Golden Gate Transit
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Golden Gate Transit (GGT) is a
public transportation Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
system serving the North Bay region of the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
in California, United States. It primarily serves
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
,
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa, California, Santa Rosa. It is to the n ...
, and
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, and also provides limited service to
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
. In , Golden Gate Transit had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . Golden Gate Transit is one of three transportation systems owned and operated by the
Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District is a special-purpose district that owns and operates three regional transportation assets in the San Francisco Bay Area: the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the Golden Gate Ferry system and ...
; the others are the
Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Pen ...
and
Golden Gate Ferry Golden Gate Ferry is a commuter ferry service operated by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District in San Francisco Bay, part of the Bay Area of Northern California, United States. Regular service is run to the Ferry Build ...
, 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 traditional federal and state sources. GGT operates some bus service within Marin County under contract with
Marin Transit Marin Transit is a public bus agency in Marin County, California, in the United States. Originally formed in 1964 as Marin County Transit District (MCTD), Marin Transit was re-branded on 30 July 2007 and now provides a variety of fixed-route and de ...
.


History

Golden Gate Transit service began on January 1, 1972, as the culmination of years of work for the Golden Gate Bridge to alleviate traffic congestion, reduce pollution, and take over unprofitable commuter bus service operated by
Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurge ...
. GGT had previously began operating local bus service in Marin County under contract with
Marin Transit Marin Transit is a public bus agency in Marin County, California, in the United States. Originally formed in 1964 as Marin County Transit District (MCTD), Marin Transit was re-branded on 30 July 2007 and now provides a variety of fixed-route and de ...
beginning December 15, 1971. Initial service ran on two corridors in San Francisco: Civic Center routes on
Van Ness Avenue Van Ness Avenue is a north–south thoroughfare in San Francisco, California. Originally named Marlette Street, the street was renamed Van Ness Avenue in honor of the city's sixth mayor, James Van Ness. The main part of Van Ness Avenue runs fro ...
and the McAllister/Golden Gate
one way pair A one-way pair, one-way couple, or couplet refers to that portion of a bi-directional traffic facilitysuch as a road, bus, streetcar, or light rail linewhere its opposing flows exist as two independent and roughly parallel facilities. Descripti ...
, and Financial District routes on North Point Street and the Battery/Sansome pair. The system initially operated with 152 buses, including 20 leased buses, out of garages in Novato and Santa Rosa and a temporary facility in San Rafael. A permanent garage opened in San Rafael in 1974, and the facility was expanded in 1987 to house additional administrative staff. Transbay commuter bus service was reduced in 1987 as a result of declining ridership associated with a shift in jobs from San Francisco to Bay Area suburbs. However, that increase in the number of suburban jobs led to the initiation of commuter bus service from Sonoma County to Marin County employment centers in 1990. In 1992, the District and opened the C. Paul Bettini Transit Center in San Rafael (also called the
San Rafael Transit Center The San Rafael Transportation Center (also called C. Paul Bettini Transportation Center) is an intermodal passenger transport, intermodal transportation center located in downtown San Rafael, California. It is a primary transfer point for several ...
). The transit station was designed as the hub in a hub-and-spoke local bus system and immediately became GGT's busiest transit station. In 1993, acting on behalf of MTC, GGT began operating service between Marin and Contra Costa counties via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. That same year, the district initiated inter-county
paratransit Paratransit is the term used in North America, also known by other names such as community transport ( UK) for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. ...
service, as required by the
Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...
), through an agreement with Marin County and its paratransit contractor, Whistlestop Wheels. Significant service reductions were implemented in 2003 as a result of a declared fiscal emergency. 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. This fiscal emergency helped spur the passage of Measure A by Marin County voters in 2004. The sales tax measure established a new funding source for Marin Transit and was a catalyst for changes to the contract the District had with Marin Transit. Marin Transit assumed control over local bus service planning, and it began transitioning some service to private contractors. On June 15, 2009, Golden Gate Transit began operating Route 101, which provides all-day service between Santa Rosa and San Francisco with fewer stops, similar to many
bus rapid transit Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
"light" systems that rely on stop spacing changes rather than capital improvements to speed up buses. Introduced initially as a weekday-only route, service was expanded to Saturdays in June 2010 and to Sundays and holidays in September 2011. On December 13, 2015, service to Contra Costa County on Route 42 was merged with Route 40. The next day, service began on Route 580, which was the District's first transit line into nearby
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a List of counties in California, county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and List ...
. The latter experiment failed and Route 580 was discontinued in September 2016, however the numeric designation was revived when Route 40 was renumbered to Route 580 in December 2021. GGT buses returned to Alameda County in February 2019 to provide Early Bird Express bus service under contract with
BART Bart is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Bartholomew, sometimes of Barton, Bartolomeo, etc. Bart is a Dutch and Ashkenazi Jewish surname, and derives from the name ''Bartholomäus'', a German form of the biblical name ''Barthol ...
. As a result of declining ridership due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
and the resulting loss in operating revenue, including a reduction in Golden Gate Bridge tolls, bus service was dramatically reduced throughout 2020. GGT had 27 routes at the beginning of the pandemic and just seven routes by December 2020. In March 2022, Route 4C was revived as Route 114.


