SF's Central Subway now open for weekend travel; Chinatown station debuts

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's Chinatown now has a subway station.

The long awaited debut happened Saturday morning during a ceremony starting with a prayer to bless the new stop: Chinatown Rose Pak Station. It honors the woman, well known for her activism making Chinatown what it is today.

According to former SF Mayor Willie Brown, that includes the plan to open the Central Subway.

"We celebrate the Rose Pak Station, we celebrate the Central Subway," said the former mayor. "San Francisco continues to be a living example of how you should and can do things. We just didn't do it with the right speed. I wish we could've finished it before Rose moved on."

Pak passed away in 2016, but her legacy continues to live on through the Central Subway - an underground train with four stops, connecting Chinatown to Union Square and the Bayview. 

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"It literally moves Chinatown 10-15 minutes closer to the East Bay," said SFMTA Director Jeff Tumlin. "You'll be able to take BART to the Powell Station and get to Chinatown. It'll save 15-20 off of travel from the Peninsula to the Caltrain station."

Before 8 a.m. Saturday, city leaders and members of the Chinatown community rode the first train. They said after decades of planning, construction, and billions of dollars, the modern looking subway ran smoothly.

"It's kind of mind-blowing," said Ryan Yu, who works every day in Chinatown.

"This project took awhile. It's nice to see it finally done."

"It's important to the Chinese community because we have a lot of people who don't drive," said Jennifer Cheung, a local community activist.

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"It's hard to find parking, so the public transportation is important."

The celebration closed with fireworks and Chinese traditional dancing.

With cameras at every corner, and about a dozen inside the trains, the Central Subway is expected to be the safest transit line in the city.

"The residents are gonna benefit," said State Senator Scott Weiner. "It's gonna be easier to get around. Small businesses will benefit because it wil be easier to access."

The Central Subway will stay open every weekend from 8 a.m. to Midnight. It will run seven days a week, and officially connect to Muni's T-line starting Jan. 7.