The San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) Board of Directors approved $8.5 million in funding at its May meeting for the San Mateo County Shuttle Program. The City and County Association of Governments (C/CAG) is voting May 14 on whether to contribute $1 million to the program.
Shuttle routes were proposed by a range of cities and public agencies in San Mateo County following part of a joint Call for Projects (CFP) by SMCTA and C/CAG in January 2020.
Thirty-four applications were submitted, with 30 being considered for funding by an evaluation panel made up of representatives from SMCTA, C/CAG, SamTrans, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and Stanford University Transportation Services. The routes selected were scored for need, readiness, sustainability and effectiveness.
Of the $8.5 million approved, more than $5 million of the SMCTA funds have already been collected through Measure A. The remainder will become available over the course of the next two fiscal years.
SMCTA has been funding shuttles through Measure A funds since 2002, when it started routes serving Caltrain stations. SMCTA’s shuttles provide first/last mile connections to transit hubs and give commuters in areas that can’t support a fixed bus route an additional mobility option. The shuttle program currently carries more than 1.1 million riders annually.
All SMCTA shuttles are open to the public and many operate free of charge to riders. Shuttle schedules vary according to route.
