San Francisco will hold a ticker tape parade and civic celebration in honor of the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, and if the occasion is anything like 2010, you're going to want to get there in ways other than your car.
The parade in honor of the Giants' World Series victory against the Detroit Tigers will start at 11 a.m. at the foot of Market Street and continue to Civic Center Plaza.
Bart officials announced Monday that the system will run on a rush hour schedule all day Wednesday, employing every available car to shuttle as many people as possible into San Francisco for the parade and various Halloween-related events. Still, the transit agency advised passengers to expect long lines and crowded cars.
Apart from an extra boat from Oakland at 9:30 a.m. and an extra boat leaving Alameda at 9:40 a.m., ferry service from the East Bay will be on a regular weekend schedule. There will be eight extra ferries departing from Vallejo Wednesday.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Giants president and CEO Larry Baer Tuesday highlighted more details about the parade that will honor the team on its World Series title.
The parade, scheduled to start at 11 a.m. at the foot of Market Street, will proceed down the thoroughfare before making a right at McAllister Street and ending at City Hall and Civic Center Plaza. There, Lee will present the Giants with a key to the city and honor them in a celebration featuring speeches from players, coaches and dignitaries.
It is the team's second World Series win in three years.
The mayor said the city is "ready for a great, great celebration" that will be "a family-friendly event," a stark contrast to raucous celebrations after Sunday's series-clinching win that led to 36 arrests and destruction around the city.
"We want to prevent that from happening" again on Wednesday, Lee said.
Baer said "a parade can't just come together in 36 or 48 hours," so the team had worked in secret with city officials before the clinching game but did not want to publicize the plans out of fear of jinxing the team. He said Wednesday's revelry will be "a day to relax, reflect and just celebrate our heroes."
Lee said a difference from the parade to honor the Giants' 2010 World Series will be that this year, each player will have his own vehicle with their family. In 2010, multiple players were on wheeled cable cars that some onlookers said were difficult to see, he said.
"It will make the parade a little longer but increase fan appreciation," the mayor said.
Market and Mission streets will be closed to drivers between Justin Herman Plaza and Van Ness Avenue from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for parade and construction-related activities. Lee said safety precautions during the parade will include four reunification centers for children who may get separated from their parents. He said he anticipates "quite a number of kids" attending the event.
-Bay City News contributed to this article
