Introducing the Final New Network
Implementation Completed Summer 2024
Between 2019-2022, the Reimagine SamTrans project developed and refined a recommended final new SamTrans network. SamTrans crafted this new network after careful consideration of what we heard from the public, from over 200 outreach meetings and thousands of comments and survey responses over the course of two and a half years. The recommendations include changes to many existing routes in the SamTrans system. The details of changes to each route can be reviewed in the full final report, available for download on the Resources page.
After completing Title VI and environmental review processes, the final new network was adopted by the SamTrans Board of Directors in March 2022.
Changes occurred over multiple phases between August 2022 and August 2024, with final changes going into effect on August 4, 2024. Please check https://www.samtrans.com/reimagine-samtrans-implementation for information on when changes to your routes were implemented.
The Reimagine SamTrans new bus network features:
Improved frequency
Our riders told us they want buses to come more often. The final network includes better frequency on weekdays, Saturdays, or Sundays for 15 existing SamTrans routes, bringing about 185,000 more residents and 125,000 more jobs within a 5-minute walk of frequent service.
Later and weekend services
Bus service on weekends and later in the day was a common request during outreach. The new network extends the hours of service or offers new weekend service on 10 routes.
More direct routes
Riders told us trips on SamTrans can feel slow. Taking a lot of turns off a main road adds time to trips. To reduce travel time, deviations that are not heavily utilized, or are within a reasonable walking distance of a route’s main street, were eliminated.
Reduced duplication of service
Multiple SamTrans routes serve the same roads today. By reducing duplication, the system will be easier to understand, and resources can be reinvested in improving service.
New connections
New service into Oyster Point (Route 130B) and between East Palo Alto and San Bruno BART (Route EPX) improves access to jobs and bayfront open space. The final network also improves service to the college campuses in San Mateo County. New Routes SKY and CSM feature limited stop connections from rail stations to college campuses.
New on-demand service (SamTrans Ride Plus)
Some areas are difficult to serve by traditional bus service and may benefit from door-to-door service and less walking to bus stops. The new network features on-demand zones in Half Moon Bay and East Palo Alto. To use on-demand service, riders call or use a mobile app to request a ride and a vehicle picks them up and drops them off anywhere within the designated zone. Riders pay a fare and may share the vehicle with other riders, just like riding a regular SamTrans bus.