Road closures planned, traffic delays expected due to Outside Lands
With an estimated 75,000 people coming to Golden Gate Park to attend the annual Outside Lands Music Festival each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, San Francisco transit officials are warning of significant traffic delays in the area and are urging attendees to take public transportation.
Outside Lands is an annual music festival spanning three days within Golden Gate Park. The festival does not provide parking and spaces surrounding the park on residential streets are extremely limited.
Road closures and expected heavy traffic near Golden Gate Park due to the festival may impact neighboring residents and those planning to travel in the area.
To mitigate traffic congestion and reduce the festival's impact on surrounding residential neighborhoods, some streets will be closed or have restricted access. These include Fulton Street from 26th to 37th avenues as well as 26th to 37th avenues between Fulton and Cabrillo streets.
All routes in Golden Gate Park will be closed from 11 a.m. Friday to the end of the night Sunday, including Crossover Drive.
Adding to the traffic complications in San Francisco will be a scheduled visit by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris is slated to attend a private fundraiser in the city on Sunday, which will likely cause some street closures, though her campaign has not specified where the fundraiser is being held. It will be the first time she has returned to the Bay Area since securing the Democratic nomination for president.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency highly recommends that attendees take public transportation to get to the festival grounds.
If traveling from downtown, it is best to take the N-Judah Muni line or the 5R-Fulton Rapid bus. The N-Judah line will have extra service from 3 p.m. to midnight on Saturday and Sunday. The 5R-Fulton Rapid bus will also have extra service operating from 2-8 p.m.
"Concertgoers should allow extra travel time on the N-Judah and all bus lines serving Golden Gate Park. Traffic in the area will also be heavy," the SFMTA said on its website.
There will be designated areas for taxis and ride-hail services. Citations will be issued to those who pick up or drop off on all closed roads as well as Lincoln Way between 25th and 41st avenues.
Leaving the event, there will also be a "5X Fulton Express" bus picking up at Fulton Street and 30th Avenue and dropping off at the Civic Center BART station.
Additional tips on travel to Golden Gate Park are also available on the Outside Lands website including information on the festival's paid shuttle service to and from the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Additionally, BART put together an online transit guide to help attendees get too and from the festival, as has the SFMTA for those using Muni to get to the park.
During event days, there will be tow trucks and a parking control officer on each side of the park to respond to blocked driveways and other parking issues related to the festival. Neighboring residents with blocked driveways can call 311 if they need a vehicle towed.
Festival attendees can sign up for texts from AlertSF to be notified of emergencies or significant disruptions affecting the event by texting OUTSIDELANDS to 888-777, the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management said on social media.