San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) is working towards bringing ridership rates up to surpass pre-pandemic levels in the coming months as it enters the fourth and final phase of its Reimagine SamTrans initiative. The agency says data from May 2024 show fixed route ridership hit 98.2 percent of May 2019 levels.
"We are thrilled to launch the final phase of Reimagine SamTrans, culminating two years of dedicated efforts to revitalize our transit system and, by all measures, it’s working as intended,” said SamTrans General Manager/CEO April Chan.
The latest Reimagine changes went into effect Aug. 4, introducing two new routes, returning one route and bringing enhanced service frequency and hours to several others.
The initiative was developed during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to adapt the transit network to better meet the evolving needs of the community. Implementation began in summer 2022 after more than two years of data gathering, analysis and public engagement. It has been rolled out in multiple phases, each focusing on specific improvements to routes, schedules and services.
Highlights of Phase Four:
- Enhanced service frequency: Routes 110, 120, 141, 250, 260, 276, 278, 292, 296 and FCX will see increased frequency, reducing wait times and improving overall convenience for riders
- New weekend service: Routes 276 and 295 will see service on Saturday and Sunday while Routes 251 and 260 will see new service on Sundays
- New routes: SamTrans is adding Routes CSM and SKY to better serve community college students attending both College of San Mateo and Skyline College
- Returned route: Express route PCX (formerly Route 118) will return with new routing between Linda Mar Park and Ride and Daly City Bay Area Rapid Transit
- Salesforce Transit Center: Routes 292, 397 OWL, FCX and EPX will now directly serve Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco, providing enhanced regional connections and improved waiting facilities for riders
From Phase One through Phase Four, Reimagine SamTrans has boosted in-service hours by 12 percent, increased bus operator workforce by 15 percent, increased the frequency of service on 15 routes, added an on-demand service (Ride Plus) in two areas and brought bus service to new destinations, at more times, on more days of the week.
“We’re excited to see the continued growth we expect to come from these latest changes,” Chan said. “Although Reimagine SamTrans is entering its final phase, this does not mark the end of the road for our improvements. Reimagine gave us a winning recipe for success that we plan to use moving forward."
The successful implementation of the Reimagine SamTrans initiative has been a collaborative effort, involving extensive input from riders, community stakeholders and transit experts.
