Golden Gate Transit

Golden Gate Transit
Parent Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District
Founded January 1, 1972
Headquarters 1011 Andersen Drive
San Rafael, CA
Service area San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, and Contra Costa Counties)
Service type bus service
Routes 27 (plus 13 operated for Marin Transit)
Stops 783
Hubs San Rafael Transit Center, Santa Rosa Transit Mall
Stations Copeland Street Transit Mall (Petaluma), Donahue & Terners (Marin City), El Cerrito del Norte BART, Redwood & Grant (Novato), Richmond BART, San Anselmo Hub
Fleet 190 buses
Daily ridership 22,173[1] (FY 2013)
Website goldengatetransit.org

Golden Gate Transit (GGT) is a public transportation system serving the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, United States. It primarily serves Marin and Sonoma counties, and also provides limited service to San Francisco and Contra Costa County.

Golden Gate Transit is one of 3 transportation systems owned and operated by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District; the other include the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Ferry, both of which connect San Francisco and Marin County. Funding for cross-bridge "Transbay" bus service is partially subsidized by Golden Gate Bridge tolls, in addition to the traditional federal and state sources. GGT provides some bus service within Marin County under contract with Marin Transit.

Governance

Golden Gate Transit is constituted as a special district under California State Law, as evidenced by Assembly Bill 584, creating the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (District). The District [2] consists of 19 directors from 6 Northern California counties:

History

Golden Gate Transit's old logo, used as a bus stop sign in San Rafael.
Golden Gate Transit's new logo, used as a bus stop sign in Novato.
A Golden Gate Transit bus on Route 101 at the San Rafael Transit Center.

Golden Gate Transit has alleviated congestion on the Golden Gate Bridge and along the Golden Gate Corridor since 1972. A history of service is listed below.[3][4]

Inception (1960s)

The Golden Gate Bridge, operated by the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District, saw a huge increase in the number of crossings every year, from just 3.3 million in its opening year (1937) to 28.3 million 30 years later (1967). With average annual increase in traffic of 70% over 30 years, the Bridge was close to reaching its saturation point. As congestion mounted, several studies were undertaken to identify alternate means of travel between Marin County and San Francisco. The "San Francisco-Marin Crossings" report of May 1967 looked at the possibility of building another bridge. The District also considered adding a second deck to the Bridge. Several traffic-relief measures were implemented during the 1960s, including reversible lanes, which were inaugurated on the Bridge in 1963, and a first-of-its kind one-way toll collection system in 1968 that has since been used on other bridges throughout the world.

However, traffic continued to mount. The Marin County Transit District (MCTD) (now Marin Transit) considered taking over the existing Greyhound system as a commute service to San Francisco. Greyhound provided transit between Marin County and San Francisco at the time and it was unprofitable, so Greyhound management planned to abandon it. As air pollution increased and congestion took its toll on commuters, San Francisco, Marin, and Sonoma Counties asked the District to implement a bus transit plan developed by MCTD. The plan called for bus service from neighborhoods in Marin and Sonoma Counties to the San Francisco Financial District and Civic Center areas.

Bus service begins (1969 to 1970s)

By the late 1960s, the Bridge was operating at capacity during the morning commute period. Original Bridge construction bonds were due to be retired in 1971, and the District had approximately $22.8 million in reserves. On November 10, 1969, the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 584 authorizing the District to develop a transportation facility plan for implementing a mass transportation program in the Golden Gate Corridor. This included any and all forms of transit, including buses and ferries. The word "Transportation" was added to the District's name at that time to indicate its new commitment to public transportation. The legislature did not give the District the authority to levy taxes. Legislation also restricted the use of Bridge tolls to support only regional (inter-county) transit services, not local (intra-county) transit services.

On December 10, 1971, Assembly Bill 919 was passed, requiring the District to develop a long-range transportation program for the corridor. After an extensive public participation program, including 21 public hearings in 6 counties, a unified system of buses (Golden Gate Transit) and ferries (Golden Gate Ferry) emerged as the best means to serve the people of Marin and Sonoma counties.

