A Fleet History of the San Francisco Municipal Railway is a book that lists every transit vehicle that has been used in regular Muni service since 1912. The format includes a listing of key data for each vehicle, such as size, passenger capacity, manufacturer /cost and years of service, a short summary of the service history of the vehicle, and a photo (if available). All four modes are covered: rail (streetcar and LRV), bus, trolley bus and cable car, with one section covering each mode. Two additional sections include information on all Muni operations facilities, and a figures and graphics section. The figures and graphics section includes information on the four modes of transit, plus information on historical data in the areas of ridership, fares, farebox recovery, logo and agency structure and leadership. A short summary history section precedes the fleet history sections, and a photo credits table is included along with the blbilograpy. The completed document represents the first compilation of many of these pieces of information in almost 40 years. With over 200 pages and over 400 photographs, it is an excellent reference and history book both for experts and for people with a casus interest in the history of San Francisco Municipal Railway.

On December 30, 1909, following the passage of the bond issue allowing construction of San Francisco's Municipal Railway to begin, Mayor Edward Robeson Taylor gushed, "This is great . . . The Geary Street road will now be built and run by the people and for the people. This marks an epoch. It means civic freedom. . . . Some day our children's children will look back with wonder at the things we have stood for and suffered. Public utilities run . . . by the people . . . will give service to the public.

Maybelle was a cable car a San Francisco cable car. . . She rang her gong and sang her song from early morn till late at night. . . . By recounting the actual events in San Francisco's effort to keep the city's cable cars running, this classic story illustrates how the voice of the people can be heard in the true spirit of democracy. Virginia Lee Burton's original art for Maybelle the Cable Car was retrieved from the archives of the San Francisco Public Library to re-create this edition with all the vibrant charm of the original, which was published in 1952.

San Francisco's cable cars are an internationally recognized symbol of the city, but they also have a long and fractious history. There are actually three cable lines in operation today: the California Street line and the two Powell Street lines-- the Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde. The Powell Street lines have been the subject of much controversy through the years, due to a complex lineage of private and public ownership. Cable cars on Powell Street began in 1888, operating under the Ferries and Cliff House Railway Company and utilizing the same basic design pioneered by Andrew Hallidie in 1873. Among the story's twists and turns are the line's actual routes following the 1906 earthquake, which caused heavy damage and forced major repairs. Post-quake, United Railroads was able to replace many of the cable car lines with streetcars, including a part of the Powell Street system. San Francisco at one time had eight separate cable car operators. Gradually most were replaced by streetcars, buses, and trolley buses, given the complexities and expense of cable systems. The Powell lines were taken over by the city in 1944, but the mayor tried to abandon them in 1947. The public disapproved of this move, and since then the Powell Street line has only grown in stature and its importance to San Francisco.

Take a journey on San Francisco's Muni Metro system. Ride the light rail cars in the outer neighborhood, and then dip into San Francisco's tunnels and subway for a swift ride downtown. Visit all the Muni Metro underground stations and all handicap accessible stops on the surface. Then, after visiting Muni Metro, take a quick tour of the historic streetcars on Market Street, and the cable cars on Powell and California Streets. Included are color photos of all the stations and accessible stops. Most of these photos were taken at the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010. Historic photographs are also included.

An insider’s “indispensible” behind-the-scenes history of the transit system of San Francisco and surrounding counties (Houston Chronicle). In the first-ever history book about BART, longtime agency spokesman Michael C. Healy gives an insider’s account of the rapid transit system’s inception, hard-won approval, construction, and operations, warts and all. With a master storyteller’s wit and sharp attention to detail, Healy recreates the politically fraught venture to bring a new kind of public transit to the West Coast. What emerges is a sense of the individuals who made (and make) BART happen. From tales of staying up until 3:00 a.m. with BART pioneers Bill Stokes and Jack Everson to hear the election results for the rapid transit vote to stories of weathering scandals, strikes, and growing pains, this look behind the scenes of an iconic, seemingly monolithic structure reveals people at their most human—and determined to change the status quo. “The Metro. The T. The Tube. The world's most famous subway systems are known by simple monikers, and San Francisco's BART belongs in that class. Michael C. Healy delivers a tour-de-force telling of its roots, hard-fought approval, and challenging construction that will delight fans of American urban history.”—Doug Most, author of The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America's First Subway

This illustrated book gives young readers “a breathtaking and entirely original insight” into the complex systems that exist underneath modern cities (Kirkus, starred review). Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator David Macaulay takes readers on a visual journey through a city's various support systems—the many tunnels, pipes, walls, and other structures that help sustain the bustling life above. In Underground, Macaulay exposes a typical section of this intricate underground network and explains how it works. Along with his beautiful illustrations, Macaulay presents “a straightforward yet fascinating description of the labyrinth beneath the feet of any city dweller. And what a complex covered world [he] reveals! He invents an intersection of two streets and proceeds to show what we all might find if we dared to descend through that Alice-in-Wonderland manhole" (The New York Times).