BART to offer more service than ever before for SF Pride 2024

Promotional poster for the San Francisco Pride Parade with BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) featuring a colorful map and details about the event on June 30, 10:30 AM. The poster includes tips on using BART services to reach the parade, highlights major stations like Embarcadero, Montgomery St, Powell St, and Civic Center, and advises on planning ahead with the BART app and special Pride Weekend services.

BART will offer its most robust service ever for the annual San Francisco Pride Parade. The parade will be held on Sunday, June 30, beginning at 10:30am, along Downtown San Francisco’s Market Street.  

We encourage you to take BART and “ride with Pride” to get to and from the parade safely and expediently. Embarcadero, Montgomery St, Powell St, and Civic Center stations are all along the parade route (see rider guide). 

BART will open at 8am and run 5-line service with trains every 5 minutes through Downtown San Francisco. Additional event trains will be dispatched as ridership warrants. After 9pm, BART will run 3-line service.  

In the morning, event trains will bolster our service between Millbrae and Downtown San Francisco as well as between Pleasant Hill and Downtown San Francisco from 9:30 to 11am. Later in the day, event trains will start at 2pm in and continue into the evening, supplementing scheduled service. 

The parade begins at 10:30am at Market and Beale streets, closest to Embarcadero Station. It will end at Market and 8th streets, closest to Civic Center Station.  

Riders should expect large crowds at Embarcadero Station before 10am and large crowds all day at Civic Center Station, as well as heavy ridership to and from all Downtown San Francisco stations and 16th St Mission Station. Riders are encouraged to use Montgomery St and Powell St instead of Civic Center or Embarcadero stations.  

Last year, BART handled 140,006 trips as riders took advantage of expanded Sunday service. That's about 6,000 more riders than took BART for Pride 2022 and 117% of pre-COVID ridership projections for a June Sunday. At the time, it was BART's busiest Sunday since the start of the pandemic.  

The BART contingent in the Pride parade with a BARTy banner

Tips for taking BART to the SF Pride Parade and Celebration 

  • Before you leave home put a Clipper card on your cellphone through either Apple Pay or Google Pay. There is no $3 new-card fee for riders who add either of the mobile options. Please ensure you have sufficient funds for a round trip.  
  • Embarcadero, Montgomery Street, Powell Street and Civic Center stations can all be used to get to the parade route. 
  • Download the official BART app to plan your trip, get real-time departures, and pay for parking. 
  • Be patient. It could get crowded on trains and in our stations. BART’s busiest hours are expected to be from the parade start until 2pm and from 4 pm to 8 pm leaving the parade and celebration. 
  • When boarding trains, move to the center of the car so more people can fit and remove backpacks. 
  • Don’t jam a train door, which can take the whole train out of service. 

Getting to BART/Parking 

Consider taking a bus, getting dropped off, riding your bicycle, or walking to your station. 

BART offers free parking on weekends, except at Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose stations, which are owned by VTA and VTA's parking rates still apply. More info on parking at BART: bart.gov/parking.  

BART in the parade + booth at Civic Center Celebration 

BART staff, their families, and friends will march in the San Francisco Pride Parade with the BARTmobile and a specialized Hi-Rail vehicle that is typically used to transport BART workers around the system when trains are not running. 

BART will also have a presence at the Civic Center Celebration in Civic Center/UN Plaza (served by Civic Center Station) on Sunday, June 30, ONLY. We will no longer be at the celebration on Saturday. 

On Sunday, Railgoods will sell BART merch, including new Pride 2024 items, at the booth. Pick up your swag in person and skip the shipping fees! 

Have a safe and happy Pride! 

San Francisco Pride is the largest annual gathering of LGBTQ+ people and allies in the nation and has come to symbolize the long history of LGBTQ+ dignity, the freedom of all people to meaningfully and proudly express their sexual and gender identities, and the commitment of LGBTQ+ people to combating oppression. 

BART wishes everyone attending a safe and happy celebration.