San Francisco Braces for Traffic Nightmare as Dreamforce Conference Begins
San Francisco, CA – The annual Dreamforce conference, hosted by Salesforce, is set to kick off this Tuesday, bringing an estimated 35,000 visitors to the city. While the conference promises to bring business to downtown restaurants and hotels, it also comes with a warning to local drivers about potential traffic headaches caused by road closures.
The San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA) issued a news release on September 7, warning of “significant traffic congestion” in and around the Moscone Center, where the conference will take place. According to the SFMTA, the worst traffic is expected to occur on streets immediately east of Third Street and on Fourth Street between Market and Howard streets, particularly during mornings and afternoons.
As part of the traffic management plan, Howard Street between Third and Fourth streets will be closed to cars, and lane closures are planned on Folsom, Howard, Third, and Fourth streets. The SFMTA is urging people to take public transportation as an alternative to driving, but for those who choose to drive, detours will be in place. Drivers on Howard Street will be rerouted onto southbound Second Street and then onto Harrison Street, or detoured onto New Montgomery Street to Hawthorne Street and then to either Folsom or Harrison streets.
To alleviate some of the congestion, designated pick-up and drop-off points for taxi and ride-share services have been set up. These locations include the east side of Third Street (northbound) between Howard and Minna streets, as well as the south side of Howard Street (westbound) between Fourth and Fifth streets, according to the SFMTA.
Local businesses are hopeful that the influx of attendees to Dreamforce will provide a boost to their sales. However, some are concerned about the potential impact of road closures on their operations. “It can definitely be challenging for us when these big events happen,” said a restaurant owner in downtown San Francisco. “We rely heavily on foot traffic, so we hope that people can still find a way to reach us.”
The Dreamforce conference is a major annual event for Salesforce, attracting industry professionals from around the world for four days of networking, learning, and exploring the latest trends in technology and business. Despite the traffic disruptions, the conference is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the city, further establishing San Francisco as a hub for innovation and industry events.
The road closures and potential traffic congestion are expected to last until Thursday, September 14. Motorists are advised to plan their routes accordingly and to expect delays during these dates.