Square
Union Square
A short trip outside, north of Market Street. The plaza is paved. Expect crowds and events.
Better for Union Square’s outdoor plaza
Powell St.
Planned for wheelchair riders
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) trains stop deep under Powell and Market Streets. Take the elevators up to the street, then go a short way outside to Union Square.
Written for riders who need working elevators to reach Union Square.
- Yellow
- Red
- Green
- Blue
Station POWL
- Elevators
- 2 · Street ↔ platform
- Escalators
- Not a substitute for elevators
- After the elevator
- Sidewalk at Powell and Market
Why this stop exists
Powell · Union Square door
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) platform is deep underground. You need the elevator to get up to Market Street.
Disability & mobility
Elevators first. Union Square second.
Powell St. is a deep downtown Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station. Elevators connect the platform and the street. If they are out, stairs are not a practical option, and the route to Union Square from Civic Center is not short.
Market
Powell / Market sidewalk
Same station, but you spend your time outside along Market Street. The sidewalk is mostly flat. Expect crowds of visitors.
Better for time on Market Street
At this stop, “accessible” only holds when the elevators are working. It does not mean the way to Union Square will be clear of crowds.
If the Powell St. elevators are out, check our live map before you ride past Civic Center. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) elevator status: bart.gov/stations/elevators.
On the ground
What the trip actually feels like
Three steps: the elevator, Market Street, Union Square.
01
Check the elevators before you board
The station is deep underground, and the only other way down is stairs. Check our live map before you board.
02
Come up at Powell and Market
You come out on Market Street. Expect wind and crowds.
03
Then outside to Union Square
Even after the elevator, you still have time outside on the plaza.
Why this stop feels like this
A deep station that serves a shopping plaza
- BARTThe downtown subway under Market Street
- PowellUnion Square sits above
- ElevatorsElevators become the promise
- TodayNo elevator, no trip
Powell St. exists for Union Square trips. Whether you can make one depends on the elevators.
The stop sits under Powell and Market Streets so Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) riders can reach Union Square without a long trip along Market Street from Civic Center.
Before you board, decide if you’re heading to Union Square. If an elevator is out, the whole plan changes.
On the street
Where you'll come out
Powell Street Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station
Powell Street · Market Street
San Francisco, California
Powell elevators · outside to Union Square
Yellow · Red · Green · Blue
Nearby when the elevators work: Union Square. When they don’t: the route from Civic Center is longer, so don’t count on it as an easy swap.
Open Powell on the live mapLive elevator status at Powell St.After the elevator
Travel time from this station
Sorted shortest first. Times are hand-set for a chair or stroller pace after you clear the elevators — not live routing.
Last look
Before you go
Four things to check before you go.
Check the map
Make sure the Powell St. elevators are working before you ride downtown.
Plan for Union Square
It’s the short trip outside from this station.
Allow for crowds on Market Street
Crowds of visitors are part of the route.
Verify plaza and store access
Each building handles its own access. Our map covers the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station elevators. Check both.
About this guide. We put these guides together by hand. Travel times are our own estimates, and venue details are copied from their websites, so either can be wrong or out of date. Check the venue’s page before you go. For elevators, trust the live map and the transit agency.