Cherry Blossoms, Community and Construction
Construction Projects Alert:
- Van Ness Avenue between Post and Ellis streets will be closed beginning at 12 a.m. this Friday until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday for Sutter California Pacific Medical Center tunnel construction. Due to street closures, vehicle traffic will be diverted from that section of Van Ness, while all transit service, including Muni’s 47 Van Ness and 49 Mission/Van Ness routes, will not. Plan ahead as streets adjacent to Van Ness will see increased traffic.
- Sunset Tunnel work resumes this Friday at 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. Monday. Bus shuttles will provide N Judah service between Duboce Avenue and Church Street and Ocean Beach. During construction, Nextbus time predictions for the N Line will not be available.
While these construction projects might create some inconvenience, there is still plenty of fun to be had. Enjoy what is expected to be a sunny and mild temperature weekend at the Cherry Blossom Festival and Sunday Streets. See the details below.
Cherry Blossom Festival
Saturday and Sunday, various times
Japantown
Reputed to be the nation’s second largest cherry blossom event, the 48th Annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off the first of two full weekends steeped in Japanese culture and filled with an array food, cultural performances, martial arts demos, music and more.
Be advised that vehicle and pedestrian traffic will be heavy. Help ease congestion by taking public transportation. Muni service on the 2 Clement, 3 Jackson, 22 Fillmore, 38 Geary and 38L Geary Limited (Saturday only) will get you close to the festivities.
Muni service note: Due to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, the 2 Clement, 3 Jackson, 22 Fillmore, 38 Geary and 38L Geary Limited may experience service delays.
Sunday Streets
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Bayview and Dogpatch
Stretching three and a half miles on 3rd Street between Mariposa Street and Yosemite Avenue and spanning the Bayview and Dogpatch neighborhoods, this is one of the longest events on the Sunday Streets calendar. In addition to music and food, there will be karaoke, bike inspections and free haircuts, plus arts and crafts and bouncy houses for the kids.
Leave the car at home and enjoy the afternoon by taking a ride on the 19 Polk, 22 Fillmore, 23 Monterey, 24 Divisadero, 44 O’Shaughnessy, 48 Quintara and 54 Felton routes, plus the T Third Line will run the length of the event.
Muni service note: Service on the 19 Polk, 23 Monterey, 44 O’Shaughnessy routes and T Third Line may see delays, while the 22 Fillmore, 24 Divisadero, 48 Quintara and 54 Felton routes will have a re-routes.
Cherry Blossoms blooming in Japantown (Peace Pagoda in the background) April 15, 2012. Photo Credit: kennejima; Flickr
“On Tap” gives you a heads up about the big events in town and what Muni routes and lines will get you to the party. Look for this feature to be posted usually on Wednesdays for a look ahead to the weekend.