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SF’s “Central Subway” Finally Opens Nov. 19 w/ Free Rides

The 4-stop weekend shuttle for the brand new Central Subway will be free through the end of 2022
By - posted 9/25/2022 No Comment

San Francisco’s long-awaited Central Subway line is finally opening (sort of).

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency recently announced the opening schedule for the highly anticipated Central Subway project. Starting November 19, 2022, the Central Subway will open with a dedicated shuttle service on weekends between 4th and Brannan Station to Chinatown/Rose Pak Station, stopping along the way at Yerba Buena and Union Square where passengers can make transfers to BART and our Market Street subway.

Free “Central Subway” Metro T Rides
Weekends, November 19-December 31, 2022
Four stations only

  • 4th and Brannan Station
  • Yerba Buena
  • Union Square
  • Chinatown/Rose Pak Station

Service specifically on this weekend shuttle for the Central Subway will be free in November and December. This soft launch will allow for additional operator training of the brand new system while allowing the public to experience the system in service. In January, we will transition to daily service, connecting directly to the rest of the T-Third Line.

In celebration of the soft launch, the SFMTA will be hosting community station activations during October and early November at 4th and Brannan, Yerba Buena/Moscone, Union Square/Market Street and Chinatown/Rose Pak stations. The community celebrations are by invite-only and a “Thank You” to all the neighbors we have partnered with from the start of the project.

The full opening of the Central Subway system will debut in January 2023 in time for Lunar New Year celebrations—connecting thousands to both celebrate and support San Francisco’s Chinatown.

“The November 19 opening is a culmination of 25 years of advocacy from the grassroots to the grass tops.  From the Chinese Chamber and Rose Pak to Chinatown TRIP and Community Tenants Association, this project means more than just a subway line for Chinatown. Central Subway is an investment in transit equity,” said Malcom Yeung, Chinatown Community Development Center Executive Director.

The Central Subway Project will improve public transportation in San Francisco by extending the Muni Metro T Third Line through SoMa, Union Square and Chinatown. By providing a direct, rapid transit link between downtown and the existing T Third Line route on 3rd Street, the Central Subway will vastly improve transportation to and from some of the densest neighborhoods west of the Hudson while connecting communities to economic opportunities and cultural activities by cutting 20 minutes off the travel time to Mission Bay.

T Third Line trains will travel mostly underground from the 4th Street Caltrain Station to Chinatown, bypassing heavy traffic on congested 4th and Stockton streets. The project oversees the completion of four new stations for the public: 4th and Brannan, Yerba Buena/Moscone, Union Square/Market Street, and Chinatown/Rose Pak stations.

For more information on the project, visit sfmta.com/CentralSubway.