Bus service began in December 1970 when the District initiated a shuttle service to the Sausalito Ferry Terminal using 5 buses leased from Greyhound on 4 bus routes driven by 4 drivers. The District soon bought 132 buses to start its operations.

In September 1971, the District hired 30 experienced Greyhound drivers to operate the new bus service. GGT began operating local bus service in December 1971 under contract with MCTD, and the District established Transbay commute service in January 1972. The initial GGT system was operated with 152 buses (including 20 leased buses) and facilities in Novato and Santa Rosa, as well as a temporary facility in San Rafael. In 1974, the District opened its permanent bus administration and central maintenance facility at 1011 Andersen Drive in San Rafael.

As a result of these efforts, traffic growth across the Bridge was held to a manageable level.

System expansion (1980s to 1990s)

With declining ridership due to relocation of San Francisco jobs to the suburbs, Transbay commute bus service was significantly reduced in 1987. However, with the increase of Marin County-based jobs, the District initiated inter-county commute service from Sonoma County to Marin County employment centers in 1990.

In 1992, the District and the City of San Rafael opened the C. Paul Bettini Transit Center in San Rafael (also called San Rafael Transit Center). The transit station immediately became GGT’s busiest transit station and transfer point.

In 1993, acting on behalf of MTC, GGT began operating regional bus service between Marin and Contra Costa counties via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. That same year, the district initiated an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) inter-county complementary paratransit service through an agreement with Marin County and its paratransit contractor, Whistlestop Wheels.

The District went online in 1997, allowing passengers and visitors to browse through the District's history and updates. (Bus schedules were added to the website in 2004.) Also in 1997, the District installed bicycle racks at more than 40 key bus stops. In 1999, it installed bicycle racks on all GGT buses shorter than 45 feet (14 m).

System contraction and Marin Transit self-determination (2000s to present)

Significant service reductions were implemented in March and November 2003 as a result of a declared fiscal emergency. Several bus routes with low ridership were discontinued; as a result of the restructuring, all GGT service to the Sonoma Valley and Sebastopol was eliminated. Ferry Feeder bus routes to the ferry terminals in Larkspur and Sausalito were also discontinued.

In 2004, Measure A was passed by the voters of Marin County. The sales tax measure established a new funding source for MCTD. That same year, the District signed a new 18-month contract with MCTD to provide local bus service within Marin County. This contract and the passage of Measure A helped usher in a new stage in local and regional service integration, with MCTD assuming more control over local bus service planning and operation.

The District's contract with MCTD was extended again in 2006 and 2010. MCTD issued a notice to terminate the 2010 contract, which was in effect until 2014, in 2012. After lengthy negotiations, a new contract that reduced the number of bus routes operated by GGT was signed in 2013 and remains in effect until 2016.

In 2006, the District installed luggage bay bicycle racks on all 45-foot (14 m) GGT buses. Also in 2006, the District implemented a new regional smart card fare payment system called TransLink (now Clipper) on all bus and ferry services as a "pre-launch" test.[5]

In 2008, with growing concerns over the environment and global warming, GGT began testing a Zero-Emissions Bus (ZEB) using hydrogen fuel cell power in conjunction with AC Transit. (See article here.) The ZEB program has continued on and off through 2013.

On June 15, 2009, Golden Gate Transit began operating Route 101,[6] an all-day bus service between Santa Rosa and San Francisco that provides limited-stop service similar to many Bus Rapid Transit operations. Introduced initially as a weekday-only route, service was expanded to Saturdays on June 19, 2010, and to Sundays and holidays on September 11, 2011. For a description of this service, click here.

Service area

Golden Gate Transit serves cities and communities in four Bay Area counties: San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, and Contra Costa.[7]

Cities, communities, and attractions served

County Cities and communities Attractions
Contra Costa County
Marin County
San Francisco
Sonoma County

Routes

Fleet

Historically and through the present, buses in the Golden Gate Transit fleet, similar to SamTrans and Sound Transit (Seattle) and unlike many other transit agencies, are suburban-style coaches fitted with high-back seats, overhead luggage bins, and reading lights.

