Thousands of people who attended the fireworks display near the Golden Gate Bridge faced lengthy delays getting home. Some reported trips that normally would take 30 minutes stretched into three hours.
"We were walking, it was so dangerous because we were literally like sardines," said Maryann Yadao of South Francisco. Lurie, who had encouraged visitors to come to San Francisco for the holiday celebration, acknowledged the problems when asked about frustrations from attendees.
"Well, first, we had a very safe event on Saturday night. Over 100,000 people came. I really am grateful to our public safety officials for making sure that public safety was a priority. There were transit delays, and that's unacceptable. So we're going to be working to address that, for future events," Lurie said.
MORE: Half-mile bus lines, crippling gridlock: SFMTA apologizes after massive July Fourth transit failures
Half-mile bus lines, crippling gridlock: SFMTA apologizes after massive July Fourth transit failures
ABC7's data team reviewed police reports from the neighborhoods where most spectators watched the fireworks. There were 16 violent crimes reported the night of July 4, compared with an average of four on Saturdays in June before the event.
The mayor also said the celebration benefited local businesses. At Popi's Oysterette in the Marina, manager Nuvia Cavaseno said the restaurant experienced unusually high demand during the holiday.
"We ended up with a lot of reservations, like overly booked," Cavaseno said.
Despite the challenges of a busy night, Cavaseno said the event helped bring new customers through the doors.
"It's always great to get more exposure and to have people that might not normally stop by somebody because they see a crowd of people or they're just looking for someplace new to eat," she said.
Some attendees said they hope city officials use the experience to improve planning for future events.
"I feel that the 250 anniversary, it was so wrapped up in the publicity and whatnot, I just feel that they weren't prepared for it. It's a one-off, that's all," Yadao said.
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City leaders are already looking ahead to Fleet Week, the next major event on San Francisco's waterfront.
"We're already planning for that and we'll make sure to address those delays that happened on Saturday night. Make sure that doesn't happen again in October," Lurie said.
In a statement, District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill wrote:
"San Francisco needs to be able to host exciting, world-class events safely and efficiently.
Fleet Week 2026 is on the horizon, and City Departments need to implement lessons learned during recent big events. To do so, I am calling a hearing to examine what worked, identify areas for improvement, and apply those lessons during Fleet Week in October. By reviewing our response now, we can strengthen coordination and ensure future events are well-managed and successful for all."