Transit Chaos Snarled SF July 4

San Francisco transit officials are apologizing after the city’s July 4 fireworks celebration near the Golden Gate Bridge left riders facing long waits, jammed stations and gridlocked streets. More than 100,000 people came to the waterfront and northern neighborhoods for the holiday event on Saturday, according to Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said the system logged 41,000 more boardings than on the previous Fourth of July, while officials and riders said the surge overwhelmed plans for buses and traffic control. SFMTA streets director Viktoriya Wise said the city’s transportation system “simply could not handle the volume of people” that arrived. ### Why did the bottleneck center on the Presidio and Marina? The Presidio and Marina were the focal points because this year’s fireworks launched from the Golden Gate Bridge, a rare setup that city officials had flagged in advance as likely to draw unusually large crowds. In a June 30 advisory, SFMTA said the Marina and Presidio neighborhoods would be “especially busy” and warned of heightened congestion on roads and Muni. The Presidio Trust also told visitors to expect heavy traffic, limited parking and significant delays before and after the show. (abc7news.com) The Golden Gate Bridge was scheduled to close fully to traffic from at least 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on July 4, according to the Presidio’s event guidance. That closure, combined with concentrated crowds around Crissy Field and nearby viewing areas, narrowed the ways people could leave at the same time after the fireworks ended. ### How bad did the delays get for riders trying to leave? (sfmta.com) Riders told local outlets that trips that would normally take about 30 minutes stretched into waits of two to four hours. NBC Bay Area reported BART lines wrapping around stations, packed Caltrain platforms and delays spilling across multiple systems as people tried to get out of the city after the show. ABC7 reported bus lines after the fireworks stretched for more than half a mile. (presidio.gov) Caltrain carried more than 14,000 riders that night and had planned one additional late train, spokesperson Dan Lieberman told NBC Bay Area. “Turns out we needed more than that,” Lieberman said. SFMTA said some trips took two to three times longer than normal as operators tried to add service in the field. ### What have city officials said went wrong? Viktoriya Wise, SFMTA’s streets director, said the agency was taking “lessons learned” from July 4 and pledged to improve future special-event operations. (nbcbayarea.com) Wise said the city had done what it could to move people and made adjustments in the field, but acknowledged the transportation system was not able to absorb the crowd volume that arrived. Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office said public safety remained the top priority and said officials had encouraged attendees to use transit instead of driving. But city leaders have also acknowledged that major changes are needed before the next large event, according to NBC Bay Area. ### How much did Waymo add to the traffic jam? KQED reported that more than 30 Waymo vehicles became stuck in the only parking area for the fireworks show, blocking parking for hours. (abc7news.com) Supervisor Bilal Mahmood said autonomous vehicles and “insufficient transit options” contributed to the gridlock, and he said he planned to seek answers from city departments about effects on transit service, emergency response and crowd egress. (nbcbayarea.com) Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli said “extreme traffic congestion in northern San Francisco disrupted normal operations for several Waymo vehicles.” Bonelli said some vehicles were able to clear when traffic moved, while others ran out of charge while idling and required a tow. ### What are riders and supervisors demanding now? District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill said he wants a hearing on what failed and what should change before Fleet Week arrives in October. (kqed.org) Sherrill said San Francisco needs to be able to host large events “safely and efficiently” and said reviewing the city’s response now could strengthen coordination for future events. Bilal Mahmood said he planned to submit a letter of inquiry at the Tuesday Board of Supervisors meeting seeking information from the Department of Emergency Management, Fire Department and SFMTA. KQED reported that Mahmood said he walked an hour home from Fisherman’s Wharf because transit and rideshare options had broken down. Fleet Week in October is now the next major test cited by city officials and supervisors. (abc7news.com) Sherrill has called for the city to review the July 4 response before that event, while SFMTA has said it is working through lessons from the holiday surge and its effect on future special-event planning. (kqed.org)