5R Fulton Rapid
| Company type | Public transit route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | McAllister streetcar line |
| Founded | 1906 |
| Fate | Converted from streetcar to trolleybus service |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | San Francisco, California |
| Owner | San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) |
| Website | www |
5 Fulton is a trolleybus route managed by the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni), linking the Outer Richmond area with the Financial District.
Route description
This line operates between the Salesforce Transit Center and the intersection of Cabrillo and La Playa in the Outer Richmond, primarily traveling along McAllister and Fulton Streets. During weekdays, local service operates a short turn that ends outbound at Fulton and 6th Avenue. A significant portion of the route runs adjacent to Golden Gate Park. The 5R Fulton Rapid follows the same corridor but limits stops east of 6th Avenue to shorten travel duration.
Service is available around the clock, with reduced frequency overnight as part of the All Nighter network's Owl service.
History
Originally inaugurated as the McAllister streetcar line in 1906, it traversed Market Street, McAllister, Central, Masonic, and Fulton. In 1909, it was designated as line number 5, representing the fifth United Railroads of San Francisco route branching off Market Street. By 1911, tracks extended to La Playa and Balboa Streets. Rail operations ceased on June 5, 1948, supplanted by bus service; trolleybus operations commenced on July 3, 1949.
The line was renamed 5 Fulton in 1976 and saw its service area extended to Cabrillo and La Playa in 1995. The introduction of the 5L (later rebranded as 5R) Rapid service occurred in 2013. From the late 2000s through the early 2020s, Muni undertook corridor improvements such as installing bulb-outs, deploying articulated buses, and establishing bus lanes to improve safety and transit speed.
On June 10, 2023, overnight Owl service was expanded from Jones Street to 4th Street. Facing a budget shortfall, weekday daytime operations on the 5 line will be shortened to terminate at Civic Center station starting June 21, 2025.
Bibliography
External links
- 5 Fulton — San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency