San Francisco prepares for the busiest weekend since before the pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO - It's going to be a busy weekend in San Francisco.
Not only does Fleet Week wrap up with its famous air shows, but the Giants and Warriors both have games.
Fleet Week air show performances start at 11 a.m. Friday with the parade of ships, and end with the Blue Angels at 3 p.m. The show continues Saturday and Sunday from noon to around 4 p.m.
The San Francisco Giants' two big playoff games against the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday and Sunday are both sold out, bringing nearly 42,000 fans to Oracle Park.
And the Golden State Warriors face the Los Angeles Lakers at 7 p.m. Friday at the Chase Center, just about a mile away.
That means thousands of drivers will be looking for parking in the Mission Bay area. Parking meters will be set to special event pricing, which is $8 an hour. And some lots near Oracle Park and the Chase Center are seeing prices as high as $100.
People are advised to bike, walk, or use public transit.
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Both Muni and BART are expanding services and running until midnight.
"We are running extra trains, express shuttles getting people to and from the ballparks. And we are increasing service for people going down the Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf as well," said Erica Kato, spokeswoman for SFMTA.
She said while Muni still isn't seeing ridership at pre-pandemic levels during the week because a lot of people are still working from home, the weekend buses are as busy as they used to be.
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"Social distancing is no longer required on public transportation, however it is a federal requirement that people do wear a mask when they’re waiting for Muni, on a Muni vehicle, or in one of our subway stations as well," said Kato.
There will likely be large crowds on public transit, so leaders want to make sure people know that riding is safe during the pandemic.
"At BART, we have a really great ventilation system that circulates the air in and out of the cars every 70 seconds, which is much more frequent than any building anybody would be in. And just this past year BART staff switched out the filters to get even smaller particles, so it’s one of the safest indoor places that you can be," said Rebecca Saltzman, vice president of the BART Board of Directors.
Muni is offering free rides for military personnel all weekend, and as always a ticket to a Chase Center event includes a free Muni ticket.
The Italian Heritage festival is also happening Sunday in North Beach. It's the first major parade in the city since before the pandemic.