1 Million and Counting @ Giants Parade

There's going to be one whopper of a parade Wednesday in San Francisco to celebrate the Giants winning the World Series, and everyone planning the event has the same message: Build in a lot of extra time for getting around, and if you're looking for trouble, stay home.

And oh, yes - have a great time.

The last time the Giants were baseball's champions, in 2010, more than 1 million people flooded downtown for the 1 1/2-mile parade of players and celebrities up Market Street to City Hall. Authorities expect about the same number this time.

"Our main advice is to be patient," said Alicia Trost, spokeswoman for BART, which will be running trains on rush-hour schedules all day to deliver people to the 11 a.m. parade and take them back home. 

"This is a family event, so be courteous and know that it will be very crowded - but also know that it's going to be fun and we will get you there safely."

Record ridership

BART ridership during the last parade on Nov. 3, 2010, set an all-time record with 522,200 passengers - about 120,000 more than the usual daily ridership now. A few stations had to shut their doors briefly because the platforms were jammed, and Trost reckons there's a chance of a repeat performance Wednesday.

Similar seat-packing is anticipated for ferries, buses, taxis, trains and any other mode of transportation that can bring people downtown.

Caltrain is adding trains coming up from the Peninsula; Muni will add shuttle buses to augment its Metro service; and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District will put extra ferries on standby.

Route changed

Unlike in 2010, when the parade started with a hook into the Financial District, this one will begin at the foot of Market Street near the Ferry Building and take a straight run to City Hall. Streets all along the route will be blocked off.

"Last time there was just one day in between the victory and the parade, so this time at least we've got an extra day to prepare, and that helps," said Mary Currie, Golden Gate Bridge District spokeswoman.

There was fear that rain would dampen the frolics, but forecasters now say an incoming storm has slowed and the wet weather isn't expected to descend until around midnight Wednesday.

"No sweat," said Jan Null, who operates the private Golden Gate Weather Services. "Some clouds will come in and there may be some of that misty stuff toward the beginning of the day, but during the parade the weather should be just fine."

Early arrivals

Hundreds of people came to Market Street the night before the 2010 parade to camp out at good spots along the way, and untold thousands took the day off from work or school. There's no reason not to expect the same again.

"I'm definitely not going to school Wednesday," said Aminah Owens, 36, a criminal justice student at San Francisco State University who waited at AT&T Park on Monday with other fans to greet the returning Giants.

 "I'm super excited."

Mayor Ed Lee shrugged off the idea that Halloween might not be the best choice of days to hold a major parade.

"Oh gosh, I think orange and black on Halloween is very natural," Lee said with a grin. "I think that's a way to actually do two birds with one stone in terms of celebrating, because there were going to be people taking that day off anyway."

Vandalism 'over'

Lee also dismissed the possibility of a repeat of the vandalism that broke out after the Giants' clinching victory Sunday night, when a Muni bus was torched, numerous bonfires were set in the Mission District and 36 people were arrested.

"I think that's over," Lee said. "I think with the arrests, we've set a tone there now."

Although the 2010 parade was noticeably absent of violence or property damage, this year's shift in the parade route is partly the Police Department's doing. Making the route a straight line instead of doglegging it out of the Financial District will make it easier to patrol and to keep an eye on the crowds, Police Chief Greg Suhr said.

"This is a family event," Suhr said. "We want families, children, everybody to come."

But he did add a little fist to the velvet.

"If you're coming to do mischief," the chief said, "don't come."

San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Jaxon Van Derbeken, John Coté and Neal Riley contributed to this report.

Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.