Chase Center transit plan includes shuttle service, cycle track

San Francisco transit officials are getting ready to prepare for a rush of crowds heading to the new Chase Center when the Warriors head to their new playground for the 2019-2020 season.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s Board of Directors approved a number of traffic changes, including extending the special event regulations around Oracle Park to include also the blocks surrounding the area of the Chase Center.

Besides approving the traffic changes, directors got a look at how Muni trains and buses will flow on game days and other special events, such as concerts, that Chase Center will host. The area has a seating capacity of 18,000.

Julie Kirschbaum, SFMTA acting director of transit, said the best way for people to get the Chase Center is to take Muni and not drive.

The Chase Center will only have 950 parking spots and any meter parking near the Chase Center will have special event pricing similar to that of Oracle Park.

One of the first steps in getting ready for the crowds is completing the new T-Third transit platform near the Chase Center and UCSF.

The new single platform will be similar to the transit platform and King and Second Streets in front of Oracle Park.

Kirschbaum said the new platform includes two crossover tracks in the front of the platform and one crossover track behind the platform to add flexibility of service:

“It will lead to us to be more creative for the service. For example, we have the possibility of lining up trains on both sides of the platform headed towards downtown after the game so we can clear people quickly.”

For normal service, the new crossover tracks can also allow trains to bypass, for example, a train having a mechanical issue, Kirschbaum said.

There will also be additional bus service to support rail service. Transit officials plan to have direct bus shuttle service from Mission and 16th streets to the Chase Center and a Van Ness bus shuttle that will make all the future bus rapid transit stops on Van Ness Avenue.

When the Van Ness bus shuttle gets to Mission and 16th streets, it will head directly to the Chase Center.

What will not be ready when the Chase Center opens is the Central Subway. Transit officials still say that the new subway, which will extend the T-Third rail line out to Chinatown, will open by the end of the year.

Once the Central Subway opens, officials say it be a faster trip from downtown to the Chase Center, as the T-Third travels along its new route under Fourth Street and makes a stop at Powell station.

The Port of San Francisco is also looking at a temporary facility to ferry people from the East Bay to the Chase Center on event days, David Beaupre said, who is a senior waterfront planner for the port.

Right now, the port is working on a longer-term project to build the Mission Bay Ferry Terminal that will now not only ferry people to the Chase Center for events, but will also ferry daily commuters. Completion of the project will not be until the end of 2021, Beaupre said.

Tom Maguire, SFMTA’s director of sustainable streets, said the transit agency will deploy up to 26 parking control officers, especially during events happening at Oracle Park and Chase Center on the same nights.

Maguire also showed plans that included two taxi stands during events behind the Chase Center and a two-way cycle track on Terry Francois Boulevard between Mission Rock and Warriors Way.

The transit agency expects to complete the cycle track by July 1.

Jerold Chinn

Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.