By Brock Morgan
Medill Reports 

SAN FRANCISCO — Super Bowl LX has caused traffic headaches for locals and visitors alike. City officials closed key streets near City Hall and Grace Cathedral, but the published notices online weren’t much help.

“This is hands-down the worst traffic I’ve seen here,” said Jasmine Amine, an online livestreamer in town for the game. “A lot of roads are closed.” 

Brake lights and car horns were common sights and sounds outside of the Moscone Center, San Francisco’s largest convention arena and the home of Radio Row, which served as headquarters for a majority of the Super Bowl’s media broadcasts. 

“When travelers don’t have enough advance notice about which roadways to take, they get confused,” said visitor Jonah Wittkamper, co-founder and president of Amazon’s Investor Coalition. “I have seen some cars come up to security. They made them do a U-turn.”

While many of the Super Bowl’s events were in San Francisco, the game and some other events were in Santa Clara. The Bay Area Host Committee said it wanted to activate much of the region rather than focusing on one location. 

“They could have developed a better system, because we were driving in our Uber yesterday, there were literally four lanes trying to merge,” Amine said Friday. “It was just kind of chaotic.”

One visitor said he believes communication should have been better to avoid issues. 

“Signage is one of the issues, and (broadcasting) on the airwaves to prepare travelers about disruptions they might not have expected,” Wittkamper said.

Walking became a popular option among people navigating the city.

“I was going to rent a car and drive up from the airport, but they were out of cars,” Wittkamper said. “Uber was not able to get all the way up to the gate, so I had to get out and walk a few blocks.” 

Officials told guests and residents to expect delays, restrictions and closures until Tuesday and are encouraging citizens to use public transportation. Some residents took this to heart.

“I’m trying to avoid traffic, so I have to manage my time and get there as soon as possible,” Whitley Sandretto, reporter and digital director at 95.7 The Game, said Friday. “I feel like public transportation is the easiest.”

Brock Morgan is a sports media specialization graduate student at Medill.