Current fleet

As of April 2012, the GGT active bus fleet[8] consists of 190 lift-equipped () buses. All 30-, 35-, 40-, and 60-foot (18 m) buses have front-mounted bike racks capable of holding 3 bicycles; all 45 ft (14 m). buses have luggage bay bike racks capable of holding 2 bicycles.

Three-position bicycle racks were installed on all Orion and single-door NovaBus RTS buses in 2009. These racks had already been installed on the New Flyer D60LF buses at the time. The remaining buses with exterior racks (TMC RTS and two-door NovaBus RTS buses) were not equipped with the new racks due to safety concerns related to headlight visibility.[9] The two-door NovaBus RTS buses were fitted with three-position bicycle racks in 2010.

Length (feet) Year Make and model Floor type Number of seats Bicycle capacity† Fuel propulsion Quantity Image
30 2001 NovaBus RTS High 27 2 Diesel 4
35 2010 New Flyer DE35LF Low 29 3 Diesel-electric hybrid 7
40 2000 NovaBus RTS High 39 3 Diesel 14
2003 Orion Bus Industries V 41 3 80
45 1999 MCI 102DL3 High 57 2 Diesel 14
2003 MCI D4500 57 2 6
2010, 2012 MCI D4500CT 57 2 55
60 (articulated) 2007 New Flyer D60LF Low 58 3 Diesel 10

Note: † On buses operated on Routes 40 and 42, two additional bicycles are allowed in the wheelchair securement area on a space-available basis when the exterior bike rack is filled.

Historical fleet

Golden Gate Transit has operated a variety of suburban-style coaches since its inception.[10]

Make Year placed in service Quantity Number of seats Wheelchair accessible? () Image Current status
GM "New Look" 1971, 1972 132 45 No Retired; one bus retained for historical purposes
GM Advanced Design 1981 16 43 Yes N/A Retired
GM Advanced Design 1983 50 41 Yes N/A Retired
Gillig 1986 4 26 Yes N/A Retired
MCI 1987 21 45 Yes N/A Retired
TMC 1990 48 39 Yes N/A Retired
TMC 1991 49 40 Yes Retired (26), reserve fleet (10), for sale (13)
Flxible 1994 40 45 Yes N/A Retired
MCI 1996, 1997 32 57 Yes For sale (21), unknown (11)
NovaBus 1997 10 43 Yes Retired
New Flyer 2003† 8 62 Yes N/A Retired

Note:

Fares and transfer policies

Fares

Golden Gate Transit charges different fares, depending on distance (zones) traveled and method of payment.[11] Fares can be paid with cash or Clipper card. Value Cards, which are valid on all Marin Transit routes, can be used to pay for travel on Golden Gate Transit buses within Marin County only. Fares effective July 1, 2013:

Adult cash fare San Francisco Marin County Sonoma County East Bay
Bus zone
To/from		 1 2 3 4 5 6 10
1 $4.25* $4.75 $5.75 $7.00 $10.25 $11.25 $4.75
2 $4.75 $2.00 $7.00 $8.25
3 $5.75 $5.75 $7.00
4 $7.00 $4.75 $5.75
5 $10.25 $7.00 $5.75 $4.75 $4.25 $8.75
6 $11.25 $8.25 $7.00 $5.75
10 $4.75 $8.75 $4.75
Adult Clipper fare San Francisco Marin County Sonoma County East Bay
Bus zone
To/from		 1 2 3 4 5 6 10
1 $4.25* $3.80 $4.60 $5.60 $8.20 $9.00 $3.80
2 $3.80 $1.80 $5.60 $6.60
3 $4.60 $4.60 $5.60
4 $5.60 $3.80 $4.60
5 $8.20 $5.40 $4.40 $3.60 $4.25 $7.00
6 $9.00 $6.40 $5.40 $4.40
10 $3.80 $7.00 $3.80
Discount fare** San Francisco Marin County Sonoma County East Bay
Bus zone
To/from		 1 2 3 4 5 6 10
1 $2.00* $2.25 $2.75 $3.50 $5.00 $5.50 $2.25
2 $2.25 $1.00 $3.50 $4.00
3 $2.75 $2.75 $3.50
4 $3.50 $2.25 $2.75
5 $5.00 $3.50 $2.75 $2.25 $2.00 $4.25
6 $5.50 $4.00 $3.50 $2.75
10 $2.25 $4.25 $2.25

