Traffic Alert: Bay To Breakers Street Closures, Reroutes To Hit City Sunday

Traffic Alert: Bay To Breakers Street Closures, Reroutes To Hit City SundayPhoto: David Goehring/Flickr
Geri Koeppel
Published on May 12, 2016

Whether you're driving, taking Muni or even taking a stroll this weekend, you'll want to be aware that the annual rowdy race known as Zappos Bay to Breakers might disrupt your travel.

The 12K race begins at 8am in SoMa, at Howard and Main streets. From there, it heads west through the city, with the finish line at Ocean Beach, on the Great Highway near Lincoln Way. Along the way, it'll wind past Civic Center and through Hayes Valley, Alamo Square, the Panhandle and Golden Gate Park, but beware: the race has repercussions citywide, not just in those neighborhoods.

If you plan to be out and about in a vehicle on Sunday, check the official Zappos Bay to Breakers course map for the route, as well as the street closure list. There are too many Muni impact details to list here—visit the SFMTA's Bay to Breakers page to find out how your route will be affected. On several bus lines, you'll have to get off the bus and walk to a new bus, because buses won't be able to cross the race route.

Map: Zappos Bay to Breakers Course Info

The Embarcadero will be particularly busy on Sunday morning, with zanily dressed participants to stream onto the Embarcadero from the ferries, the Embarcadero BART/Muni station and other points of entry to take their place at the start.

If you're trying to get to the Bay Bridge and freeways heading south, be warned there are usually heavy backups on the Embarcadero, and many of the usual north-south arteries will be blocked. The route basically bisects the city and virtually shuts off access from north to south, so it's probably best to find a place for brunch in your neighborhood, and stay put until the roads re-open.

There's also a San Francisco Giants game at AT&T Park on Sunday. (Correction: The Giants don't play at home again until May 20th.)