With Fleet Week running all weekend—including the Parade of Ships, air shows and ship tours—and the Italian Heritage Parade on Sunday, traffic and transit is going to be affected.

About 300,000 people are expected to visit the area on both Saturday and Sunday for Fleet Week, while about 150,000 will line the streets for Sunday's parade, which will last from about 12:30–2:30 or 3pm.

Expect traffic congestion and disruption of transit service in the northern neighborhoods after the Fleet Week air shows. Some transit lines will be supplemented, but others will be reduced or temporarily closed. Jefferson Street between Hyde Street and its westerly terminus will be closed from 5am Friday to 6pm Sunday.

Neighbors throughout the Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach should be especially advised to check the SFMTA alerts for full details for street closures and transit re-routing. Here are a few major ones in the area:

Service adjustments/closures

Due to heavy congestion in the event area, the following cable car lines will be substituted with regular Muni buses:

• Powell and Hyde
• Powell and Mason

From 8am Sunday until the Italian Heritage Parade clears:

• E-Embarcadero and F-Market & Wharves lines will turn back at Pier 39
• F-line shuttle buses will turn back at the Embarcadero and Bay Street stop

From 3–7pm on both Saturday and Sunday, with an exception for buses, taxis and bicycles:

• Southbound Polk Street between Bay and Union streets will be closed to traffic. Local access will be allowed.
  

Sunday parade closures

The following closures will start at 8am Sunday:

• Powell Street between Chestnut and Beach streets
• Stockton Street between Bay and Beach streets
• Beach Street between Mason Street and Grant Avenue
• North Point Street between Mason Street and The Embarcadero
• Francisco Street between Stockton and Mason streets
• Greenwich Street between Powell and Columbus streets

The parade route will begin on Jefferson Street at Mason Street, proceed west on Jefferson Street, south on Leavenworth Street, south on Columbus Avenue, south on Stockton Street, east on Vallejo Street, north on Columbus Avenue, north on Stockton Street, east on to Filbert Street and past the review stands at Washington Square Park. Parade units will disburse on Powell Street. Traffic along the parade route will be closed until the parade clears.

The following Muni lines and routes will be affected:

• Powell-Mason Cable Car
• E Embarcadero
• F Market & Wharves
• 8 Bayshore
• 30 Stockton
• 39 Coit
• 45 Union/Stockton
• 47 Van Ness

Also of note: SFMTA is offering free fares to military personnel (who have a military I.D. or are in uniform) during Fleet Week. Note that on Columbus Day, this Monday, Muni will operate on a regular weekday schedule and parking meters will be enforced.