Muni Metro to run free until 4 a.m. for New Year’s

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will halt its work inside the Muni Metro to replace emergency telephones and its radio system to provide extra transit service on New Year’s Eve.

As it has it done in the last 16 years, the transit agency will once again provide free Muni service starting at 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 and lasting until New Year’s day at 5 a.m. Riders should not tag their Clipper Cards during this time, because the machines will still deduct fares.

The transit agency said it will also be providing extra Muni service as The City celebrates 2016 with a fireworks show at The Embarcadero.

Muni Metro service between West Portal and Embarcadero stations will extend to 4 a.m. and service to Fourth and King Streets will continue until 2:15 a.m.

Buses will replace the F-Market/Wharves historic streetcars at 4 p.m. Cable car service will also be replaced by bus service after 8 p.m.

Extra Owl service will run from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. and the 1-California will have extra service between Drumm Street to Presidio Avenue from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The SFMTA will reroute buses only if necessary. The nightly shutdown of the Muni Metro will resume on Jan 1.

The complimentary free Muni rides is sponsored by 76.

AC Transit and SamTrans will also provide free fares for its riders between 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve to 5 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

BART said it will run on a normal weekday schedule, but will extend its operating hours until 3 a.m. Starting at 8 p.m., BART will run a “skip-stop” pattern in and out of San Francisco as it did last year.