Author: Rick Nahass

Single CA1 Bus – Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, GG Bridge and Points North

Summary of Public Transit Reactions from Pacifica Nextdoor and SF Transit Riders

      • Mostly positive support for better bus service, connections to SF and BART.
      • Public Transit advocacy programs are poorly targeted and never marketed through ALL local government organizations. How do we become serious about teaching our children?
      •  Concerns about future of public transit due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
      • No Partnerships, Transit Operator (SamTrans) does a survey, shows up with results and says what they are going to do. City governments, nor does the general public proactively engage throughout he year.
      • Public Transit should be self sustaining through fares (note: almost all public transit is funded by Federal, State and Regional taxes)
      • Request SFMTA and SamTrans collaborate to combine the Muni route 28 (CA1) with an enhanced SamTrans Route 118 from HMB to GG Bridge

To advocate for better Transit service you can send email to the SamTrans and SSFMTA (Muni) Boards and if you are advocating for SamTrans and Muni to endorse Seamless Transit Principles for One Bay Area Transportation Network also copy Seamless Bay Area

publiccomment@samtrans.com
MTABoard@sfmta.com
info@seamlessbayarea.org

Additionally if you have the time you can speak your mind at the Transit Board Meetings

Redacted text of Nextdoor thread

Rick Nahass Sharp Park • Posted 4/1/2021

Bus from Pacifica to Golden Gate Bridge. Would you support a bus that reliably came every 15 minutes from Half Moon Bay to the Golden Gate Bridge (all CA1) – with limited stops at the beaches/malls – limited SF stops at SF State, Taraval, Judah, Fulton/GG Park, Geary, GG Bridge and back. Cost would be $3.20 one way from Pacifica, $4.20 from HMB. How might this be a good thing. Asking cause (1) Feds are planning to double investment in public transit, (2) Bay Area is planning to integrate fares. What else should transit operators do for transit in Pacifica?

Posted in General to 12 neighborhoods

75 Neighbors Reacted Positively      50 Comments made

M……Linda Mar North
I used to take the 1F and DX into downtown SF every weekday, they ran every 20 minutes or so, between 6-8 AM and 4-6 PM. Perhaps some folks might want that again when SF businesses open up. As to your route, perhaps some SFSU students might like it. But, I doubt running every 15 min. will happen. Do that many people go to the GG Bridge?

Rick Nahass Sharp Park
Pretty much everyone has given up on getting actual efficient, available public transit to/from the coast – however there are other transit Board members (not SamTrans yet) who are starting to publicly state that public transit mobility should be a right – I’m thinking that we need our city staff and council to start engaging with proactively so we don’t get left out should more money become available

Rick Nahass Sharp Park
GG Bridge would be end of line (or maybe Mill Valley). The interim stops are the thought – (N-Judah to UCSF, L-Taraval to the Zoo or Wedt Portal, Fulton bus to USF, GG Tea Garden) not to mention the reverse – suddenly everyone in the Sunset could reliably take a bus to our beaches or our restaurants, bars and breweries. Agree with you sometimes it does feel like I’m tilting at windmills.

J……Sharp Park
Yes! They should bring back the Pacifica to downtown San Francisco bus. I was disappointed when it stopped running.

L……Sharp Park
Would love it but it will never happen. Samtrans would be involved and they already took away all buses that made commute easier. Use to have a Pacifica to SF express bus, they took it away along with buses to BART that worked for commute hours. I had to resort to driving and parking at BART.

E……Linda Mar
I think a chunk of money should be spent on educating young people how to use public transit effectively so there is a demand in service and the routes can be revisited. We always took public transit and rode our bikes. Parents did not chauffer us around like they do today!

S……Pacific Manor
  E, that’s a great idea!

C……Sharp Park
SAMTRANS did complete a Youth Mobility Plan a few years back. A big part of the plan is advocacy about using public transportation. Haven’t seen an update on it’s implementation. https://www.samtrans.com/Planning/Planning_and_Research/Youth_Mobility_Plan.html

E……Linda Mar
  C they didn’t do a good job marketing this plan because my kids were the target age demographic and neither of them knew anything about it and as a parent I didn’t see anything either.

C……Sharp Park
  E Pacifica outreach is reported as having been coordinated through the Boys and Girls Club of North San Mateo County.

E……Linda Mar
Thanks for the info. So if your child is not affiliated with those programs, the majority are not, they would not have heard about it. Too bad they didn’t outreach through the public schools.

J……Rockaway Beach
I would totally support this. I work in Marin, and used to enjoy taking the Great Highway there until they (temporarily?) closed it during Covid. Would love another option to driving, plus not having to pay toll on the way home.

E……Linda Mar
Great Highway will go from 4 lanes down to 2 and traffic will be rerouted up Sloat. That’s a permanent change.

D……South Pacific Manor
every 15 min? No

J……South Pacific Manor
Every 30 minutes would be fine.

L……Pacific Manor
your right, every 15 minutes, are people not aware that there is only one freeway, and the traffic jams they get stuck in. And omG they want more traffic and more pollution. What a crazy idea.

S……Sharp Park
I doubt there will be enough riders to make it work.

