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Regional 'MASCOTS' transit plan seeks to shift North–South service to SMART; city staff urge public comment
Summary
Santa Rosa transit staff described a coordinated plan among six operators to reconfigure North–South service along U.S. 101, centering SMART rail for regional travel and increasing local bus connections to train stations. The plan is in public outreach through August with implementation targeted for January 2026.
City of Santa Rosa transit staff on Aug. 5 outlined the Marin–Sonoma Coordinated Transit Service Plan (MASCOTS), a regional proposal developed with multiple operators to streamline overlapping services on the U.S. 101 corridor and emphasize Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) as the primary north–south option.
Rachel Lee, deputy director of transit, and Matt Wilcox, the city’s lead planner on the effort, said the plan grew from a 2024 analysis and consultant work and is now in the public outreach phase. Wilcox said the proposal aims to treat the corridor as if it were operated by a single agency — coordinating Golden Gate Transit, SMART, Sonoma County Transit, City Bus (Santa Rosa CityBus), the Transportation Authority of Marin, SCTCA and others — to reduce duplication, improve connections and match service to demand.
Key recommendations for Sonoma County include truncating some Golden Gate intercity 101 service where SMART rail will provide the core north–south connection and increasing local bus service to deliver first- and last-mile connections to SMART stations in Santa Rosa. Wilcox said the plan projects an 8%–15% ridership increase across operators by reinvesting service hours into higher-demand routes and markets. He described the MASCOTS changes as revenue-hour neutral: no new fleet purchases are required, but operating patterns and the allocation of service hours would shift.
Councilmembers asked how funding and rider costs would be affected. Staff replied that the plan includes a funding reallocation within Sonoma County’s Transportation Development Act distribution to support increased SMART frequency while also providing resources for local bus services; Golden Gate Transit agreed to accept a reduced share of prior funding to enable the shift. Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) has also pledged start-up funds to help implement changes in mid‑fiscal year. Staff said fare analysis on the project site indicates the proposed shift would not increase most riders’ fares and in many cases could lower costs because SMART fares are competitive.
Staff emphasized a two-year pilot period to evaluate outcomes and said Sonoma outreach is scheduled for Aug. 18 at the downtown library; the project website is mascotsplan.org. The plan remains subject to adjustments based on public feedback and fiscal constraints; staff promised to return to the council in the fall with outreach results and recommended next steps.
Councilmembers and the mayor praised the regional cooperation behind the plan and asked staff to report back on connectivity, schedule syncing and fare impacts during later implementation phases.
No formal council action was taken at the presentation; the item was presented for information and public outreach.
