Update from the Executive Director

Due to the support we have received from consortium partners, like you, and from grant funding partners (SMCTA, SamTrans, and C/CAG), we have been able to continue operating shuttle service throughout San Mateo County during the second year of the pandemic.
 
As you will see in the graph later in this newsletter, ridership has been growing but is still below the levels we had prior to COVID. As more of the office-based employers bring their staff back to the office in the new year, we expect to see a surge in ridership.
 
We have resumed service on a couple of the routes that were suspended and added back a second vehicle on one of the routes that was experiencing capacity issues. Several routes continue to operate with reduced service and staff is continually monitoring them to determine when an expansion is needed.

Throughout 2021, we have adjusted our schedules to match the changes that BART, Caltrain and SF Bay Ferry have implemented. We have also made lots of changes to our routes and schedules to accommodate the closure and reopening of the Hillsdale Station in San Mateo. Public transit is operating close to a full schedule now, so our shuttles are almost constantly on the move!
 
We are adjusting our operating budgets for each route to reflect the expected service levels for the first six months of 2022. The impact will vary by route depending on how much service was reduced over the past 20 months and how much will be restored in 2022. We are taking a conservative approach in determining the amount of funding we will need for the period between January – June. As always, if it turns out that demand does not return as early as projected, then we will rebate the excess contributions in the following operating cycle.
 
Please be on the lookout for your January - June 2022 service invoice. They will be mailed (or sent electronically) in early December. 

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of our shuttle team if you have any questions. We are available at the numbers and email addresses shown below. 

John Ford, Executive Director
P: 650-588-8170
E: john@commute.org

Shuttle Team
P: 650-588-1600
E: shuttles@commute.org

Shuttle Holiday Schedules

Commute.org Shuttles WILL NOT be operating on the following days in observance of the upcoming holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, 11/25)
• Day after Thanksgiving (Friday, 11/26) 
• Christmas Eve (Friday, 12/24) 
• New Year's Eve (Friday, 12/31) 

2021 Shuttle Ridership Trends 

SSF Ferry Returns with Shuttle Connection

We are happy to announce that in coordination with the return of the SF Bay Ferry service to South San Francisco Terminal, we resumed service on the Oyster Point Ferry (OPF) and Utah-Grand Ferry (UGF) routes on November 8th. Click below to learn more about the ferry and shuttle service.

Thank You Drivers! 

Coming Soon: Projects Around The Peninsula

• South San Francisco Caltrain Shuttle Location Changes: When the new Caltrain station in SSF opens, we will be making changes to the Oyster Point Caltrain (OPC), Utah-Grand Caltrain (UGC), and One Tower Place (OTP) routes to provide service to and from the new shuttle pickup and drop-off location on the East side of the station on Poletti Way. Note: The shuttle stop relocation is expected to happen in early 2022.
• 101 Express Lane Update: The 101 Express Lanes from Santa Clara County to Redwood City will be open in January. All express lane signs will say "TOLL TESTING" until they are officially open. Once they open, they will be free for vehicles with 3+ passengers, half price for vehicles with 2 passengers as well as some clean air vehicles, and available for a toll to vehicles with solo drivers. Visit https://smcexpresslanes.org/ for more information.