A million people are expected to attend today’s parade celebrating the SF Giants’ World Series win. Think about that: a million people. Maybe that’s why pretty much every news outlet in town has devoted a lot of time and attention to the parade — how to get there, what to expect, and what officials are doing to prevent folks from pulling the kind of crap they pulled Sunday night.
You already know that the parade route is a little different than it was in 2010 — this time it will start at 11 AM at Market and Steuart streets and will proceed down Market Street, making a right at McAllister Street and ending at City Hall, with a celebration to follow in Civic Center Plaza. But there are a lot more details you might not be aware of — so here’s a roundup of all the pre-parade coverage. Let’s dive in!
BART Increases Service, Still Expected To Be Packed
BART is running its rush hour service all day, and will be using every train they have. But you should still expect crowded trains, long lines, and crowds around hot spots like ticket sales machines. Anyone planning to ride BART is encouraged to buy a roundtrip ticket or load up Clipper Cards. As of 10:20 AM, BART spokesperson Jim Allison said that BART was seeing about 55,000 more riders than they would on a usual Wednesday. Allison also warned that BART ticket machines are running out of cash, and he urged riders to use a credit or debit card to purchase tickets instead.
Muni: Delays, Extra Trains And Service
Muni is adding six light-rail trains to supplement service, spokesman Paul Rose said. The extra service will begin at 10 AM Wednesday. All Muni Metro trains will stop at Civic Center station for the civic celebration, as well as at Embarcadero, Montgomery and Powell stations for the parade. Rose said any riders heading into the area should expect delays, and commuters are advised to factor in extra time for their trips to work.
Muni routes that run through the Civic Center Plaza area or on Market or Mission will be halted or rerouted, including the 5 Fulton, 38 Geary, 14 Mission and F Market/Wharves.
Parade fun fact, Muni edition: According to the Ex, this parade won’t be cheap for the SFMTA, as “the 2010 event cost Muni $128,190, which included nearly $98,000 in graffiti abatement.”
Caltrain And Ferries
Caltrain, which carries about 20,000 commuters on an average weekday, is also adding service. The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District is also adding extra ferry service, spokeswoman Mary Currie said. In 2010, for the Giants World Series parade, Golden Gate Ferry carried more than 15,000 people, Currie said. On a normal weekday, it serves about 6,600 people, she said.
Street Closures
Both Market and Mission streets as well as the Civic Center plaza area will be closed from 9:30 AM to about 5 PM or until they have been cleared and swept, whichever comes first.
Parade fun fact, cleanup edition: according to the Chron, the effort will require “six sweeper trucks, two flusher trucks, four steamer trucks, 12 people walking with blowers and 40 people walking with brooms. Plus two trucks to haul it all away.” Once you get to the confetti section of this piece, you might not think that’s enough. Guess we’ll see?
But you should really forget about driving downtown today, as everyone from the mayor to the SFMTA to Akit says that it’s a rotten idea.
The Parade Area Might Not Have Cell Service
The SF Biz Times reports that “AT&T and Verizon are both adding temporary wireless telecommunications infrastructure” to the parade area for the million people who will be calling, texting, tweeting, instagraming…do I need to go on? But even with this additional equipment, you should still expect outages, as “There (is) no network designed to handle 700,000 to a million people using it at the same time in a small place,” an AT&T spokesperson said. He recommends you wait to upload your pictures until you get home, which I am sure you will do.
Where To Watch In Person
The sidewalks lining Wednesday’s ticker-tape parade up Market Street and the celebration at Civic Center Plaza are open to all members of the public. Those viewing the parade and who wish to attend the celebration in Civic Center Plaza are advised to arrive early. According to Steve Rhodes, people started staking out their spots last night. That’s early.
What Will I Be Seeing?
Floats! Players in convertibles, “so fans will get a view from all sides”! And confetti galore: according to Matier and Ross, “1 1/2 tons of tiny orange, non-color-bleeding, biodegradable, nontoxic, flame-retardant flecks” of confetti will be shot “out of 24 rooftop cannons positioned along the 1.7 -mile route up Market Street.”
Following the parade (which is supposed to last about two hours), on the steps of City Hall, Mayor Lee will present the entire team with a Key to the City and honor the World Series Champions in a civic celebration. According to ABC7, the Civic Center celebration will also include “an orange carpet, video screens, and a stage for the band that will play at the end of the public speaking.”
Can I Bring Booze? I’ll Keep It In A Paper Bag, I Swear
Per a press release from the mayor’s office: “This will be a family focused event for baseball fans, and will be an alcohol-free event.”
Of course, they said that about the Civic Center broadcast of the last game of the World Series, so, yeah. But, anyway, San Francisco Police and Recreation and Park Departments will be there to monitor and enforce a zero tolerance policy for alcohol and other controlled substances in Civic Center Plaza, the mayor’s office said. They “will not tolerate misbehavior at the parade or after the civic celebration,” and SFPD chief Suhr seems to concur, telling the Chron that “In the streets, (booze) will not be tolerated.” They don’t note if not waiting to post your pics to Facebook counts as “misbehavior.”
Does Catching A Bus On Fire Count As Misbehavior?
Yes. So is beating it.
Can I Bring My Kids?
Sure, the mayor says he anticipates “quite a number of kids” attending the event, and told the Chron that “We want families, children, everybody to come” to the parade.
Safety precautions during the parade will include four reunification centers for children who may get separated from their parents. Let’s not ponder how Logan’s Runish “reunification centers” sounds right now, for today is a day of celebration.
But, speaking of party pooping, the SFUSD isn’t letting kids off for the parade. In fact, they sent a note home reminding parents that kids should be in school today.
I Have To Work, How Can I Watch It?
Here at the Appeal, we’ll post every livestream we can get our hands on, so be sure to check back.
KRON4 will be broadcasting live on the TV “starting at 10 AM to show pre-parade activities.” They’ll show it again on Comcast channel “193 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9-11 PM.” ABC7 says they will also “carry it live on the air, on our website, and through our iPad app.”
School And Business Closures
University of California Hastings College of the Law at 200 McAllister St. will be closed Wednesday because of the festivities.
According to the Chron, “A few local private schools are assuming their students want to cheer on their heroes at the victory parade, and they’re designating tomorrow a school holiday. One parent told SFGate that San Francisco’s St. Ignacious Preparatory High School ‘sent a blast voice mail to all parents that Wednesday will be a school holiday.'”
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman Gwen Oldham said she is not aware of any plans by the chamber’s 1,500 member businesses to close Wednesday.
Please Act Like A Civilized Person
You guys, today is going to be really, really fun, especially if people can restrain themselves from being assholes. Let’s all be nice to each other out there. Don’t catch anything on fire.
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