Major Events On Saturday Could Mean Record BART Ridership
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- BART has experienced record-breaking ridership over the last two days and numerous Super Bowl 50-related events in San Francisco and Oakland on Saturday could make for further record-breaking ridership.
Some events are tied to this Sunday's Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium, while others were scheduled regardless, potentially creating a perfect storm that could pack trains throughout the day.
Thursday marked the transit agency's fifth busiest day ever, with 486,596 passengers boarding trains throughout the Bay Area. Wednesday was BART's seventh busiest day, with 471,663 passengers, according to BART officials.
BART's busiest day ever fell on Halloween on Oct. 31, 2012 when the San Francisco Giants held their World Series Victory Parade in downtown San Francisco. A total of 568,061 passengers rode BART that day, BART officials said.
This Saturday, the biggest events begin early in the day. At 1 p.m. the Super City 50 Urban EDM Festival gets going at the O.co Coliseum with electronic acts Alesso, Diplo, the Chainsmokers and others scheduled to appear. With floor tickets already sold out for the dance event, over 20,000 people are expected to attend that show. Many attendees could still be showing up by the time Golden State Warriors fans start arriving in the early evening.
At 6 p.m., the Warriors will host the Oklahoma City Thunder in a hotly anticipated match-up between two of the top teams in the league. The Warriors are first in the Western conference with a 45-4 record and the Thunder are third at 38-13.
In San Francisco, three concerts are scheduled along the waterfront that are expected to draw large crowds.
The sold-out CBS Radio's Night Before concert at AT&T Park featuring headliner Metallica will be starting with opening act Cage the Elephant scheduled to take the stage at 7 p.m. Doors for that show open at 5 p.m.
Singer Alicia Keys will give a free concert at Justin Herman Plaza at 8 p.m. as part of the city's Super Bowl Festivities.
ALSO READ>>Getting Around For Super Bowl 50 Events
ALSO READ>> The Night Before With Metallica Concert Details And FAQ
At Pier 70 in the Dogpatch area, another Super Bowl party is planned -- the Direct TV Super Saturday Night party will be headlined by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Tickets to that concert start at nearly $800.
Despite the full slate of events, BART isn't planning to run trains any later than usual, so the last trains will depart at shortly after midnight, potentially stranding some concert-goers.
Ferry service, however, has been increased during Super Bowl 50 festivities, with four additional weekend day departures between Alameda/Oakland and San Francisco, as well as Vallejo and San Francisco.
TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.
