Cable Car Sheaves Upgrade Project

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Upcoming maintenance work along all cable car lines is expected to begin mid-February and last through May 2025. During this work, there will be occasional closures of individual cable car segments. See below for the latest closure schedule and information about alternative cable car options.

Project Introduction

No experience is more uniquely San Francisco than a ride on a cable car. Cable cars have come to symbolize our great city (along with another world-renowned transportation icon. Hint: it's a suspension bridge painted an International Orange color). After all, we're the city that first launched cars pulled along by cables running beneath the street.

Invented here 150 years ago and named a National Historic Landmark in 1964, today's San Francisco cable cars are kept in tip-top shape by our agency.

Cable Cars at Powell and Market turnaround waiting to board riders

Bus Routes and Rail Lines

Cable Car Sheaves Upgrade Project

As part of our ongoing maintenance of the cable cars and their infrastructure, work will begin in Mid-February to refurbish and reinstall the sheaves (grooved wheels) that guide the underground cable and allow the cable cars to travel along their routes.


Illustration of sheave elements

Caption: Illustration of sheave elements.

 

The sheave rehabilitation process requires each sheave to be removed from its vault beneath the street and taken to the cable car barn so that the shaft bearings and related hardware can be rebuilt. Replacement parts are no longer manufactured, so staff need to rebuild the parts to extend the life of each sheave.

The sheave rehabilitation work will use a leap-frog approach. As one sheave is removed for rehabilitation, an already finished sheave will be put in its place. This pattern of work will continue for all 21 street sheaves along the Powell-Hyde, Powell-Mason and California cable car lines.

What to expect during upgrade work

These upgrades will take place between mid-February and May 2025. During this work, there will be occasional closures of individual cable car segments.

  • Bus shuttles will replace cable car lines where work is being done.
  • At least one cable car route will remain open to the public during normal operating hours while sections are being upgraded.

The map and table below show the work dates and the cable car segments that will be closed while work is being done.

Map showing affect Cable Car routes and segments.

Date Closed Segment(s) Available Cable Car Options
2/18 California Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde
2/19 Powell California, Hyde segment, Mason segment
2/26 Hyde - canceled: to be rescheduled California, Powell-Mason
2/27 Mason - canceled: to be rescheduled California, Powell-Hyde
3/4 Powell & Mason California, Hyde segment
3/18 California & Hyde Powell-Mason
3/25 Powell California, Hyde segment, Mason segment
3/26 Powell California, Hyde segment, Mason segment
4/1 California & Hyde Powell-Mason
4/2 California & Hyde Powell-Mason
4/8 California & Hyde Powell-Mason
4/15 Powell & Mason California, Hyde segment
4/16 Powell, Mason, & Hyde California
4/22 Powell, Mason, & Hyde California
4/23 Powell, Mason, & Hyde California
4/29 Hyde California, Powell-Mason
4/30 California & Hyde Powell-Mason
5/8 California Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde
5/15 California Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde
5/16 California Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde

Please note that all work is subject to weather and other conditions.

Cable Car sheave being removed for rehabilitation

Caption: Cable car sheave being removed for rehabilitation.

Crew stands next to a fully rehabilitated sheave lowered into place.

Caption: Crew stands next to a fully rehabilitated sheave lowered into place.

You can learn more about these rolling landmarks by reading our History of the Cable Car.

The last big cable car maintenance project was in 2017 when the gearboxes at the Cable Car Barn were rehabilitated.

 

 

Contact Information
CableCarUpgrades@SFMTA.com