The city is gearing up for a series of LGBT Pride events this weekend, and you don't want to be that guy who arrives to meet your friends two hours late, so read up on all of the traffic and transit alerts before heading out. SFMTA has a full list of what's closed, rerouted and changed.
First, everyone is urged to walk, bike or take transit, because driving will make you want to gnaw off your arm. A whole bunch of streets surrounding Civic Center will be closed starting and ending at various times from Friday–Monday, and the Pride parade on Sunday will shut down Market and all of the intersections from Beale to Eighth street completely (yes, even to those of you on foot and bikes). Bring an extra large dose of patience, no matter your mode of transportation.
Here are more specifics: SFTMA advises that Muni service in the Civic Center and Upper Market areas may be delayed due to the 12th annual Trans March on Friday. It begins at 11am in Dolores Park with a youth and elder brunch happening at noon, followed by a general celebration in the park at 3pm with live music, speakers and performances.
At 6pm, an expected crowd of about 7,000 will march north on Dolores to Market and up to Taylor and Turk streets in the Tenderloin. Traffic along Market and snaking out from it will be snarled. From 6–9pm Friday, Taylor between Ellis and Eddy streets and Eddy between Taylor and Jones streets will be closed, and a long list of Muni lines will be affected.
On Saturday, watch for street closures and Muni reroutes from 10am–9pm due to the Dyke March in the Mission. Dolores between 17th and 20th streets will be shut down, as will the intersections of Dolores at 18th, 19th, Dorland, Dolores Terrace and Cumberland streets. The march itself starts at 6pm at Dolores and 18th streets, turns north on Valencia, heads west on 16th Street and turns onto Market Street heading southwest, finishing at Market and Castro.
Numerous Muni reroutes will occur on Saturday as well, so be sure to check that handy SFMTA Pride page. The F-Market and Wharves streetcar, along with several bus lines, will be affected.
The San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration runs from noon–6pm Saturday and 11am–6pm Sunday at the Civic Center Plaza. Expect delays entering the Civic Center Plaza, as there will be metal detectors, a combination of walk-through machines and hand-held wands, at all entry points into the plaza on both days. Don't even think about bringing in a bag larger than 18 by 18 inches. More details on security measures are online.
Sunday will be the biggest day of disruptions, with at least a million people expected to line Market Street for the 46th annual LGBT Pride Parade. It starts at Market and Beale streets in the FiDi at 10:30am Sunday and progresses down Market to Eighth Street in the Civic Center. The parade usually runs for several hours, but closures and delays will last longer.
The 5, 19 and 21 routes will reroute all day and until 6am Monday, the F-Market and Wharves won't run until the parade clears, and there's a very long list of bus reroutes from early morning until the parade clears. Suffice it to say, if you're going just about anywhere on Sunday, allow plenty of time and check that extensive SFMTA list for more details.
Finally, if you're meeting up with friends for the parade, remember to make a plan and get specifics, because you can't cross Market Street along the parade route. This is not negotiable; SFPD and/or security won't allow it. If you do find yourself on opposite sides of the street, use the closest BART/Muni station (Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell or Civic Center) to go underneath and come back up instead of trying to dart in front of floats.
One additional bit of info: Pride sets up about 500 portable toilets at the staging area in SoMa near the start of the parade (around Market, Mission and Howard between Steuart and Beale) and at the end at Civic Center and surrounding neighborhoods. But if you're watching it between Beale and Eighth, you might be hard pressed for a potty break.
On top of all this, watch out for baseball traffic, too. The San Francisco Giants will play five home games at AT&T Park from Friday–Tuesday:
Three games against the Philadelphia Phillies:
- 7:15pm Friday, June 24
- 7:05pm Saturday, June 25
- 1:05pm Sunday, June 26
Two games against the Oakland Athletics:
- 7:15pm Monday, June 27
- 7:15pm Tuesday, June 28
