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SF Offers Free Muni & Cable Cars for Lunar New Year (Feb. 19-20)

To celebrate Lunar New Year, Muni and all Cable Car rides are free all Saturday and Sunday
By - posted 2/18/2022 No Comment

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), in partnership with Supervisors Chan, Peskin and Preston, announced Muni will be offering free rides for the Lunar New Year weekend and festivities.

Complimentary service begins Saturday, Feb. 19 at 5 a.m. to Monday, Feb. 21 at 5 a.m.

Free Muni Weekend – Lunar New Year 2022
– Begins: Saturday, February 19, 2022 (5am)
– Ends: Monday, February 21, 2022 (5am)
Includes all Muni, Metro lines and Cable Cars
IMPORTANT – Don’t tag your Clipper Card – you might be charged and they will not reimburse you.

This includes free rides on our historic cable cars, a beloved attraction for regional visitors providing them direct access to the Chinatown community and the weekend’s Lunar New Year festivities.

The 2022 Chinese New Year Parade begins Saturday, February 19th at 5pm capped by fireworks. The annual 2-day Chinatown Street Fair takes place Saturday and Sunday, February 19-20.

Don’t Forget: 2-Hour Free Parking in Chinatown
Additionally, for the remainder of February the SFMTA, Rec/Park and the Portsmouth Square Garage Authority will be providing validation for two hours of free parking at the Portsmouth Square Garage.

2 Hours Free Parking at Portsmouth Square Garage – Feb. 2022
733 Kearny Street (btwn, Clay & Washington), SF
Valid only February 5-28, 2022
– No restrictions on time of day (Garage open 5am to Midnight)
– After two hours regular rates are $4/hour
– Evening Special – Enter after 5pm and you’ll be charged a max of $8 up until midnight)

The SFMTA is excited to be rolling out both programs to support the city’s economic recovery including for the Chinatown neighborhood and businesses’ vibrant culture and vitality.

As we do every year to spread the spirit of Lunar New Year throughout the city, we’ve decorated two of our cable cars with a Lunar New Year theme and will be running them until Feb. 20. The SFMTA API Affinity Group and other staff members will be riding in the parade on a motorized cable car that will be outfitted with commemorative banners.

Warning: No Refunds if you tag Clipper Card by Accident

A reminder, as we do not have the ability to turn off the Clipper ® readers or change our headway signs:

  • Please do not tag your Clipper® card. If you tag it, you will be charged.
  • Please do not activate a Muni Mobile ticket. Metro fare gates will be open.
  • For access in Muni Metro stations, the fare gates will be open.
  • For those who happen to tag a Clipper® reader during this weekend of free fares, the SFMTA does not have the ability to issue a refund.

Safety for Muni riders is of paramount importance to us. To ensure San Francisco’s API community members, who’ve seen their loved ones subjected to hateful and racist attacks in recent years, are safe traveling during Lunar New Year, we’ve put additional support of Muni Transit Ambassadors on the buses and at bus stops in Chinatown to assist riders and support bus operators in keeping everyone safe. Many of our Muni operators come from the API community, so, for us, this is also a matter of protecting our employees.

The SFMTA expresses our thanks to the city for giving us this opportunity to support the city and are extremely proud to be able to help keep Chinatown residents and visitors moving.

For more information on Muni service and reroutes in effect for the Lunar New Year weekend, please visit the San Francisco Chinese New Year Celebration webpage (SFMTA.com/CNY).