San Rafael riders who catch Route 120 to connect with Marin Transit will need to adjust their morning alarms. Golden Gate Transit is shifting Route 120 schedules up to 12 minutes earlier starting Sunday, Sept. 13, to better align with Marin Transit Routes 36 and 71.
The same date brings back the 172X express between Santa Rosa and San Francisco, which the agency is resuming due to high demand. The route skips Petaluma for a faster commute and will run two trips each direction on weekdays: southbound from Santa Rosa GGT at Piner and Industrial at 6:06 a.m. and 6:44 a.m., northbound from San Francisco at Perry and 3rd streets at 4:07 p.m. and 4:37 p.m.
Marin Transit is making its own coordinated adjustments on Sept. 13, shifting schedules on Routes 23, 30, 35, 57, 71 and 625 to improve reliability and account for traffic pattern changes.
Friday commute trips disappearing
Four commute routes lose specific Friday trips starting Sept. 13:
- Route 132 (San Anselmo to San Francisco): The 5:52 a.m. southbound from San Anselmo Hub at Center and Sir Francis Drake, and the 5:41 p.m. northbound from San Francisco, will no longer run Fridays.
- Route 114 (Mill Valley to San Francisco): The 6:14 a.m. southbound from Mill Valley at E. Blithedale and Tower, and the 2:59 p.m. northbound from San Francisco, cut on Fridays.
- Route 154 (Novato to San Francisco): The 6:38 a.m. southbound from Novato GGT at Golden Gate Place, and the 4:50 p.m. northbound from San Francisco, cut on Fridays.
- Route 172 (Petaluma/Santa Rosa to San Francisco): Two southbound trips (7:09 a.m. from Petaluma, 7:17 a.m. from Santa Rosa) and two northbound trips (3:06 p.m. and 4:25 p.m. from San Francisco) eliminated on Fridays.
Two Route 172 trips per direction will also operate only between Petaluma and San Francisco.
Part of regional coordination push
The changes fall under the Marin-Sonoma Coordinated Transit Service plan, known as MASCOTS, which Golden Gate Transit, Marin Transit and SMART launched in April to align schedules across nine agencies along the Highway 101 corridor.
Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters, who serves as MTC vice chair, said at the April 2 MASCOTS launch: "This is the kind of coordination that can make a real difference for riders. When agencies work together to better align service, people get shorter waits, easier transfers, and more options throughout the day."
Golden Gate Ferry service is not affected. Routes 101 and 580/580X will see only minor timing adjustments.
Riders can view updated timetables at goldengate.org or call 511. Customer service is available weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
