BART to Extend Hours for New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve revellers don't have to worry about racing back to BART before midnight as the transit agency will extend service until 3 a.m. Sunday. 

According to the BART website, the trains will run at their regular intervals during the extended hours.

BART will also offer special service to and from downtown San Francisco starting at 8 p.m. to minimize crowding for the city's fireworks show. Some trains will not stop at the Embarcadero station, others will not stop at the Montgomery station.

Fremont and Dublin/Pleasanton bound trains will be stopping at the Embarcadero station while Pittsburg/Bay Point and Richmond trains will stop at the Montgomery station. Peninsula bound passengers should board at the Montgomery station, according to the BART website.

Free public transportation

Several Bay Area public transit agencies are also offering free rides on New Year's Eve.

Rides on San Francisco Municipal Railway, Caltrain and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority vehicles will all be free from the night of Dec. 31 to the early morning hours of Jan. 1.

Trips on Muni buses and light-rail vehicles will be complimentary from 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 6 a.m. on Jan. 1, agency officials announced last week.

For people leaving festivities in San Francisco, special Muni Metro service will run until 2:15 a.m. between Fourth and King streets and the West Portal Station, and until 4 a.m. between West Portal and the Embarcadero stations. There will also be extra service on Muni's Owl overnight routes, the 5, 14, 22, 24, 38, 90, 91, L and N bus lines.

Caltrain is offering free rides after 11 p.m. on New Year's Eve, and will run trains from San Francisco until 2:15 a.m. on Jan. 1.

VTA bus and light-rail service will be free as well between 7 p.m. and 3:59 a.m., with extended hours offered for its light-rail service and an express bus line that takes customers to the Fremont BART station.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report