Sonoma County riders are calling for more frequent, more reliable bus service and better connections to jobs, schools, medical care, and the SMART train, according to feedback from a July 14 Sonoma County Transit (SCT) virtual community workshop.

The meeting was part of SCT’s five-year Strategic Transit Plan, a county-led effort to rethink local bus routes, paratransit, and new on‑demand services and to decide where to invest — or reduce — service over the next several years.

Emily Betts Transit Systems Manager for SCT led the workshop and gathered feedback from attendees, who remained anonymous because of the virtual Zoom platform.

“We want the transit network to function as an integrated system … the role that Golden Gate and Sonoma County Transit have historically played up and down the corridor is now being taken by SMART, and we need to shift our resources into feeding SMART,” Betts said.

Betts described the workshops as “meet-and-greet” opportunities that aim to introduce the plan to the public and discuss the agency’s long-term vision. Throughout the virtual presentation, attendees used a digital survey platform to participate in real-time polls and provide immediate feedback on service priorities.

Participants consistently emphasized more frequent buses — especially on key routes like Route 60, rather than adding lots of new, infrequent routes — better connections to SMART, so buses line up more closely with train arrival and departure times, and reliable, on-time service, particularly on long routes where delays can snowball.

Transit officials said Integrating bus routes with the SMART system is a top priority and SCT has begun efforts to align routes with train schedules. SCT is set to launch a new bus service on Aug. 10, Route 40X, a redesign of Route 40 that will provide specifically timed connections to SMART train schedules for Sonoma and Petaluma riders. The launch marks the agency’s first local route to fully reorient its service to support the commuter rail system.

“We have completely redesigned the service to connect to SMART,” Betts said. “So that’s going to be a big change for service to Sonoma.”

Workshop attendees also stressed the importance of access to medical appointments, schools, and major employment centers, especially for people who don’t drive or don’t own a car.

Because the plan responds to post-pandemic funding challenges, Betts was candid that some hard choices may be ahead.

Community members said they would rather see service improved where buses are used more rather than maintain infrequent, inconvenient service everywhere. Several urged SCT to be careful not to cut routes that people rely on simply because they are currently hard to use.

When asked to share ideas for new and better connections, residents favored better links between Sonoma Valley, West County, Petaluma, and Sebastopol. Participants also called for restoring and improving connections to Napa and other neighboring counties and stronger service to Santa Rosa Junior College and youth destinations.

Many also want higher-quality bus stops — more shelters, seating, lighting, and safer waiting areas, especially at major transfer points and near SMART stations.

SCT shared that buses are now GPS-tracked in real time, so riders can see where buses are using the Transit app, Google Maps, and the SCT website.

Officials acknowledged frustration with older electronic signs that no longer show accurate arrival times and encouraged riders to rely on the new online tools instead.

They also asked riders to report damaged or dirty shelters, graffiti, or unsafe conditions, noting that the agency depends on public reports to address problems quickly.

This Strategic Transit Plan will guide where buses run, how often, and how late they operate, with a final plan expected in March 2027. County officials stressed that community feedback right now will directly influence those decisions.

While the July 14 workshop drew a modest group of 15t o 20 participants, SCT officials noted that their broader outreach efforts are gaining traction, with over 200 responses collected via the online survey so far.

Betts said the turnout included residents from all across the county, including several residing in Sonoma Valley.

More information on workshops in the county and the survey is available at sctransit.com/sct-strategic-transit-plan/.

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