SFMTA Transit and Traffic Advisory for Two Holiday Weeks From Thursday, December 19, 2024 through Wednesday, January 1, 2025

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The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) releases the following upcoming event-related traffic and transit impacts for two holiday weeks from Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

For real-time updates, follow us on https://twitter.com/sfmta_muni or visit SFMTA.com/EmailText to sign up for real-time text messages or email alerts. For details of Muni re-routes, visit SFMTA.com/Updates. This website will be updated when it is closer to the event date. For additional notifications and agency updates, subscribe to our blog, Moving SF for daily or weekly updates.

Parking Enforcement for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

On Christmas Day, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 and New Year’s Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, the following parking regulations will not be enforced anywhere in the city: parking meters, seven-day street sweeping, residential parking permits, Monday-Friday daytime street sweeping and commuter towaway.

On Christmas Day, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 and New Year’s Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, the following parking regulations will be enforced: safety violations (including No Stopping, No Parking, Red Zones, Blue Zones) and nightly street sweeping.

Vehicles creating a hazard and/or an unsafe condition (i.e. double parking, blocking a bike lane, blocking driveways, blocking crosswalks, fire hydrants, etc.) are subject to receiving citations and can possibly be towed.

Parking meters in the City are enforced Monday through Saturday with the exception of the following areas where parking meters are enforced seven days per week throughout the year except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day:

  • Parking meters in the Fisherman’s Wharf area
  • Along The Embarcadero Roadway
  • In the Special Event Area around Oracle Park and Chase Center
  • Four metered off-street parking facilities listed below:
    • 8th Avenue at Clement Street
    • 9th Avenue at Clement Street
    • Geary Boulevard at 21st Avenue
    • 18th Avenue at Geary Boulevard

Some parking garages (notably Pierce Street Garage between Lombard and Chestnut streets) are paid parking 24/7 including all holidays.

Muni Schedule for Christmas and New Year’s Day

On Christmas Day, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, Muni will operate on a Saturday schedule.

On New Year’s Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, Muni will operate on a Sunday schedule.

Ride Muni Free on New Year’s Eve

The SFMTA will offer free rides on New Year’s Eve from 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024 through 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

On Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, Muni will operate additional service:

  • The Muni Metro Subway and the Central Subway will stay open late until 2 a.m.
  • Additional bus service will be running on all evening OWL routes and along the M Line.
  • The Market Street Subway will have S Shuttle train service until 2 a.m. between West Portal and 4th/King stations.
  • The Central Subway will have S Shuttle train service until 2 a.m. between Chinatown and Third/Mariposa.
  • OWL Bus service will operate every 15 to 30 minutes from midnight until 5 a.m.
  • M Oceanview will have M Bus service between West Portal and Balboa Park between midnight and 3 a.m.

During the free service period, Metro fare gates will be open. Customers please:

  • DO NOT tag their clipper® card or tap phone.
  • DO NOT activate a MuniMobile ticket

For more details visit SFMTA.com/NYE.

Winter Walk SF

Friday, Dec. 13 through Sunday, Dec. 22: Winter Walk, San Francisco’s signature holiday event returns to Union Square area for a 10-day celebration that transforms two blocks of Stockton Street into a festive holiday destination.

This event features elaborate holiday decor, captivating performances, programmed snow, and seasonal offerings of food, drink, activities and shops. For more details of Winter Walk SF, visit visitunionsquaresf.com. Below are event hours during the celebration:

  • Monday to Wednesday, from noon to 7 p.m.
  • Thursday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

From Sunday, Dec. 8 through Tuesday, Dec. 24: A street closure of Stockton Street between Post and O’Farrell streets will be required from 12:01 a.m., Monday, Dec. 9 and continuing through 10 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 24.

The following Muni routes will be affected: 8 Bayshore; 8AX Bayshore A Express; 8BX Bayshore B Express; 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express; 30 Stockton; 45 Union/Stockton; 91 3rd Street/19th Avenue Owl; and T Third Street Bus.

Castro Night Market

Friday, Dec. 20: The Castro Night Market will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. on 18th Street. For more details, visit castro-night-market.

The following street and parking lot closures will be required from noon to midnight, Friday:

  • 18th Street between Collingwood and Hartford streets
  • The SFMTA parking lot behind Walgreens

The 33 Ashbury/18th Street Muni route will be affected.

Events at Chase Center

Friday, Dec. 20 through Monday, Dec. 30: There will be multiple events to take place at the Chase Center:

  • Friday, Dec. 20: Invisalign Bay Area Women’s Classic, a showcase of four elite women's collegiate basketball teams will take place. The first game will start at 5:30 p.m. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m.
  • First game: Stanford vs. Ohio State will start at 5:30 p.m.
  • Second game: UCLA vs. Creighton will start at 8 p.m.
  • Monday, Dec. 23: The Warriors will play against the Indiana Pacers. Game will start at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Dec. 25: The Warriors will play against the Los Angeles Lakers. Game will start at 5 p.m. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 28: The Warriors will play against the Phoenix Suns. Game will start at 5:30 p.m. Doors will open at 4 p.m.
  • Monday, Dec. 30: The Warriors will play against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Game will start at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

Supplemental Muni Service

  • Muni will operate supplemental 78X Arena Express service.
  • Pre-event express shuttle service from 16th Street BART Station to Chase Center will start two and a half hours before each game/event and will end one hour after game/event starts.
  • Post-event express shuttle service from Chase Center on 16th Street to 16th Street BART Station will run until the area clears.

