Peninsula Shuttle Program

The purpose of the Peninsula Shuttle Program is to fund shuttle services offered free of charge to the public in order to promote alternative modes of transportation and reduce congestion on highways in San Mateo County. Shuttle services typically connect major employers, schools, residential areas, and community destinations while also providing connection points to other modes of transit. The program allows for local jurisdictions and/or public agencies within the County to apply for and contend for funding. Funding for this program is provided jointly from Measure A and the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) Congestion Relief Plan. Many of the commuter routes are coordinated by Commute.org while SamTrans holds the primary shuttle operations contract to manage the vendor. Some community routes are managed directly by individual cities.

As defined in the 2004 Transportation Expenditure Plan, Measure A provides the Peninsula Shuttle Program category with a four percent share of the sales tax revenues collected. The SMCTA Strategic Plan 2025-2029 projected that Measure A will generate approximately $5 million per year in available funding for this program.

Success for the Shuttle Program is funded infrastructure improvements to maintain, upgrade, and expand first/last-mile and community shuttle services in San Mateo County.

What is the difference between a commuter and community shuttle?

A commuter shuttle route generally operations during peak work travel periods to connect people between major regional transit stops and employment centers. For example, in South San Francisco the Oyster Point Shuttle connects with the SF Bay Ferry and transports people to the nearby offices during just the morning and afternoon. In contrast, community shuttles primary serve local destinations like downtown retail or dining areas while also connecting to other transit systems.

City of South San Francisco Shuttle (East)

This community route serves the South San Francisco BART Station and provides connections to parks, medical facilities, schools, community centers, and other destinations with service provided all day from 7 AM to 7 PM on weekdays.

Commute.org Millbrae Burlingame Commuter Shuttle

This commuter route serves the Millbrae Intermodal and Broadway Caltrain Stations and provides connections to the Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, Mercy Burlingame, and residential areas of Easton and Burlingame Terrace with service offered peak weekday commute hours

Commute.org Redwood City Midpoint

Serves the Redwood City Caltrain station and provides connections to the Midpoint Technology Park, Stanford Health Care and University facilities and other developments in the Downtown area with service offered during peak weekday commute hours.

Peninsula Shuttle Study

In 2021, SamTrans and Caltrain completed the Peninsula Shuttle Study which conducted a comprehensive review of the Shuttle Program. The study identified several service and management recommendations to strengthen the Program’s responsiveness to changing conditions and to support post-pandemic ridership recovery and growth. SMCTA incorporated recommendations into the Calls for Projects process following SamTrans adoption of the study.

Peninsula Shuttle Program Optimization and Funding Strategy
The Peninsula Shuttle Program Optimization and Funding Strategy (Strategy) is a collaborative effort to develop a sustainable future for public shuttle services across San Mateo County. Led by the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) in partnership with the City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG), Commute.org, SamTrans, and participating local jurisdictions, the Strategy will guide how the Peninsula Shuttle Program will evolve to better serve the county. In response to changing travel patterns, rising operating costs, and funding constraints, SMCTA and its partners are developing the Strategy to evaluate how the program can be more effective and financially sustainable over the long term.

To learn more about the Strategy, please visit: https://www.smcta.com/planning-projects/Peninsula-Shuttle-Program-Optimization-Funding-Strategy

Call for Projects Awards

This section will be updated as program funding is awarded. Please visit this page for for more information on the Shuttle Program Call for Projects process.