Dreamforce is coming to San Francisco — here’s what to expect

An average weekday in downtown San Francisco can already feel claustrophobic, so what happens when 170,000 additional people flood into a relatively small patch of the city?

Congestion, and lots of it.

Dreamforce, Salesforce’s annual customer conference, will bring many tens of thousands of conference attendees next week, as well as thousands more workers, vendors, hangers-on, plus herds of charter buses and convention-badge-wearing pedestrians who will all converge on the area surrounding Moscone Center, which is under major reconstruction. Conference registration day is Monday and events last through Sept. 28.

Lines will abound — on the streets and the sidewalks, as well as in lunch spots and watering holes anywhere within a few blocks of Moscone Center. And for those just dropping into town and are trying to find a hotel, well, good luck.

Dreamforce has booked thousands of rooms for attendees in more than 100 hotels.

Traffic will likely be worse than usual as a result with Howard Street closed between Third and Fourth Street, and scores of charter buses shuttling conference-goers to and from their hotels.

“Expect heavier than normal traffic,” warned Paul Rose, a spokesman for the Municipal Transportation Agency.

The chair of the dreamforce event Michael Peachey (center) pauses for a moment before entering the Moscone center south in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017. The chair of the dreamforce event Michael Peachey (center) pauses for a moment before entering the Moscone center south in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017. Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 25 Caption Close Dreamforce is coming to San Francisco — here’s what to expect 1 / 25 Back to Gallery

Dreamforce officials advise conference-goers to take public transportation or conference shuttles to avoid contributing to the traffic mess.

Drivers heading west on Howard Street will be forced to turn right on Third Street, which is backed up on a normal day during the morning commute. Bicyclists are advised to hang a right on Second Street and take Market Street. Extra parking control officers will be directing traffic in the area to keep it moving.

City and tourism officials believe the surge of humanity is worth the pain.

Laurie Armstrong Gossing, a spokeswoman for San Francisco Travel, said that Dreamforce will deliver $157 million in direct impact to the Bay Area and support more than 35,000 jobs.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan