Public transit agencies prep for return of Bay to Breakers

SAN FRANCISCO — With the Bay to Breakers making its first post-pandemic return to San Francisco Sunday morning, thousands of runners will be filling the city’s streets, seriously impacting traffic and public transit.

The 12-kilometer race was first run in 1912. The race runs west through the city with participants running up the Hayes Street Hill, along the Panhandle and through Golden Gate Park before finishing at the Great Highway along Ocean Beach.

Public transit agencies in San Francisco and across the Bay Area are making allowances for the influx of people headed to the city early Sunday.

The San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency has a web page detailing the streets closures and Muni service changes along the race route. Street closures and parking restrictions in the start area will begin Saturday evening at 7 p.m. and run until Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. The following streets downtown are impacted:

• Main between Mission and Folsom
• Howard between Embarcadero and Beale
• Steuart east of Mission
• Spear between Mission and Folsom

There will be additional street closures along the race route starting early Sunday morning extending into the afternoon. Muni routes that cross the race path will be broken into two parts on either side of the course without any connecting service.

The area around the finish line and the festival following the race will also have extended street closures from 7 p.m. Saturday until 4 p.m. Sunday including:

• Lincoln: westbound, between Great Highway and 48th
• Lincoln: eastbound, between Great Highway and La Playa
• Fulton: westbound, between Great Highway and 47th
• Fulton: eastbound, between Great Highway and 48th
• La Playa: between Cabrillo and Fulton

From Saturday at 9 p.m. to Sunday at 4 p.m., these areas will be closed:

• Great Highway: between Sloat and JFK
• Multiple entrances to Golden Gate Park for the race period

After the race, Muni will provide express service back to the downtown area. Anyone not participating in the race as a runner or spectator is encouraged to avoid areas affected by the Bay to Breakers.

BART plans to provide four additional trains that will arrive at the Embarcadero station at 7 a.m. with limited service:

• One train will leave Millbrae at 6:31 a.m. and will stop at Daly City at 6:44 a.m., 16th Street Mission at 6:54 a.m. and then Embarcadero at 7 a.m. No other stops will be made along the line.
• A second train will leave Pleasant Hill at 6:25 a.m. and will stop at MacArthur at 6:45 a.m., West Oakland at 6:53 a.m. and then Embarcadero at 7 a.m. No other stops will be made along the line.
• A third train will leave Dublin at 6:20 a.m. and will stop at Bay Fair at 6:37 a.m., West Oakland at 6:56 a.m. and then Embarcadero at 7:03 a.m. No other stops will be made along the line.
• A fourth train will leave El Cerrito del Norte at 6:37 a.m. and will stop at MacArthur at 6:51 a.m., West Oakland at 6:59 a.m. and then Embarcadero at 7:06 a.m. No other stops will be made along the line.

Caltrain will run two northbound special event trains with limited stops Sunday to get runners to the start line in time for the 8 a.m. start.

Two trains will depart from San Jose Diridon Station at 5:50 a.m. and 6:02 a.m. and will arrive at the San Francisco Caltrain Station at 7:17 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., respectively. 

Trains will be single-tracking at the Burlingame, Broadway, San Mateo, Hayward Park, Hillsdale, Palo Alto and California Avenue stations, so riders should pay attention to signs and announcements to be sure they are on the correct platform.

The starting line is about 1.4 miles from the San Francisco Caltrain Station, so participants can walk to the starting line or take Muni’s T-Third light-rail service. 

Masks are required on BART and recommended on board for both Caltrain and Muni.