J……Linda Mar
I could support that. When our company starts up onsite work again, I can work in the SF office. Put my bike on the bus. Ride to GG bridge. Pedal to SOMA. Reverse at night. Though a 1-way trip is probably 60-90 minutes. Every 15 minute departure means that there are 6-ish busses going to the bridge and 6 coming back. I just don’t think that’s entirely sensible. Maybe every hour instead? Take the extra busses and run a line to DC BART, Millbrae BART, Downtown San Mateo, or SF’s Financial District.(edited)

M……Sharp Park
Absolutely!

J……Vallemar
Let us see..Greyhound, Little Red Bus, etc….so many over the years, all gone. I would like to see a Dial-A-Ride, like other central valley cities support. Our elderly friend who was a widow, resided in Turlock, CA, in the 1980’s, gave up her car and relied on that system and loved it, while keeping her independence. It was run by the city. Even some backwater towns in Louisiana, have that service. We must be too sophisticated for that type of service to survive./JP

Rick Nahass Sharp Park
https://www.cityofpacifica.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?t=75569.48&BlobID=15976 – Do you know about the Connect a ride program?

S……Pacific Manor
Yes!

S……Vallemar
Yes. Even reliable, fast service to BART would be welcome. I work in Oakland and I used to take the 112, and it was never on time. The delays added nearly 30 minutes to an already long commute.

L……Fairway Park
Yes! More buses to BART please. When I took the 112 it was ONE BUS PER HOUR. If you missed the 7am bus- you wouldn’t get to the office until 9! So strange for a town so close…

R……Westview
Would love to see more transit options to both SFSU and to Bart station!

T……Westview
That’ll be great!

D……Sharp Park
It’s a great thought, but they would have to be convinced there’s a market for it. And maybe once an hour, but every 15 minutes will never happen. We’re lucky Samtrans still serves both DC & Colma Barts. Yeah, the old DX bus route was great for city workers. Get on in Pacifica, get off in SF.

J……Linda Mar
Your comment made me go check google maps and they show a Pacfica to DC BART bus. I thought they stopped that service and only ran to Colma BART. Good to know DC is still available via Sam Trans.

L……Fairway Park
 J it takes FOREVER-A total puddle jumper. Not an efficient way to commute to the city at all.

B……Linda Mar
I am only in favor of busses that pay for themselves through fares. Otherwise they run busses just to create jobs and drain our wallets. If it can pay for itself running every 15 minutes, then great. I am reminded of the large bus that used to circle Pacifica up Crespi that passed by house regularly with 0-3 people on it, or about 95% empty always. It would be cheaper to give them all free cabs I think.

Rick Nahass Sharp Park
80% of SamTrans operating budget is paid by taxes not fares. This actually helped them weather the pandemic. This morning I took the 112 from Clarendon to get some pastries at Rosalind in Manor and take a nice walk back. I was the only one on the bus the whole way. Thank you for your comments and perspective. It reminded me to be grateful that I had that option.

A……Rockaway Beach
Not necessary, Rick. Take bus to Daly City BART and from there Route 28 goes 19th Ave. to GG Bridge every 10-15 minutes.

L……Sharp Park
I would very much like to see better more efficient transit options to SF State where I and my spouse both work. I’d much rather pay $3.20 fare and support public transport if it is efficient than a $20 Uber/Lyft ride which is what we do when the other has other needs for our car. I believe many faculty, staff and students in Pacifica and Half Moon Bay would use it if it were efficient, frequent and reliable. The bus to BART with transfer to SF state stops everywhere along the way and is simply not efficient. It takes at least 60 minutes one way which will never be a good option! People gripe about traffic on HWY1, yet don’t want to support public transport and think that just because they wouldn’t consider getting in a bus, no one would. Efficient public transport is key to reducing traffic and pollution and a hallmark of modern, city planning.

L……Pacific Manor
better to ask for one or two Express buses that goes to S.F. then to clog the streets and homes with more buses every 15 minutes. Express bus would be helpful. but with buses every 15 minutes , that’s a lot more buses, and they may have to make a bus stop right in front of your home.

M……Sharp Park
I work in the Presidio and would love a service like this.

D……Linda Mar
No. There’s enough traffic already.

G……Pacific Manor
Isn’t reduced traffic a benefit of bus service?

Rick Nahass Sharp Park
I like A……’s comment about the Muni 28 Bus. What if it didn’t end at Daly City but continued – next stop Manor and used the 112 Route through Linda Mar to some stops along CA1 Half Moon Bay and back to GG Bridge??? Right now there is legislation being drafted AB629 that requires the Transit Operators to cooperate ‘Regionally’ to make fares be based on distance (or zone) no matter which transit type (bus, rail, ferry) system and get them to cooperate with schedules/routes. That would mean SFMTA (Muni) and SamTrans would have to work together. Any thoughts pushing for that extension of the Muni 28 line to the coast?

G……Rockaway Beach
This all sounds wonderful. However, I agree with Leah Wingard, it still would appear it takes a lot of time (buses maybe late for one reason or another) for the coastal rider to take advantage of this. There really needs to be some type of incentive for the rider to take advantage of this system. Because of COVID-19, riding pubic transit is causing many of us to be very hesitant in riding any type of public transit.

