City-Market Street Ry. Deal May Bring Some Street Work
 Possibility that the Market Street Railway Co. would undertake immediate
repaving of a number of downtown streets today hinged on the Board of Supervisors'
approval of a "deal" Mayor Rossi proposed yesterday to the trolley
company.
The company recently sought permission to substitute buses for the
Washington and Clay-st cable line, but the supervisors voted down the petition
on the mayor's request that no further "favors" be extended until
the company agreed to make some badly-needed improvements on its own.
Yesterday
the mayor agreed to withdraw his ban when company officials promised, in
return, to lift the car tracks on Leavenworth-st from McAllister to Ellis-st,
on Battery-st from Market to California-st, on Bush-st from Sansome to
Battery, and on Sansome-st from Bush to Sutter.
Parking Facilities
The company also promised to remove 305 feet of tracks on Fillmore-st
north of Chestnut, so that the middle of the street may be used for a parking
area.
The company was to pay for the track-lifting, for filling in the ruts
and for taking down the wires and poles. The city, according to the "deal"
with the mayor, was to pave the concrete fills on Fillmore-st and Leavenworth-st,
and the company was to do the remainder of the paving.
Resurfacing planned
The city, as part of the bargain, also was to resurface the rest of
Battery, Bush and Sansome-sts, in the financial district. The city was
to spend about $3600; the Market Street Railway Co. about $8500 to fulfill
its promises.
As for the rails on the Sacramento-st line, which the city also would
like to see removed, the company agreed to do that within five years if
allowed to substitute buses. It would repave only the part of the street
occupied by the rails, however, leaving the cable slot in the center. The
same procedure was followed in abandoning the Castro-st and Fillmore-st
lines.
However, before the "deal" may be consummated the company
must resubmit its application to the supervisors. There was some indication
that it might again be rejected, despite the mayor's revised attitude.
Would Build Nuisance Value
Some supervisors pointed out that the improvements would have the effect
of enhancing the value of the company, which the city is contemplating
seeking to buy out.
Permission to substitute the buses would have the effect of becoming
a revised "operating permit" for the company, but would not extend
the term of the company's franchise, which expires in 1956. The buses would
be substituted for the unexpired term of the franchise.
San Francisco News
August 8, 1941
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