motorized cable cars | San Francisco Travel Blog
San Francisco Cable Cars Cost the City Millions Each Year in Legal Expenses
San Francisco’s cable cars are a big part of the city’s identity, but few people know that these local icons cost the city millions each year in settlements, court awards and legal fees. Each year, a small percentage of cable car riders are injured in accidents that result in broken bones, severed feet and other injuries. Around one person each month is injured while riding San Francisco cable cars, and city officials have reported 126 accidents over the last ten years that injured 151 people. A few months ago, five riders and two workers were injured when the cable car they were riding lurched to an unexpected stop after one of the wheels struck a small bolt in the track.