Weekend Transit Advisory: Holiday Muni schedule, football, Critical Mass, Hunger Bowl, New Year’s Eve

Holiday Muni Schedule
On Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, Muni will operate on a Sunday schedule.

On Thursday, December 26 and Friday, December 27, Muni will operate on a normal weekday schedule with reduced service on selected rush hour express routes in response to lower passenger demand. Timetables will be posted at www.sfmta.com detailing schedules for impacted lines.

Reduced Service:
1AX California ‘A’ Express – Service approximately every 20 minutes
1BX California ‘B’ Express – Service approximately every 20 minutes
16X Noriega Express – Service approximately every 20 minutes
30X Marina Express – Service approximately every 15 minutes
31AX Balboa ‘A’ Express – Service approximately every 20 minutes
31BX Balboa ‘B’ Express – Service approximately every 20 minutes
38AX Geary ‘A’ Express – Service approximately every 20 minutes
38BX Geary ‘B’ Express – Service approximately every 20 minutes
41 Union – Service approximately every 20 minutes (afternoon ONLY, no change in the morning)
NX N Judah Express – Service approximately every 15 minutes

No Service:
81X Caltrain Express – Please use the N Judah, T Third Street, 30 Stockton, 45 Union/Stockton, or 10 Townsend
82X Levi Plaza Express – Please use the N Judah, T Third Street, or 10 Townsend
83X Mid Market Express – Please use the 47 Van Ness
88 BART Shuttle – Please use the 14 Mission or 14L Mission Limited and transfer to the 29 Sunset, 43 Masonic, 54 Felton, 8X Bayshore Express or 8BX Bayshore ‘B’ Express for service to Balboa Park BART

49ers Football Game
On Monday, December 23, the San Francisco 49ers will host their final regular season home game against the Atlanta Falcons at Candlestick Park. The game will start at 5:40 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to come early to avoid the rush hour commute period. Parking lots will open at 1:30 p.m. and stadium gates will open at 2 p.m. There will be special pre-game festivities commemorating the 49ers final regular season game at Candlestick Park.

Bay Area motorists should expect delays on the westbound Bay Bridge and on all other bridges and freeways leading into San Francisco throughout Monday afternoon and after the end of the game. Motorists can avoid pre- and post-game congestion on US 101 near Candlestick Park by using the I-280 freeway through Daly City. Fans attending the games are encouraged to take public transportation. Special game day Muni service to Candlestick Park will begin at 2 p.m. For more information, please visit www.sfmta.com/football.

NEW NFL Bag Policy: Fans should be advised that there is a new NFL Bag Policy in effect at 49ers games. Only NFL-approved bags will be permitted inside Candlestick Park. For more information, please visit www.49ers.com/stadium/prohibited-items.html.

On game days, Muni offers several ways to get to Candlestick Park from locations throughout San Francisco. There are four Muni Express routes and two Shuttles.

All service, including the express service, is regular fare service, $2 adult per trip and $.75 for youth/senior/disabled per trip.

For faster boarding, customers are encouraged to buy their fare prior to boarding the express service. Clipper cards with either a Fast Pass or pre-loaded cash can be purchased at your convenience. Customers can load their cards online at www.clippercard.com (please allow at least five days for processing), or at one of the participating Clipper vendors or ticket vending machines in a Muni Metro station. Please go to www.sfmta.com for fare details.

On game days, Muni customers may purchase their fare in advance. SFMTA staff will sell one-way and roundtrip Muni fares from 2:40 to 5:40 p.m. at the following locations:
· Balboa Park BART Station
· Sutter Street/Sansome Street

For service to and from the game, T Third customers should transfer at the Gilman/Paul station to the 87 Candlestick Shuttle, which operates directly between the station and Candlestick Park.

Pre-game Service:
· 75X Candlestick Express – from Balboa Park BART
· 77X Candlestick Express – from California and Van Ness
· 78X Candlestick Express – from California and Funston
· 79X Candlestick Express – from Sutter and Sansome
· 86 Candlestick Shuttle – from Bacon and San Bruno (service will begin at 1:30 p.m.)
· 87 Candlestick Shuttle – from Third Street and Gillman, T Third Station (service will begin at 1:30 p.m.)

Post-game Service:
· 75X Candlestick Express – to Balboa Park BART
· 77X Candlestick Express – to Van Ness and North Point
· 78X Candlestick Express – to California and Funston
· 79X Candlestick Express – to Kearny and Sutter
· 86 Candlestick Shuttle – to Bacon and San Bruno
· 87 Candlestick Shuttle – to Third Street and Gillman, T Third Station

79X Candlestick Express Re-route
The southbound 79X, which provides express service to the 49ers game from downtown, will be re-routed due to Central Subway construction on Stockton and 4th streets. Customers traveling to the game can board the 79X Candlestick Express at the following locations:

· Sutter and Sansome
· Sutter and Kearny
· Mason and Geary
· Cyril Magnin and Market
· 5th Street and Mission
· 5th Street and Howard
· 5th Street and Folsom

The southbound buses will then travel express to Candlestick Park from 5th and Folsom streets. Northbound buses will remain on the regular route.

Critical Mass
At 6 p.m., Friday, December 27, the Critical Mass bicycle ride will begin at Justin Herman Plaza.

There will be heavy traffic in the area. Motorists are advised to allow extra travel time.

Annual Fight Hunger Bowl
On Friday, December 27, the Washington Huskies will face the BYU Cougars in the Fight Hunger college football bowl game at AT&T Park. The game will begin at 6:30 p.m. For more details, please visit www.fighthungerbowl.org.

Fans attending the game are encouraged to take public transportation. Motorists should expect delays on all bridges and freeways leading into San Francisco for at least two hours before the start of the game and for at least two hours after the end of the game.

Muni customers may purchase their fare in advance at the following locations during the time specified:

Embarcadero Metro Station 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
AT&T Park 7:30 p.m. to 30 minutes after conclusion of the game
(approximately 9:45 p.m.)

For more information, please visit AT&T Park Service or www.sfbowl.org.

Ride Muni Free New Year’s Eve
For the 14th consecutive year, the SFMTA will offer free rides on New Year’s Eve from 8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31 through 5 a.m. on Wednesday, January 1.

Fireworks on New Year’s Eve
At midnight, Tuesday, December 31, there will be a city-sponsored fireworks show from a barge off of The Embarcadero, south of the Ferry Building.

Motorists should anticipate delays in the area from approximately 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day. No closures or re-routes are planned. SFPD officers and SFMTA staff will monitor for any necessary re-routes. For details, please visit www.sfmta.com.

Reminder: Central Subway Construction During Holiday Season
Central Subway construction is paused on Stockton Street in Union Square and will recommence in January 2014. All Union Square businesses remain open. Stockton Street has been paved and reopened to traffic. One lane of Ellis Street between Stockton Street and the Ellis-O’Farrell Garage will remain closed during the holidays due to work related to the Central Subway tunnels.

In North Beach, utility construction work is stopped at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Union Street. The contractor has restored the pavement on Columbus Avenue. All lanes of traffic are open. Construction is planned to resume in January 2014.