BART to run on Sunday schedule for July 4 holiday; extra trains for fireworks

BART will operate on a Sunday schedule for the Independence Day holiday on Monday, July 4, 2011, with service starting around 8 am. BART is also planning extra trains that evening to accommodate crowds attending the fireworks display along the Embarcadero, as well as longer trains for two baseball games that day.

BART will run longer trains for the Oakland A's vs. Seattle Mariners game, which starts at 1:05 pm, and for the San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres game, which starts at 2:05 pm.  In addition, BART will have extra event trains on standby to accommodate crowds attending the fireworks display along the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

Attendance at the fireworks show tends to be dependent upon the weather, so system managers will be monitoring ridership to determine how many extra trains are needed. BART recommends that riders buy a roundtrip ticket to bypass lines at ticket machines after special events, or, better yet, get a Clipper card (www.clippercard.com) and avoid ticket machines altogether.

July 4 is a parking holiday at BART, meaning parking permit and fee requirements will not be enforced in BART station parking facilities. A reminder: If you're planning to use long-term parking over the weekend, the only way to reserve a long-term spot is to visit www.bart.gov/parking. You can't buy a long-term permit at the station itself.