24 Divisadero

24 Divisadero is a trolleybus line operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni). Most of its north–south route takes it along Divisadero Street and Castro Street.

Route description
From the northern terminus at Jackson and Webster, the route runs west to Divisadero and then turns south. It continues onto Castro Street until 26th Street, then runs on a complicated route of 26th, Noe, 30th, Mission Street, Cortland, Bayshore, Industrial, and Palou. The outbound terminus is adjacent to the Muni Metro Oakdale/Palou station on Third Street.

The 24 Divisadero runs between Hunters Point in the south and Pacific Heights in the north. The line includes the single steepest known grade on any existing trolley bus line in the world:   22.8% in the block of Noe Street between Cesar Chavez Street and 26th Street.

The route operates 24 hours with less frequent short turn Owl service overnight as part of the All Nighter network.

History
As part of the Market Street Extension, steam dummy service was established by the Market Street Cable Railway between the company's powerhouse at Market and Valencia and running to Castro Street. The Market Street line was converted to cable-haulage in 1887, providing through-running to Castro and 26th Street. This was referred to as the White Line, after the streetcars' livery. After the Market Street mainline was reconstructed with electric traction following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Castro's cable car was retained at the otter end of the line as the company claimed the route was too steep for electric cars. Cable car service on Castro Street between 26th and 18th Streets restarted the year following the disaster. The line operated as a shuttle service.

On June 16, 1935, the Market Street Railway 24 streetcar was rerouted to operate on Divisadero between Page and Sacramento.

The 24 Divisadero bus was established on April 6, 1941 as a replacement for the Castro Street cable car. In 1982, as part of broader system changes, the line was extended to Third and Palou via Cortland.