MASCOTS
Marin-Sonoma Coordinated
Transit Service Plan
Introduction &
Existing Conditions
December 10, 2024
Agenda
• Introduction
• Key Existing Conditions Findings
• Next Steps
MASCOTS Introduction
3 Why MASCOTS?
1. SMART began service: The operators
in Marin and Sonoma Counties have
not reconsidered the regional service
structure comprehensively since
SMART came into service
2. Travel Patterns have Changed: The
pandemic changed regional travel
demand and service levels/options
to/from San Francisco and East Bay
It is an opportune moment to conduct a
comprehensive structural analysis of
transit in the Highway 101 corridor.
MASCOTS Purpose and Key Questions
Key Questions to be Addressed:
• What are the regional markets where transit can be successful? • How well is current service meeting those markets?
• How well are equity priority communities served?
• What should future service look like?
• What is the right mix of, and relationship between, regional rail, regional bus, ferry, commuter service, and local service in the Highway 101 corridor? 5 Purpose: Improve service efficiency, effectiveness, and legibility along Highway 101 corridor to better serve existing and future transit customers.
MASCOTS Approach & Outcomes
• Focus on “regional service,” along Hwy 101 corridor
• Will not repeat past work
• Will not engage in local transit planning and integration • Operator-neutral service planning exercise
• Grounded in “new normal” travel behavior and work patterns Final Report: “Sub-Regional Strategic Operations Plan” that is intended to directly inform future service planning activities at each agency along the Highway 101 corridor
• Operational plan will consider costs, facilities, and funding 6 MASCOTS Process
7 June – August 2024
PHASE 1: Understand Current Conditions
Deliverables: Corridor Findings, Needs, and Opportunities September – December 2024
PHASE 2: Develop Solutions to Address Opportunities
Deliverables: Initial Alternatives, Refined Alternatives December 2024 – February 2025
PHASE 3: Document Impacts of Alternatives
Deliverables: Financial Impacts, Draft and Final Reports Key Existing Conditions Findings
8 Marin and Sonoma County Travel Patterns
• About 2/3 of all trips from Marin and Sonoma
Counties to San Francisco originate in San Rafael or
points further south
• More than ¾ of trips between Sonoma County and
Marin County have origins and destinations within
the SMART travel shed
• About 2/3 of trips from Sonoma and Marin Counties
to San Francisco end at Downtown, Fisherman's
Wharf, and Civic Center areas
Source: Fall 2023 data from Replica
9 SMART Implementation has
Changed Mobility between
Marin and Sonoma Counties
• More people are using transit in the
Highway 101 Corridor since SMART came
into service
• SMART is faster, more reliable, and more
frequent than the paralleling bus service
during core hours of the day
• SMART carries a larger share of the travel
market than paralleling GGT and Sonoma
County Transit service
• E.g. San Rafael to Santa Rosa trips (RT
boardings estimate fall 2024)
• Approx. SMART : 3,600; GGT 101: 680
10 GGT Service Effectiveness Across GG Bridge
• For GGT Routes to SF, 40-60% of ridership is not regional – it is within a single county
• The average GGT 130 and 150 bus is less than 1/3 full crossing GG Bridge • A significant portion of GGT’s ridership derives from something other than its original mission – carrying people to/from San Francisco 11 Percentage of Route Ridership
GGT Routes
101 114 130 132 150 154 172
% SF-SF Ridership 18% 55% 20% 33% 32% 36% 33%
% Marin-Marin Ridership 12% 4% 33% 11% 21% 3% 0%
% Sonoma-Sonoma Ridership 11% 4%
% Intercounty Ridership 59% 41% 47% 57% 47% 61% 63%
TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Source: Fall 2023 (164 not available); updated 2024 data underway Ferries Carry the Majority of Riders between
Marin County and San Francisco
• Ferries carry ~60% more riders than
regional bus
• Sausalito Ferry: ~900 weekday riders
• Larkspur Ferry: ~2,400 weekday riders
• Tiburon Ferry: ~390 weekday riders
• Total Ferries: ~3,690 weekday riders
• All GGT buses on the GG Bridge carry ~2,300
weekday riders (<2/3 of all ferries)
There are significant differences in fare and
frequency between ferries and buses
depending on where you start from
12 Source: Fall 2023.
Sonoma County & Sonoma
to Marin Key Findings
• SMART, GGT, and Sonoma County Transit routes
duplicate each other in 101 corridor, schedules
are not coordinated, travel times and fares vary
• SMART has replaced GGT Route 101 as
predominant rider choice for intra-Sonoma and
Sonoma-Marin County trips – when it operates
• Local services are not designed to directly
connect to SMART
• Commuter services to San Francisco are
productive, but tweaks could improve
productivity and rider experience
13 Marin County Key Findings
• Highway 101 is overserved, there are too
many all-day bus routes, each of which
carries too few riders, too many options
can create rider confusion.
• Especially between San Rafael - Marin City
• Some schedule coordination is in place,
but resources are still not optimally
deployed to maximize rider benefit
• GGT 101’s ridership between San Rafael
and San Francisco is strong and demand
could support more frequency
• Commute routes and ferries serve peak-
directional demand to SF well
14 Next Steps
15 Evaluation Process
• Develop Service
Proposals
• Evaluate Proposals
• Discuss Proposals
• Refine Proposals
PHASE 1: Understand Current Conditions
September – December 2024
PHASE 2: Develop Solutions to
Address Opportunities
Deliverables: Initial Alternatives,
Refined Alternatives
PHASE 3: Document Impacts of Alternatives
Anticipated MASCOTS Timeline:
Engagement with Boards,
Public on proposals
anticipated in early 2025