A……Rockaway Beach
Any express bus running on Highway 1 between Half Moon Bay and BART (no side-street meandering), should stop only at major junctions –Miramar, El Granada/Princeton, Moss Beach, Montara, Devil’s Slide, Linda Mar, Rockaway, Reina del Mar, Sharp Park (Hwy 1 at Eureka Square turnout), Pacific Manor (Hwy 1 at Milagra turnout). The current coastal route takes the bus only 1/10 to 1/5 of a mile off the main drag — but burns up a huge amount of time.

P……Sharp Park
Yes! And maybe it could stop at Rockaway beach

A……Sharp Park
Yes please.

Rick Nahass Sharp Park
Thank you all for taking the time to comment. I’ve been poking around for 4 years trying to see if it’s possible to make an impact on improving coast side public transit and it is heartening to hear and learn from all of you. I keep track of things in the following personal blog where I’ve summarized some of your comments and included some links in case anyone has the urge to let SamTrans and/or Muni Boards know how you feel: http://coastcommute.org/

R……Fairway Park
People should think about the impact on traffic, especially at peak hours.

C……Pacific Manor
Absolutely! Maybe this would help our packed streets with traffic headed through Pacifica to HMB too. And I agree with other comments that 15 minute intervals might be too much.

P……Linda Mar North
Pacifica Pacifica to Skyline college.

Rick Nahass Sharp Park
Good point – there is a bus SamTrans 140 that ends at Skyline College, what if it continued down Sharp Park Road to a stop along CA1 where a bus came every 15 minutes for a quick transfer back up to Skyline College

 

Redacted text of SF TRANSit rider thread

Rick Nahass

I recently posted this question on Next Door in Pacifica and got a number of positive and negative responses. Downtown Pacifica (CA 1) is about 6 miles from SFSU 19th Ave (CA 1). Wondering what people who live in SF think about the prospect of taking one bus to the beaches, shops and microbreweries down the San Mateo coast. “…Would you support a bus that reliably came every 15 minutes from Half Moon Bay to the Golden Gate Bridge (all CA1) – with limited stops at the beaches/malls – limited SF stops at SF State, Taraval, Judah, Fulton/GG Park, Geary, GG Bridge and back. Cost would be $3.20 one way from Pacifica, $4.20 from HMB. How might this be a good thing. Asking cause (1) Feds are planning to double investment in public transit, (2) Bay Area is planning to integrate fares. What else should transit operators do for transit in Pacifica?”

M……SF Transit Rider
I would ride this. I take a Zipcar and drive there a few times a year. Would love to not drive.

C……SF Transit Rider
Yes! It drives me nuts that to get from Portola to the Pacifica beaches takes me like 2.5 hrs because I have to get myself to Daly City (which is already complicated) then take a meandering 1hr+ bus from Daly City to Pacifica.Samtrans could probably hand it over to sfmta though after getting into sf (or at most run it to Geary)Pacifica’s connection to the eastern side of the peninsula also seems weaker than it could be?

Rick Nahass
Yep, I used to take public transit from Pacifica to Foster City (Bus-BART-Bus) when everything arrived on time it took 90 minutes during commute hours to go 15 miles. Also had an office in Downtown SF also 15 miles – that usually took 40 minutes

A……SF Transit Rider
We’d love to get on this bus as a family for weekends trips to Lindamar and HMB! We are forced to get in the car for these trips, and a bus/train would be  :100:

C……SF Transit Rider
I would be psyched to see such a bus route!  But sadly unless I can take my surfboard on it I might still have to drive that way now and again.. :wink:

Ha, love it. Wasn’t it a SFTR event where this really awesome poet presented transit poetry? Well, one of those poems described someone bringing their board on a bus, if I’m remembering right. I know the idea of a transit poet sounds a little weird– I certainly thought so, that is before I heard him. He was absolutely amazing.

 
Would a surf board fit on a bike rack


Board rack would be great just for the CA1 route – there is ALMOST a full route (Pre-pandemic), if they eliminate having to transfer and make it an ALWAYS combo SamTrans 118 to/from Daly City Bart  – Muni 28 Daly BART to California – there must also be a route for GG Transit, Marin Transit on the others side – imagine 1 bus from Mill Valley to Half Moon Bay – it’s only 37 miles – will the Transit Operators ever allow that?

C……SF Transit Rider
I would love a “surfer express” along hwy 1. How Californian. :slightly_smiling_face:

C……SF Transit Rider

There does need to be a good route along 1 all the way to Santa Cruz frankly.. when you look at the county line stop for Santa Cruz bus line that could be a neat little transit center allowing for a connection from Daly City Bart to either the Santa Cruz boardwalk or down town transit center….

A……SF Transit Rider
surf boards are allowed on buses in orange county, says Google https://blog.octa.net/bring-bikes-and-boards-along-for-the-ride

M……SF Transit Rider
I did write a poem about surfboard on Muni, about the 23. You can read it here: https://www.mc-allen.com/poetry/muni-poems/surf-boarding