Special Event Parking Rates

During basketball games and other major events with more than 10,000 expected attendees at the arena, parking meters close to the arena will charge a special event rate of $11 per hour. These rates help reduce congestion and keep parking spots available in the neighborhoods near the arena, discouraging circling for free or cheap parking. Start times for special event rates vary based on the start time of the event. More information on special event parking regulations can be found on www.sfmta.com/special-event-parking.

Street Closures

To accommodate events that will take place at the arena, the following street closures will be enforced two hours before and one hour after each event:

  • 16th Street between 3rd Street and Terry Francois Boulevard
  • Warriors Way between 3rd Street and Terry Francois Boulevard
  • Northbound 3rd Street between 16th Street and Warriors Way will also be closed approximately 30 minutes before and 45 minutes after an event.
  • Only local access will be allowed on Northbound Illinois Street between Mariposa and 16th streets.

No Parking Zone

To facilitate loading and pick up for Muni customers and patrons, NO PARKING will be in effect at these locations during events:

  • 16th Street between 3rd Street and Terry Francois Boulevard
  • Warriors Way between 3rd Street and Terry Francois Boulevard
  • Between the 500 and 700 blocks of Terry Francois Boulevard (TFB)

Taxi Stands

There is one taxi stand located on southbound Terry Francois Boulevard.

Ramp Taxis should use the loading zone on eastbound Warriors Way at Bridgeview Way.

Additional Passenger Loading

  • 4th Street which connects to Chase Center via Gene Friend Way pedestrian path which cuts through UCSF campus.
  • Owens Street connects to Chase Center via Gene Friend Way pedestrian path which cuts through UCSF campus.

For details about transportation to the Chase Center, including Muni service and connections from the Bay Area transit system to Muni, visit SFMTA.com/ChaseCenter.

For additional details and about transportation to ballpark, visit www.sfmta.com/chase-center.

CONSTRUCTION WORK AND OTHER UPDATES

NEW: T Third Street Partial Bus Substitution

Thursday, Dec. 19: The SFMTA will conduct major Maintenance of Way work along Third Street south of Armstrong Avenue. Work will start at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 19 and into the early morning of Friday, Dec. 20.

To safely facilitate this work, de-energization and partial motorization of T Third Line service south of Armstrong Avenue will be required. This needed overhead line repair work will improve the operation and reliability of the T Third Street Line.

Muni Service Changes will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19 and running through the end of service:

  • Bus shuttles will operate between Sunnydale and 3rd Street & Williams Avenue
  • T train service will run between 3rd Street & Williams Avenue and Chinatown
  • Bus shuttles will be carefully timed to minimize train transfer delays for passengers.

For more details visit www.sfmta.com/t-third-street.

UPCOMING: Muni Fare Changes Effective Jan. 1, 2025

Effective Jan. 1, 2025, there will be some changes to Muni fares. Changes include both increases and decreases, based on public feedback received during our budget process in spring 2024. For details of these changes, visit sfmta.com/muni-fare-changes (Note: The fares not listed will remain the same.

The Clipper and MuniMobile discount will be reduced from $0.50 to $0.25 to help offset our rising costs while minimizing the impact on customers. Cash fare will remain the same at $3.00.

After feedback collected from the public, these fare changes were included as part of the SFMTA’s 2024-2026 budget, which began on July 1, 2024. For more information, visit our Fares webpage or call 311.

ONGOING

Masks Recommended

Masks are no longer required, but are encouraged in any SFMTA facilities, transit hubs or on vehicles including Muni buses, streetcars, light rail vehicles or cable cars or in taxis or on paratransit.

ONGOING: Essential Trip Card Discount Program

The SFMTA’s program, Essential Trip Card (ETC) Program, assists people with disabilities and older adults to make essential trips using taxis. The program provides two to three round trips at an 80% discount per month, i.e. rider pays $6 to receive a value of $30 or pays $12 to receive a $60 value. If essential needs require it, riders may receive additional value up to $120 of taxi service per month.

To qualify for the program, customer must be either age 65 or older or an adult with disabilities. Eligible adults may apply for the ETC program by calling the Paratransit Mobility Management office at 415-351-7053. Staff are available weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. Visit https://www.sfmta.com/etc for additional details and for a list of San Francisco taxi companies, visit https://www.sfmta.com/taxi/directory.

SFMTA’s Shop-a-Round program which offers registered seniors and people with disabilities personalized assistance and rides to and from grocery stores and farmers markets is available as well. For more information, visit https://www.sfmta.com/shop-round.

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