Service area

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


Cities and communities served


Routes


Fleet

Golden Gate Transit has operated mostly suburban-style coaches fitted with high-back seats, overhead luggage bins, and reading lights since its inception. The full fleet has been equipped with wheelchair lifts since 1997 for
accessibility Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...
. Bike racks were installed on buses beginning in 1999 as part of the Bike Racks on Buses program.


Current fleet

The active fleet consists of 147 buses owned by Golden Gate Transit. GGT also operates buses owned by Marin Transit, as described
here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Technologies, Here Television * Here TV (form ...
.


Historical fleet


Fares

Golden Gate Transit charges different fares, depending on distance (zones) traveled and method of payment.Bus Fares & Payment
/ref> Fares can be paid with cash or
Clipper card The Clipper card is a reloadable contactless smart card used for automated fare collection in the San Francisco Bay Area. First introduced as TransLink in 2002 by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) as a pilot program, it was rebrand ...
. As of July 1, 2021, adult cash fares are as follows: Adult Clipper fares are discounted 20% for most trips, except within Zones 2, 3, and 4 where the discount is 10% to match Marin Transit fares. A 50% discount is provided to youth (ages 5 through 18), senior (ages 65 and over), disabled (), Medicare passengers, and passengers with a Clipper START card. In addition, as a result of a bus service contract with
BART Bart is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Bartholomew, sometimes of Barton, Bartolomeo, etc. Bart is a Dutch and Ashkenazi Jewish surname, and derives from the name ''Bartholomäus'', a German form of the biblical name ''Barthol ...
, Clipper fares for travel within Zone 7 and between Zones 1 and 7 are further reduced. Transfers are issued by the farebox upon request at the time of cash fare payment. Clipper automatically tracks transfers. Transfers are valid for two hours for intra-county travel and three hours for inter-county travel and can be used twice. Round-trips are not permitted for inter-county travel. Full transfer privileges are available to/from Marin Transit. Transfers are issued from GGT to Golden Gate Ferry for cash and Clipper customers, but transfers from Golden Gate Ferry to GGT are available only to Clipper customers. Transfers are available to/from some other connecting transit systems, including
AC Transit AC Transit (Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District) is an Oakland-based public transit agency serving the western portions of Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. AC Transit also operates "Transbay" ro ...
,
Muni Muni may refer to: Municipal * A common US abbreviation for municipal, municipal services, and the like *Municipal bond *Municipal Bridge, the former name of the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge in Louisville, Kentucky *"Muni", slang for a mu ...
,
Petaluma Transit Petaluma Transit is the public bus service in the city of Petaluma, Sonoma County, California. The system connects with several Sonoma County Transit routes for further travel within the county, Golden Gate Transit routes for travel between the ci ...
,
Santa Rosa CityBus Santa Rosa CityBus is a public transportation agency providing bus service in the northern California city of Santa Rosa. It provides service for over 2.8 million passenger trips annually. Routes A total of 18 routes are operated by Santa Rosa C ...
,
SMART Smart or SMART may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Smart'' (Hey! Say! JUMP album), 2014 * Smart (Hotels.com), former mascot of Hotels.com * ''Smart'' (Sleeper album), 1995 debut album by Sleeper * ''SMart'', a children's television ser ...
,
SolTrans SolTrans, officially Solano County Transit, is a Joint Powers Authority that provides public transportation service to the southern Solano County cities of Vallejo and Benicia. SolTrans was established in 2011 and is the result of a merger bet ...
,
Sonoma County Transit Sonoma County Transit is a public transportation system based in Sonoma County, California. Cities and communities served As the primary bus system in the county, Sonoma County Transit (SCT) operates to the following communities, listed by zone: ...
, and
WestCAT WestCAT is a public transportation service in western Contra Costa County (north of Oakland, CA). It is a service of the Western Contra Costa Transit Authority. The Western Contra Costa County Transit (WestCAT) was established in August 1977 as ...
. Muni transfers are available only to Clipper customers. Golden Gate Transit accepts one-day and 31-day passes issued by Marin Transit for rides within Marin County. No other pass products are accepted.


