January 17 was Cable Car Day, honoring San Francisco’s iconic cable cars, first launched in 1873 after inventor Andrew Hallidie sought a safer alternative to horse-drawn streetcars on steep hills – and it’s the perfect excuse to roll into a few fun facts about how they still operate today.
• Cable cars don’t have engines – they grip a constantly moving underground cable.
• The cables run at a steady 9.5 miles per hour beneath the streets.
• Cable car turntables are still spun by hand at the end of the line.
• Cable cars were nearly scrapped in the 1940s before public protest saved them.
– Staff report with AI assist*, The Today 100
*As a company focused on innovative tools to build community, we embrace AI as an editorial resource to help us create relevant content. Every article is reviewed and modified by one of our editors to ensure accuracy.