New Year's Eve Travel Guide: Free Muni & Caltrain, Extended BART Hours

New Year's Eve Travel Guide: Free Muni & Caltrain, Extended BART HoursRinging in 2017 at the Ferry Building. | Photo: Tom/Flickr
Walter Thompson
Published on December 28, 2017

Fun and frivolity will cost you on New Year's Eve—and possibly the morning after—but getting around San Francisco won't cost you a dime.

Muni is giving its fare enforcement inspectors the night off and letting passengers ride for free from 8pm on Sunday, December 31st until 5am on New Year's Day. Now in its 18th year, the free rides are sponsored by 76 and support the city's Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic fatalities.

Because no proof of purchase will be required, ticket gates will remain open at stations and riders are encouraged not to tap Clipper Cards (lest they be charged).

To accommodate more passengers, service on cable car lines and the F Market will be provided by buses after dark, and Metro service between West Portal and Embarcadero will be extended until 5am.

Service frequency on the following lines will be doubled:

  • 5 Fulton
  • 14 Mission
  • 22 Fillmore
  • 24 Divisadero
  • 25 Treasure Island
  • 38 Geary
  • 44 O’Shaughnessy
  • 48 Quintara-24th
  • 90 Owl
  • 91 Owl
  • L Owl
  • N Owl

Although BART is still charging full fares, the transit agency is extending service until 3am on January 1st. From 8pm on New Year's Eve to 5am the following morning, Caltrain will offer free service.

A city-sponsored fireworks show will light up the skies over the Bay at the stroke of midnight from a barge stationed south of the Ferry Building, so SFMTA is warning motorists to expect delays between 11pm and 1am.