Bay Area transit agencies offer free rides for New Year's Eve
SAN FRANCISCO -- New Year's Eve partygoers will be able to get a free, safe ride home until early Sunday morning as Bay Area transit agencies like Muni and Caltrain are offering complimentary services for the holiday.
On Saturday, Muni will provide free rides on all routes from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday. Riders should not tag their Clipper card or activate MuniMobile tickets on board, or else they will be charged.
Muni will also provide extra subway service from the West Portal and Fourth & King stations until 2:15 a.m. The agency's Owl service will also provide more buses until 5 a.m.
Muni officials expect extra traffic delays near The Embarcadero until 1 a.m. as a city-sponsored fireworks show takes place, weather permitting. Pedestrians are advised to be careful when traveling.
More information on Muni's New Year's Eve service can be found at the SFMTA website.
Caltrain also announced that it will provide free train rides on the holiday from 8 p.m. Saturday until 3:30 a.m. Sunday. The last train from San Francisco will depart at 2 a.m.
Caltrain will operate on a normal weekend schedule and add two northbound trains to San Francisco before the fireworks, and two southbound trains from the city afterward.
More details on Caltrain's New Year's Eve service can be found at the agency's website.
Alameda-Contra Costa Transit is also offering free rides on all lines, including Transbay and Tempo, from 8 p.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Sunday.
More information on the AC Transit New Year's Eve schedule can be found at the AC Transit website.
SamTrans will provide fare-free rides from 8 p.m. Saturday until 3 a.m. Sunday, including paratransit routes.
A schedule of SamTrans' holiday service is available at the SamTrans website.
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is continuing its tradition of providing free bus and light-rail service on the holiday from 8 p.m.
VTA's Route 500 will operate extended hours between San Jose Diridon, downtown San Jose and Berryessa BART.
More information on VTA's service hours can be found at the VTA website.
BART is also offering extended services to accommodate celebrants traveling home on Sunday morning, though full pricing will be in effect.
BART will run its standard Saturday service until midnight, and then run a three-line special service at 1 a.m., though additional trains may run before then based on crowding.
The last East Bay-bound train running through downtown San Francisco will leave at 1:30 a.m. and the last southbound train towards Millbrae will leave at 2:10 a.m.
BART officials encourage riders to load their Clipper cards with their roundtrip fare before arriving at the station, as lines may be long. Riders can add Clipper to their phone's digital wallet for free.
More information on extra BART service on New Year's Eve is available on the BART website.