Women’s March 2019: San Francisco street closures, route, and time

After the success of the 2017 Women’s March—prompted by the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the effort saw millions of people gathering to support women’s rights—organizers have announced a series of events set to take place on Saturday, January 19. One of those events will be right here in San Francisco.

An estimated 50,000-60,000 people marched from Civic Center to the Embarcadero in 2018. The route for the 2019 march will be the same: Starting at Civic Center Plaza for a rally with speakers. Once that ends, the actual march will head down Market Street to the Embarcadero near the Vaillancourt Fountain.

Saturday’s march will coincide with hundreds of similar marches throughout the country. On a non-political level, this will mean street closures and transit disruptions in the City. Here’s what you need to know before Saturday’s march.

When will the 2019 Women’s March on SF take place?

Saturday, January 19 at 11:30 a.m. Rally begins at noon at Civic Center Plaza and the march happens at 1:30 p.m. down Market Street to the Embarcadero (1.7 miles )

What’s the route for the Women’s March on SF?

It’s an east straight shot from Civic Center to Embarcadero. Here’s a handy map from the organizers:

Map via Women’s March Bay Area

What’s the best way to get to the march?

Public transportation, via Muni and/or BART, will be the best bet. Driving into the city is possible, but expect major traffic and plan to pay a hefty sum for parking,

How to get there on BART

It’s super easy. Hop on any BART train and get off at Civic Center in San Francisco. Some East Bay train may require transferring cars. Please check your BART map for details.

How to get there on Muni

March participants can get to Civic Center via any Muni Metro line to Civic Center station, the F Market and Wharves Line, as well as the 6 Haight/Parnassus, 7 Haight/Noriega, 9 San Bruno, 14 Mission/14R Mission Rapid, 19 Polk, or the 21 Hayes routes.

Where to park

Parking is not advisable, but you can either park on street metered parking or at any one of many parking garages in the neighborhood.

Are there any other public transit options available?

You bet! They are: AC Transit; SamTrans; CalTrain (exit San Francisco Station, Fourth & King), and use trip planner to find transportation to Civic Center; Golden Gate Ferry/Golden Gate Transit options; San Francisco Bay Ferry; Blue & Gold Fleet; and Tideline ferry shuttle from Berkeley to SF and Tiburon to SF.

Muni service reroutes and disruptions

The F Market and Wharves line, 2 Clement, 5, 6, 7, 8 Bayshore, 9, 10 Townsend, 12 Folsom/Pacific, 14/14R, 19, 21, 27 Bryant, 30 Stockton, 31 Balboa, 38 Geary/38R Geary Rapid and 45 Union-Stockton routes will have reroutes.

Service delays and vehicle crowding are possible during this event.

Which streets will be closed for the Women’s March on SF?

Market Street from 10th to Stuart streets will be closed for marching traffic between 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Cross traffic will not be allowed. Mission Street between South Van Ness and Steuart streets will be closed to create a transit only street for Muni service diverted from Market Street from noon to around 5 p.m.

What about accessibility issues?

An ASL space will be available in front of the stage on Polk Street. Senior/disabled services are provided free of charge. Trolleys will drive down Market Street to the end of the march area only—available only to senior/disabled individuals who cannot walk the length of the march. Please visit the Eventbrite post, which has more information about the trolley process and timing. Attendees can register for a seat (tickets are required). No motorized vehicles will be allowed on the trolley.

Do I need to RSVP?

No, RSVPing is not necessary. The Eventbright registry option is only to get a rough estimate of attendees.

Can I watch it online?

Yes. If you cannot make the rally in person, watch it live online on both Facebook Live.

Will there be another Women’s March in the Bay Area?

San Jose City Hall will host an additional rally and march. And in Oakland an estimated 30,000 attendees will march from Lake Merritt, near the Lake Merritt BART station, into downtown beginning around 10 a.m.