Marin Transit approves overhaul of local bus routes

Aug 30, 2023

Marin Transit plans significant changes for half its bus routes beginning in June, including ending or consolidating some routes, removing express routes, reducing trips and changing stop locations.

The agency's board unanimously approved the alterations to 12 of its 24 fixed bus routes on Monday. Officials said the changes are a response to traffic conditions returning to close to pre-pandemic levels, an ongoing bus driver shortage, a lack of local operation facilities and an effort to align with Golden Gate Transit bus and ferry routes.

"What they’re going to result in is more reliable service," Marin County Supervisor Katie Rice, a member of the Marin Transit board, said of the changes.

Routes 22, 23, 23X, 29, 35, 49, 71, 219, 251, 257, 645 and 651 will be affected by the route alterations beginning June 11. The changes will reduce service hours by about 2%, which the agency states will reduce expenses by about $540,000 annually. Additionally, the changes are expected to reduce the number of buses used by 7.5%, which staff said will reduce the number of drivers needed.

Most of the changes, even the cancellation of certain routes, will be offset by changes or additions to other routes, with some exceptions.

"There are some neighborhoods that will see slightly elevated services and some neighborhoods that will see slightly declined level of services," Robert Betts, the agency's operations director, told the board on Monday.

San Rafael's Canal neighborhood is expected to have a nearly 6% decrease in the total number of weekday trips, but will still have a service frequency of every eight minutes.

The frequency of weekday bus trips in Tiburon will decrease from every 20 to 30 minutes to every 35 to 40 minutes. Residents in the Tiburon hills served by Route 219 will have to travel to Tiburon Boulevard to board the bus. Betts said the changes are a response to low ridership.

The changes adopted on Monday include two changes from the initial proposal presented early this year.

The agency will retain its 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. weekday trips on northbound Route 22 service to Marin City, which were originally proposed to be canceled.

On Route 257 between Novato and San Rafael, the agency plans to add hourly bus trips during peak weekday hours that only run in Novato, including the Hamilton neighborhood.

The agency employed 151 bus drivers for both its fixed routes and Marin Access services as of December, which Betts said was the most recent month of data available. Roughly 25 more drivers would be needed to address the driver shortage, though Betts said the exact number will be determined when bus driver shifts and route scheduling is finalized.

More information on the service changes, including maps, can be found at bit.ly/4354KJy.

Marin Transit will make the following changes to 12 bus routes beginning June 11:

Route 22 (Downtown San Rafael — Sausalito)

Route 23/23X (Canal — Fairfax Manor)

Route 29 (East Corte Madera — MarinHealth Medical Center)

Route 35 (Canal — Northgate Shopping Center)

Route 49 (Downtown San Rafael — Novato)

Route 71 (Novato — Marin City)

Route 219 (Tiburon — Strawberry)

Route 251/257 (Downtown San Rafael — San Marin)

Routes 645/651

Source: Marin Transit

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