Club Bus program

The Club Bus program was administered by Golden Gate Transit through 2012. It provided commuter clubs with contract support for subscription bus service on routes not otherwise operated. The program also provided a 30% subsidy for the cost of service. The program required the formation of not-for-profit organizations to collect riders' subscription fees and develop schedules. The Marin Commute Club, which began service in 1971, had direct service from Marin County to three
University of California, San Francisco The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a public land-grant research university in San Francisco, California. It is part of the University of California system and is dedicated entirely to health science and life science. It cond ...
locations (Parnassus Campus, Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco General Hospital) not otherwise served by Golden Gate Transit. Daily ridership dropped from 300 in 1978 to 120 in 2012, and down further to 55 in 2014 shortly before the service was discontinued altogether. The Valley of the Moon Commute Club provided bus service to the San Francisco Financial District from the
Sonoma Valley Sonoma Valley is a valley located in southeastern Sonoma County, California, in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Known as the birthplace of the California wine industry, the valley is home to some of the earliest vineyards an ...
, which otherwise does not have direct bus service to San Francisco. It was created in 1973 and operated as part of the Club Bus program until 2011. At its peak, the club had service on five buses. However, the
economic downturn In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...
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. In February 2011, with the club on the brink of shutting down, service was transferred to a private tour company. Due to further ridership declines, service was discontinued in May 2014.


See also

*
Golden Gate Ferry Golden Gate Ferry is a commuter ferry service operated by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District in San Francisco Bay, part of the Bay Area of Northern California, United States. Regular service is run to the Ferry Build ...
*
Marin Transit Marin Transit is a public bus agency in Marin County, California, in the United States. Originally formed in 1964 as Marin County Transit District (MCTD), Marin Transit was re-branded on 30 July 2007 and now provides a variety of fixed-route and de ...
*
Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit is a bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor on Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco, California, United States. The line, which runs between Mission Street and Lombard Street, has dedicated center bus lanes and nine stations. ...


References


External links

* {{Authority control
Transit Transit may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Transit'' (1979 film), a 1979 Israeli film * ''Transit'' (2005 film), a film produced by MTV and Staying-Alive about four people in countries in the world * ''Transit'' (2006 film), a 2006 ...
Bus transportation in California Public transportation in Contra Costa County, California Public transportation in San Francisco Public transportation in Sonoma County, California San Rafael, California Transit agencies in California 1972 establishments in California