Transit and Traffic Advisory for the Independence Day Fireworks Celebration

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On Friday, July 4 the annual Independence Day Fireworks Celebration will start at 2 p.m. along the waterfront near the Municipal Pier and Pier 39. Entertainment will be at Pier 39, Aquatic Park and Ghirardelli Square.  The fireworks display will begin at 9:30 p.m.

As many as 200,000 people are expected in this area. Traffic congestion and disruption of transit service are expected in the northern section of the city.  To ensure safety of the riding public, customers should pay attention to their surroundings and allow extra travel time to get around the City.

The following street closures will be required:

  • 9 to 11 p.m., Friday
    • Southbound Polk Street between Bay and Union streets (except for Muni, bicycles and taxis)
  • 8:30 p.m. to midnight, Friday
    • Marina Boulevard exit off Doyle Drive may be closed
  • 8 a.m., Thursday to 5 p.m., Friday
    • Jefferson Street from Aquatic Park to Hyde Street
  • 6 a.m., Friday to 4 a.m., Saturday
    • The Embarcadero between Powell and Mason streets
  • 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday
    • Van Ness Avenue between North Point Street and the Municipal Pier Terminus
    • Beach Street from Polk Street to the Terminus
  • 2 p.m., Friday to 4 a.m., Saturday
    • Jefferson Street between Hyde and Powell streets
  • 9:20 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. Friday
    • Northbound Embarcadero at Broadway

To ensure safety of pedestrians in the area, the remaining areas of Fisherman’s Wharf bounded by The Embarcadero, Van Ness Avenue and Bay Street will be closed to vehicular traffic.

These additional closures could start as early as 2 p.m., with closures expanding southward throughout the day as ordered by SFPD and SFMTA Parking Enforcement Officers:

Embarcadero:         Bay to Taylor

Jefferson:               Embarcadero to Hyde

Beach:                    Hyde to west of Polk

Taylor:                    Beach to Embarcadero

Polk & Larkin:         North Point to Beach

Van Ness:              North Point to Muni Pier

Hyde:                     Beach to Jefferson

Leavenworth:         Beach to Jefferson

Jones:                    Beach to Jefferson

Mason:                   Beach to Jefferson

Powell:                    Beach to Jefferson

To expedite transit flow following the fireworks, southbound traffic on Polk Street between Bay and Union streets will be restricted to buses, taxis and bicycles only between 9 and 11 p.m.  Northbound traffic on Polk Street will not be affected.

Parking

Parking meters, posted time limit zones and seven day street sweeping will be enforced citywide on the holiday. Commuter tow away, residential parking permits and Monday-Friday daytime street sweeping will not be enforced.

Meters on Port of San Francisco property, including The Embarcadero and Fisherman’s Wharf, are enforced seven days per week throughout the year, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Hazards are always subject to ticketing and towing.

Muni Service

Muni will operate on a Sunday schedule as well as the added service detailed below.

Pre-Event

Starting at 2 p.m., the SFMTA will provide pre-event bus shuttles to Fisherman’s Wharf from the Ferry Building, Caltrain station at 4th and King streets to Ferry Plaza and Civic Center at Grove and Hyde Streets to Van Ness Avenue and Chestnut Street.

Supplemental Service

Starting at 2 p.m., the SFMTA will provide supplement Metro service in the Market Street subway between Embarcadero and West Portal Stations and the 108 Treasure Island Muni route.

Muni Fare

Between 2:30 and 8:30 p.m., SFMTA staff will be selling transfers at the Caltrain station and the Ferry Building.  Muni customers may purchase their round-trip fare in advance. Regular Muni fares will apply.

Post-Event

Return shuttle service will begin at 10 p.m. at two staging areas after the fireworks display until 11:30 p.m.  The return staging areas are:

  • The Embarcadero and Bay Street for service to the Ferry Building and Caltrain station
  • Polk and Francisco streets for service to Van Ness Avenue and Market Street and Civic Center Muni/BART Station

Caltrain riders are advised that the last Muni shuttle from The Embarcadero and Bay staging area will leave no later than 11:30 p.m. to meet the last Caltrain, which departs at midnight.

Once the crowds disperse, regular Muni service will resume. This can take at least a half hour. Participants and those traveling in the area are asked to allow extra travel time.

Reroutes

The following regular Muni lines and routes will be re-routed due to congestion in the event area:

  • F Market & Wharves*
  • 8x Bayshore Express
  • 19 Polk
  • 30 Stockton
  • 39 Coit
  • 47 Van Ness
  • 49 Van Ness-Mission

* After 2 p.m., F Market & Wharves line trains will only operate on Market Street and will operate on bus shuttles along The Embarcadero.

The Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car lines will operate on regular Muni buses at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. respectively.

The following Muni routes may be affected after the fireworks due to the increased number of transit customers and the high volume of pedestrian traffic:

  • 28 19th Avenue
  • 91 Owl
  • 22 Fillmore
  • 45 Union-Stockton
  • 76X-Marin Headland Express