Thousands take BART to Warriors Parade Monday morning

Ridership for the day of the Warriors Parade was 190,519. This is the highest ridership total for BART since the arrival of the pandemic in March 2020. In addition to the new highest ridership total many riders were not counted Monday because they didn't have a Clipper card and lines were long so BART let those riders into the system so they wouldn't miss the parade.

Market Street in San Francisco on Monday was awash in a sea of blue and gold as the Golden State Warriors returned home to celebrate their NBA Championship win the best way they knew how – with their fans. Foam fingers, gold glittery jackets, too many Steph Curry jerseys to count, and hundreds shouting, “Let’s go, Warriors!” in tandem gave the scene an electric feel.

But below the street, a flurry of activity ensued as thousands of riders in their Warriors best – many of whom returned to BART for the first time since the start of the pandemic – disembarked at BART’s busy downtown San Francisco stations to secure a prime spot for the Warriors parade, held for the first time in San Francisco.

“It feels like a sense of camaraderie the Bay Area hasn’t felt for a while,” said Sam Le of Oakland, who took BART to avoid the traffic. Le’s last BART trip was four months prior – his first time taking BART since the pandemic began.

Harsita Kumar rode from Daly City Station to Powell St. Station, where she waited in line to use the restrooms. She, too, cited the convenience of BART for besting the traffic jams on the streets above.

“It’s a really useful tool with all the roads closed and traffic,” Kumar said. “With BART, we can just be here.”

Isaac Siliga came all the way from Sacramento to see the parade. Riding a Fleet of the Future train from Walnut Creek Station to Embarcadero Station, he was impressed by the improvements.

“I’m so used to the older trains, but it’s all digital now,” he said. “That’s pretty cool! It’s also cleaner, there’s no graffiti, and I for sure feel safer.”

Kayla Pope of Fairfield also cited a feeling of safety riding a Fleet of the Future train from MacArthur Station to Embarcadero Station. The college student was riding BART for the first time by herself, and she commended the employees who “helped me find my way.”

The top paid home stations Monday were 24th Street Mission, 16th Street Mission, Daly City, Balboa Park, Dublin/Pleasanton, and El Cerrito del Norte. As anticipated, the most exits were recorded at Embarcadero, Montgomery St, and Powell St. stations.

An additional 12 event trains served the additional passengers, and dozens of BART employees volunteered to staff the event from within – and above -- BART’s stations.

“There’s lots of happiness, lots of celebration,” said Station Agent Avery Roper at Montgomery St. Station. “People are having fun, and I’m here to support that.”

Nary a soul could be found not wearing Dubs gear, or at least some variation of blue or gold, as the crowds waited for the restrooms or the escalators that would take them to the excitement above.

Paul Hurtado, a BART restroom attendant, helped manage the lines for the newly opened indoor restroom at Powell St. Station. He said that people were especially grateful for the restrooms on a jam-packed day like this. On a typical day, the restrooms are used by about 120 people, on average. By 9:19 a.m. on Monday, 312 people had already used the facilities.

“I want BART ridership to go up and patrons to enjoy their ride, so they choose to come again,” Hurtado said. The newly opened restrooms undoubtedly aid in that goal.

The smell of bacon-wrapped hot dogs and other grilled treats wafted from the street into the station as one exiting group blasted E-40’s “Choices (Warriors Version) and another shouted, “Warriors!!!” over and over. The energy was vibrant, the vibes celebratory. Even BART General Manager Robert Powers could be found among the crowds -- and if you stuck around until the end, you'd see the beloved BARTmobile chugging down the parade route. 

BART employees’ work was far from finished as the Warriors and friends rolled down Market Street in every variation of vehicle, from double-decker buses to vintage cars to snail-shaped vehicles. Confetti seemed to rain down from the sky in every direction, landing in carefully coiffed hairdos and littering the sidewalks.

“This is insane,” a man shouted as he exited the escalator at Montgomery St. Station. Within seconds, he was engulfed by the crowd, not to be seen again.

As she steeled herself for the next wave of riders – this time heading home from the parade – Wynn said definitively, “This is, by far, the craziest I’ve ever seen BART.”