BART officials will be showing video from past New Year’s Eves at its Embarcadero station in San Francisco this morning to demonstrate one of the main reasons for New Year’s Eve service changes that will affect passengers going between downtown San Francisco and the East Bay.
BART will run trains later than usual Thursday night and Friday morning for New Year’s Eve, but trains bound for the East Bay will not stop at all stations in downtown San Francisco in an effort to ease overcrowding at the Embarcadero Station.
In past years, large crowds attending the downtown fireworks show have caused overcrowding at the Embarcadero BART station.
As a result, trains on the Pittsburg/Bay Point and Richmond lines will not stop at the Embarcadero station beginning at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. People wishing to go to the fireworks show on those lines will have to get off at the Montgomery station, according to BART officials.
Trains on the Dublin/Pleasanton and Fremont lines will stop at the Embarcadero station, but not at the Montgomery station.
Trains headed to Millbrae, SFO or Daly City will make all stops in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve and into New Year’s Day, according to BART officials.
Additional “event” trains will also be standing by to take riders during the busiest time of the night after the fireworks end shortly after midnight.
BART service will last until 3 a.m. Friday to help riders get home from festivities around the Bay Area. It will begin again at 8 a.m. Friday and will operate on a holiday/Sunday schedule.
BART officials recommend that riders buy a round-trip ticket before starting a trip to avoid lines at ticket machines on the way home.
During a news conference scheduled for 10 a.m. today at the Embarcadero station, BART officials will show clips from previous New Year’s Eves that will highlight the need to implement these service changes.
