Rush hour turned into a slow crawl downtown when a protest march swung onto 9th Street, tying up traffic and knocking Market Street buses off their usual path. The demonstration, which drew hundreds of participants, was organized by a coalition of local tenant unions and housing advocates calling for expanded rent controls and an end to no-fault evictions. Riders found themselves creeping along detour routes as Muni shifted service to nearby corridors and set up temporary stops on the fly. Transit officials said staff were monitoring the situation and warned that delays would drag on until Market Street was fully reopened.
In a post on X, SFMTA told riders that both inbound and outbound Market Street bus routes were being sent via Mission Street, with more updates promised once Market was clear. The post noted that the march had turned on 9th Street. According to a report by SFGATE, the "Housing for All" marchers had planned to converge on City Hall to pressure supervisors ahead of a key vote on the city's newest residential zoning laws. Riders were urged to build in extra time and to keep an eye on real-time alerts for shifting stop locations.
UPDATE: Protest march is turning on 9th. IB/OB #SFMuni Market Street bus routes are routing via Mission. Will update once Market Street clears.
— SFMTA (@SFMTA_Muni) February 12, 2026
How Muni handles marches and detours
Market Street is a workhorse corridor for several bus lines, so when it clogs up, agencies typically swing surface routes over to Mission to keep things moving. Similar detours popped up during recent demonstrations when inbound buses were rerouted via Mission Street to skirt the march zone, according to Moovit. That move lets buses maintain downtown links while keeping riders and operators out of the thick of the crowd.
What riders should do
Anyone heading through downtown is better off using the Market Street subway or planning to board at alternate Mission Street stops until the march clears out. The SFMTA's transit advisories spell out the usual alternate stop locations and recommend signing up for real-time alerts so riders can track last-minute route changes. For more detailed guidance see the SFMTA transit and traffic advisory.
SFMTA reiterated that it will let riders know when Market Street is clear and normal routing is back in place. Until then, expect slowdowns on any line cutting across downtown and, if you can, map out a backup route before you head out.
