Bus route changes coming to South City

“Community engagements, that was the backbone of us creating this network,” Jonathan Steketee, SamTrans operations planning manager, said.

A key proposed change would extend Route 130 to Oyster Point, where massive biotech and other job-rich developments have been added and more are planned. The route would see a reduction at the northern end, with service not extending past the Daly City BART station. The Oyster Point extension would run up Gateway Boulevard to Oyster Point Boulevard, with eight new stops added along the way.

The largest reduction in service will be on Route 141, which will effectively be cut in half, no longer extending north of Tanforan. Route 121 will be expanded to cover some of the gap, with service extended east from Skyline College to the Shops at Tanforan and then north through Old Town and to the Caltrain station.

Route 292 will remain mostly the same save for an extension to the Millbrae BART and Caltrain station. Overall, several changes to bus frequency and running hours were made, mostly with extended weekend hours and some increases in frequency.

SamTrans officials emphasized that changes are not final and, even after implementation, the agency will continue to evaluate and make changes where necessary. Though the initial changes to take place in August will not result in a net expansion of service, future phases, to begin in 2023, will grow coverage by 10%, according to the agency.

The challenge is finding bus drivers, and future expansion will be hinged on hiring and training new employees, Jessica Epstein, SamTrans Government and Community Affairs manager, said.

“The reality is, we are extremely resource constrained, and when I say resources, I mean bus operators,” Epstein said. “SamTrans, like bus companies across the country, are facing essentially an epidemic of shortages of drivers.”

In response to some of the proposed cuts to routes 141 and 130, Councilmember James Coleman questioned the reduced service to Old Town, the city’s densest area that is slated for additional development. Though Route 121 will be extended to cover the area, the change will result in an overall reduction for the neighborhood.

“The short answer to that is reallocation of service to other areas,” Steketee said, who mentioned the area was a focus of further study after receiving feedback and things could change. “Most folks in the area will have service where they need to go.”

The city had previously supported a new proposed route, 126, which would run directly from the South San Francisco BART station to the Oyster Point Marina, but it was not part of SamTrans most recent proposals.

“I want some justification ... because I still don’t understand why you’re doing that,” Vice Mayor Mark Nagales said of the omission. “That’s a major concern.”

Coleman additionally suggested a route similar to Route 126 that could directly link the city’s BART and Caltrain stations as well as extend to Oyster Point.

Steketee said Route 130 was decided on to serve Oyster Point, and that while it was less direct, it served more neighborhoods along the way compared to route 126. From BART to east of Highway 101 via Route 130, travel times would be around 30 minutes without traffic, Steketee estimated.

“We do have our constraints,” Epstein said. “The more we put resources in one community, those have to come from somewhere else.”

City Manager Mike Futrell indicated that based on the council’s comments, the letter to the agency would include a request to add route 126, examine Coleman’s BART and Caltrain direct route suggestion as well as reassess service cuts to Old Town.

Go to remaginesamtrans.com to add your input or to view more information, including detailed maps. SamTrans is requesting input be submitted by Nov. 8.

corey@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200, ext. 105