Note:

Up to two children ages 5 and under ride free when accompanied by an adult.

Transfers within the Golden Gate system

A Golden Gate Transit local transfer (issued for intra-county travel), allowing travel for up to 3 hours.
A Golden Gate Transit regional transfer (issued for inter-county travel), allowing travel for up to 4 hours.

Transfers within the Golden Gate system[11] (GGT buses and Golden Gate Ferries) are issued at time of payment, and restrictions apply. Clipper automatically tracks transfers.

Transferring between buses. Transfers are valid for 3 hours for intra-county travel and 4 hours for inter-county travel. Transfers may be used up to 3 times to complete a one-way journey. Transfers are issued by the farebox.

Transferring from bus to ferry. Deposit full Transbay fare (see ferry fare table here) in the farebox when boarding the bus, and the bus operator will issue a Transbay transfer.

Transferring from ferry to bus. Ferry customers wishing to transfer to the bus must use Clipper.

Transfers between Golden Gate Transit and other agencies

Agreements with various transit agencies exist with Golden Gate Transit.[11][12]

Inter-agency pass programs

GGT participates in 3 fare programs controlled by Marin Transit:

Value Cards are available in $18 and $36 denominations for travel within Marin County. Value Cards provide 10% discounts for adult travel. Value Cards can be used by youths, seniors, and the disabled, but there is no additional discount over the 50% discount offered to cash-paying customers. Passengers must request the appropriate discount fare before inserting Value Cards into the farebox to avoid being charged the regular fare. The Value Cards are valid on all Marin Transit routes and on the Marin County portions of all GGT routes only. The $18 and $36 Value Cards are not valid for travel outside Marin County.

Day passes are available for unlimited travel within Marin County for 1, 7, or 31 consecutive calendar days. The passes are valid on all Marin Transit routes and on the Marin County portions of all GGT routes only. Day passes are not valid for travel outside Marin County.

Fare category 1-day pass 7-day pass 31-day pass
Adult $5.00 $20.00 $80.00
Youth (6 through 18) $2.50 $10.00 $40.00
Senior (65 and over), Disabled (), or Medicare $2.50 $10.00 $25.00

Marin Transit Youth Pass ($175 for six months, $325 for one school year) provides unlimited rides on Marin Transit local routes within Marin County only. The pass is not valid on GGT regional routes, even if travel is entirely within Marin County.

Club Bus

The Club Bus program administered by Golden Gate Transit provided commute clubs with contract support for subscription bus service. The program also provided a 30% subsidy for the cost of service.[13] The program required the formation of not-for-profit organizations to collect riders' subscription fees and develop schedules. The last day of the Club Bus program was December 21, 2012.

Marin Commute Club

Main article: Marin Commute Club

Valley of the Moon Commute Club

The Valley of the Moon Commute Club, which provided bus service from the Sonoma Valley to the San Francisco Financial District, was created during the 1970s and operated as part of the Club Bus program until 2011.[14]

At its peak, the club had service on five buses. However, the economic downturn and changing travel patterns resulted in substantial service reductions and fare hikes. By late 2010, service had been cut to one round-trip with a monthly subscription fee of $350.[13]

In early 2011, with the club on the brink of shutting down, Pure Luxury Wine Tours offered to assume control of the service.[15] Pure Luxury hoped to break even on the cost of service and increase its exposure.[16][17]

Funding

Golden Gate Transit is different from other key transit agencies, in that its funding is subsidized by tolls collected at the Golden Gate Bridge.[18] According to the mandate presented by Assembly Bill 584 passed by the California State Legislature on November 10, 1969, the District has no authority to levy taxes, nor can it fund intra-county bus services; only inter-county service can be subsidized by Bridge tolls.

