FILE: People line up at the Powell Cable Car Turnaround in downtown San Francisco.

Every few years since the 1980s, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency raises the fare for a cable car ride to keep the beloved, but costly, tourist attraction on track. Typically, the agency tacks on an extra dollar at a time, but incremental increases, like the trolley itself, are now a thing of the past. 

On Tuesday, the SFMTA Board of Directors unanimously approved a new fare structure for hopping on the cable car, and it’s the largest year-over-year increase in San Francisco history. If the San Francisco Board of Supervisors confirms the budget, the cost for a single ride will rise from $9 to $12 starting Jan. 4, 2027. But the SFMTA board........

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