More than 1,000 passengers have ridden SamTrans’ Ride Plus since June

More than 1,000 passengers have now taken advantage of a free promotional period to sample Ride Plus, a new way for residents in San Mateo County to get around.

Ride Plus launched on June 18 with a free-to-use promotional period through the end of July. That period has now been extended to continue through the end of October.

Ride Plus is a shared, on-demand transportation option similar to ride-hailing platforms like Uber and Lyft, but unlike commercial ride-hailing services, the cost for Ride Plus is fixed and will not vary based on distance traveled or time of day. Vans can seat up to seven passengers (plus one wheelchair) or 10 passengers, depending on which vehicle arrives. Customers may have to share a ride with other passengers.

The service currently serves two zones: East Palo Alto/Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park and the Half Moon Bay Area. Passengers can also use Ride Plus to connect with San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) bus routes for travel outside their zone.

According to SamTrans, ridership data from East Palo Alto/Belle Haven show the service really picked up in popularity during its first month of operation with 811 total rides. In the zone covering Half Moon Bay, numbers show 371 rides through July 18.

SamTrans expected the higher numbers seen in the urban East Palo Alto area, where the district has three Ride Plus vans in service daily. There are two regularly operating in Half Moon Bay.

In November, the service will switch to its regular pricing plan, which mirrors the same price customers pay to board regular SamTrans buses. Clipper, cash and passes are all accepted on Ride Plus. Clipper and SamTrans mobile app users also enjoy free two-hour transfers when paying with Clipper so connecting to and from fixed route service is easy and affordable.