Bus garages

Golden Gate Transit operates 4 divisions. All 4 yards provide bus parking and 3 also act as maintenance centers. Buses that pull out from one yard do not necessarily pull into the same yard at the end of the service day.

The San Rafael division, also known as D1, is located at 1011 Andersen Drive. It serves as the primary bus depot for GGT and houses administrative offices and a heavy maintenance center. Major maintenance facilities are available for bus repairs and reconstruction, including a workshop, motor repair unit, engine rebuild unit, transmission shop, upholstery shop, bus wash, and body component area. This yard operates 24 hours per day, every day including holidays.

The Novato division, D2, is located on Golden Gate Place just east of Redwood Boulevard. This secondary yard operates primarily on weekdays. Facilities includes bus parking, a bus wash, and a repair unit.

The Santa Rosa division, D3, is located at the northwest corner of Piner Road and Industrial Drive. This secondary yard is the sole Golden Gate Transit facility in Sonoma County. This facility is similar to D2 but also features a free park-and-ride lot and enclosed passenger waiting area. D3 is in operation daily, including holidays.

The new San Francisco bus lot, D4, opened 24 February 2014 and is located under the I-80 skyway between Third and Fourth streets. It serves as a bus layover lot, and no maintenance is performed at this location. D4 is in operation weekdays only from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The new bus lot replaces the previous division at Eighth and Harrison streets, which provided minor maintenance facilities and was in operation every day including holidays since its opening in 2003. Previously, D4 was located at the southeast corner of Main and Folsom streets.

Fuel cell bus partnerships

The Zero-Emissions Bus (ZEB) at the San Rafael Transit Center.

Golden Gate Transit, in partnership with AC Transit and other large bus agencies, participates in the California Fuel Cell Program sponsored by the California Air Resources Board and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE).[19] The partnership involves a demonstration of fuel-cell powered buses that reduce dependence of gasoline for fuel and instead use alternative, renewable resources such as hydrogen fuel cells to power buses. GGT first operated a hydrogen fuel cell bus as part of a Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) Demonstration Program on GGT routes, including those it operates under contract with Marin Transit, from February 19, 2008 to March 31, 2008.[20] The ZEB program continues to this day.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Golden Gate Transit.

References

  1. ↑ Golden Gate Transit: Research Library
  2. ↑ Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (2007-09-04). "Golden Gate: Board of Directors". Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  3. ↑ Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (2008-02-12). "SRTP-Chapter 1". Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  4. ↑ Golden Gate Transit Timeline
  5. ↑ TransLink (2008-02-21). "TransLink Home". TransLink. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  6. ↑ servicechanges_jun09
  7. ↑ Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (2008-11-14). "services". Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
  8. ↑ Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (2012-04-04). "April 2012". Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.
  9. ↑ New Racks
  10. ↑ Golden Gate Transit Fleet
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (June 10, 2012). "Golden Gate Bus & Ferry Transit Guide, Summer 2012". Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.
  12. ↑ Fares and Transfers
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Commute Club Struggles to Break Even. Sonoma Patch. 7 December 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  14. ↑ Sonoma/SF commute club running out of gas. Sonoma Valley Sun. 2 December 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  15. ↑ Monday, February 7, 2011 Sonoma Community Development Agency minutes. Sonoma City Council. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  16. ↑ Petaluma bus company rescues Sonoma Valley commuter club. The Press Democrat. 28 February 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  17. ↑ Commuter Club back on the road. Sonoma Valley Sun. 1 March 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  18. ↑ Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (2007-06-15). "Golden Gate Transit: History". Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  19. ↑ National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2003-10-29). "fcb_eval_plan1003.pdf". United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  20. ↑ Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (2008-02-13). "zebdebut". Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. Retrieved 2008-02-14.

External links