MASCOTS
Marin-Sonoma
Coordinated Transit
Service Plan
August 5, 2025
Recommended Service
Improvement Proposals
INTRODUCTION
What is MASCOTS?
▪ Collaborative comprehensive analysis of
transit services in Highway 101 corridor
▪ Focused on regional services
▪ Grounded in post-pandemic travel
behavior and work patterns
Goals
• Grow ridership
• Work as if one agency
• Develop a plan, not just a study
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2 INTRODUCTION
MASCOTS Process
3 Summer 2024
PHASE 1: Research/ Understanding Current Conditions
Fall-Winter 2024/25
PHASE 2: Develop Solutions to Address Opportunities
Winter 2024/25 – Spring 2025
PHASE 3: Document Impacts of Alternatives
Summer 2025
Public Outreach and Final Adoption
Early 2026
Implementation
INTRODUCTION
Existing Conditions Summary
▪ SMART has replaced Golden Gate Transit
Route 101 as the predominant passenger
choice for Sonoma-Marin regional trips
▪ Highway 101 in Southern Marin is overserved;
there are too many bus routes carrying too
few riders, which is inefficient and can cause
customer confusion
▪ 70% of Marin-Sonoma travel to San Francisco
originates in San Rafael or further south
▪ Local services need stronger, more direct
connections to feed SMART
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Key Themes of Recommendations
▪ Reduce Duplication
– Streamline overlapping services
– Major corridors would have one option that comes more frequently ▪ Improve connections
– Make the network more usable and improve connections between operators ▪ Match service to demand, supporting ridership growth
– Redirect resources to where ridership growth potential is highest – Reduce or remove service on low-ridership routes and alignments 5 RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of Recommendations
1. SMART and Golden Gate Transit Route 101:
– Truncate Route 101 in Novato; increase frequency between San Rafael and SF – Increase SMART frequency and operate trains earlier and later in the day
2. Southern Marin Bus Service: Streamline routes between San Rafael, Marin City, Sausalito, and San Francisco
3. Local Bus Connections to SMART: Improve Petaluma Transit, Santa Rosa CityBus, Sonoma County Transit, and Marin Transit with strong, direct connections to SMART
4. GGT Commute Routes in Sonoma: Combine into a single alignment with improved frequency, and restrict San Francisco local travel to reduce travel time
5. GGT Route 580 in San Rafael: Follow 580X alignment to improve travel time; 580 and 580X would continue to differ in the East Bay
6 RECOMMENDATIONS
Rider Benefits of Recommendations
▪ Easier to understand network
– Fewer lines on the map
– More consistency in stops
▪ More frequency and more options
– Frequency is improved in key corridors
– Greater frequency improves transfer
connections to all service providers
▪ Better regional connections
– Increased SMART service
– More frequent service connecting San Rafael
and points south to San Francisco
– Faster service to the East Bay
7 Simplicity, frequency, and better connections will increase ridership
RECOMMENDATIONS
Benefits/Impacts for Transit Operators
▪ Benefits
o Increase ridership – projected to be 8-15% increase
o Reinvest service hours where higher demand exists
o Improve efficiency of existing resources
▪ As proposed, bus route and schedule changes designed to be service hour neutral; can be implemented with existing funding
▪ No major new capital investments needed
▪ Impact – Rider education necessary to explain new service options 8 NEXT STEPS
Timeline
▪ June-August: Public outreach
▪ August: Golden Gate Transit Public Hearing on Major Service Change ▪ September: Marin Transit Public Hearing on Major Service Change ▪ Fall 2025: Agency Boards finalize changes
▪ Spring 2026: Implement changes as three-year pilot
▪ Pilot evaluation after two years
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