries in December 1944.

    On another note, it’s interesting that this map does not show any streetcar lines going to the new East Bay Terminal at 1st & Mission, even though alternate cars on several MUNI lines were already going there as of early 1939.

    • Bob Davis

      Thanks for sparing me a walk to the “railways” section of our library. I was about to peruse “Inside Muni” but you answered the question for all of us about the “M” line. I was on a Saturday Night fan trip in 1967 with 1011 full of traction-starved Angelenos (plus some locals), and as I recall we had the “M” to ourselves because there was no night or Sunday service on the “M”, A Muni inspector was following us, and one of the LA group said, “He’s probably there to make sure we don’t go out to the end of the “M”, load 1011 onto a low-bed rig and cart it off to Perris before Muni wonders why it never came back to Geneva.”

  • Dexter Wong

    Back in those days Muni was competing with the larger, privately-owned Market St. Railway. But the private company was struggling with trying to turn a profit, keeping its own system in one piece, the after-effects of the Depression and the coming war. By 1944, Market St. Ry. was about to throw in the towel and agree to merge with Muni. Then Muni would have struggle with keeping everything running (which it did by converting every Market St. Ry. streetcar line to bus (or abandon like the 40 San Mateo Interurban) by 1949).

Leave a Reply to Art Curtis Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *