30 . TRANSPORTATION | Never the same. Always San Francisco. California Street Cable Car TRANSPORTATION BASICS SAN FRANCISCO IS EASY TO GET TO FROM PRACTICALLY ANYWHERE, THANKS TO SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND ITS WEB OF CONNECTIVITY IN THE AIR AND ON THE GROUND. GETTING TO AND FROM SFO BART BART is a fast, inexpensive way to get from SFO to San Francisco. To get to BART at SFO, take the free SFO AirTrain. Just follow the signs to AirTrain when you deplane or from Baggage Claim. Travelers can take the Red or Blue AirTrain line to the Garage G/BART station in the International Terminal and purchase a ticket from dedicated ticket machines. A one-way BART ticket to downtown San Francisco costs $9.65 or $19.30 for a round trip (RT Blue Ticket) or $9.15 and $18.30 (RT), plus a $3 surcharge for a new Clipper card. After you have your ticket, hop on the BART train going to San Francisco/Antioch to get downtown and beyond. If you pre-purchased a BART ticket voucher online, redeem it for a BART ticket by taking the Blue line AirTrain to International Terminal G. Exit the tram there, turn right, and go down the escalator to the SFO Information Desk below the escalator on the right. A round-trip BART ticket from SFO to downtown San Francisco purchased online is $21. Conference attendees can purchase a BART SFO Voucher in advance, online at: • • • • • flysfo.com/to-from/public-transit bart.gov/airports Expedia, Orbitz or Travelocity Numerous online travel sites Participating partner conference sites The ride to downtown San Francisco takes about 30 minutes. BART services begin at 4 a.m. on weekdays, 6 a.m. on Saturdays, and 8 a.m. on Sundays. SAMTRANS BUSES RIDE SHARING APPS With app-based services, including Lyft and Uber, attendees arrange via smartphone to ride with drivers using their personal vehicles. These services pick up at the curb on the Departures/ Ticketing Level of all terminals. Fares and travel times vary according to demand and traffic, but it typically takes 30 minutes and costs $20–$40 to get from SFO to the city. The San Mateo County Transit Agency (SamTrans) runs public buses between SFO and the downtown Salesforce Transit Center on the KX, 292, 397 and 398 lines for $2–$5 one-way for adults. RIDE SHARING ALTERNATE AIRPORTS Both the Oakland International Airport (OAK) and the San Jose Airport (SJC) offer several transportation options to San Francisco, including BART from OAK and CalTrain commuter rail from SJC, as well as taxis, shuttles, ride sharing, limousines, rental cars and more. Uber and Lyft offer options to request a private car service, as well as shared options called Lyft Line and uberPOOL for a discounted rate. Korral, a new app developed specifically for convention attendees, offers ride sharing management solutions. TAXI As is customary in most U.S. cities, visitors may hail a taxi directly or use an app like Flywheel. SAN FRANCISCO VISITOR PASSPORT & CITYPASS SHARED VAN & SHUTTLE SERVICE TAXIS & LIMOUSINES SFO trains arrive/depart three to four times per hour until 11:50 p.m. daily. SFO is served by a number of taxi and limousine companies. Taxis depart from islands on the lower level outside the Arrivals/Baggage Claim area in all terminals. Taxi coordinators work from 7 a.m. until 1 a.m. All cabs are metered. The travel time to popular drop-off points is usually around 30 minutes (depending on traffic) and fares range from $46–$66. For a limousine, arrange service in advance with your company of choice or upon arrival via the Lodging, Transportation and Attraction Boards, which provide free phone connections to participating limousine operators and are located on the Arrivals/Baggage Claim Level of all terminals. The Clipper Card is an easy way to use public transportation throughout San Francisco. Purchasing this pre-loaded card gives you access to BART, Muni buses, Muni Metro and cable cars. Cards can be bought at multiple locations and refilled at Muni/BART stations. CABLE CARS Cable cars and street cars are San Francisco’s historical public transit cars. Cable cars are located downtown and run on three lines; Powell-Hyde, Powell-Mason and California Street. The F-Line streetcar runs up and down Market Street all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf. Travelers can purchase tickets in advance at multiple locations or using the MuniMobile app. Travelers at SFO sftravel.com © Scott Chernis Photography; San Francisco Travel Association Several shared-ride vans provide service from SFO. The one-way rate to the city center is approximately $17. In the Domestic Terminals, shuttles pick up passengers curbside on the Arrivals Level terminal. In the International Terminal, passenger pick-up is on the Arrivals Level roadway center island. GETTING AROUND SAN FRANCISCO MUNI Muni is San Francisco’s bus and Metro system that runs throughout the city. Muni buses remain above ground while Muni Metro sometimes goes underground. Bus stops come in many forms: bus shelters, yellow paint on street poles and white paint on streets. Metro stops can be found on an island in the middle of the street and in stations. For all Muni routes and times, call 511. The 511 SF Bay Transit Trip Planner app provides maps, routes and times. Visitor Passports and CityPASS are useful because they provide unlimited rides on Muni, Muni Metro, historic streetcars and cable cars. Tickets and passes can be purchased around the city, including at the San Francisco Travel Visitor Information Center at The Moscone Center, 749 Howard St. CLIPPER CARD
San Francisco Meeting Planner's Guide 2019 MPG: Page 30
