Marin-Sonoma Coordinated Transit Service (MASCOTS) Plan launches April 12, 2026

More Service, Better Connections Along the Highway 101 Corridor

MARIN COUNTY, Calif. and SONOMA COUNTY, Calif., April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday, April 12, 2026, North Bay transit operators will implement coordinated service changes as part of the Marin-Sonoma Coordinated Transit Service (MASCOTS) Plan--a collaborative effort among nine transit and funding agencies to improve how public transportation works in the Highway 101 corridor.

The plan was developed by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the Transportation Authority of Marin, the Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authorities, the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, Marin Transit, Sonoma County Transit, Santa Rosa CityBus and Petaluma Transit.

The MASCOTS Plan was created to grow ridership and improve the effectiveness of transit service by delivering a more connected, frequent transit network--making it easier for riders to travel across Marin and Sonoma counties and into San Francisco with better timed connections and more options throughout the day.

"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" said MTC Vice Chair and Marin County Supervisor, Stephanie Moulton-Peters. "The MASCOTS Plan is about making transit across Marin, Sonoma, and into San Francisco more connected, more convenient, and more useful for the people who rely on it."

What's changing on April 12, 2026

SMART Service Increase

SMART service will increase by 19%, with more frequent service running earlier in the morning and later in the evening. The service increases will close midday gaps and provide improved transfer times with local bus service for better first- and last-mile connections.

These improvements respond directly to rider needs, including earlier morning travel options, more midday flexibility, and later evening service for both commuting and leisure trips.

• Early morning commuters can make earlier shifts (new in the northbound direction)
• Midday service fills in gaps so people can make doctor's appointments, lunch dates, and meetings
• Additional evening commute service offers more options for people commuting home
• Later service allows people to go out to dinner and stay out later
• More service and improved frequency means more connection opportunities

Weekdays
SMART will increase service to 48 trips on weekdays. The first southbound train will depart Windsor at 3:56 AM, arriving in Larkspur at 5:20 AM. And the first northbound train will depart Larkspur at 5:28 AM, arriving in Windsor at 6:49 AM.

Late evening train service on weekdays includes a last southbound train departing Windsor at 8:18 PM and arriving in Larkspur at 9:42 PM. And the last northbound train will depart Larkspur at 10:00 PM and arrive in Windsor at 11:21 PM.

Weekends
On weekends, service will increase to 24 trips per day. The first southbound train will depart Windsor at 7:08 AM, arriving in Larkspur at 8:32 AM. And the first northbound train will depart Larkspur at 8:57 AM, arriving in Windsor at 10:18 AM.

Late evening train service on weekends includes the last southbound train departing Windsor at 8:03 PM and arriving in Larkspur at 9:27 PM. And the last northbound train will depart Larkspur at 9:53 PM and arrive in Windsor at 11:14 PM.

"The MASCOTS Plan reflects months of partnership and careful planning among multiple transit operators and funding agencies, and I want to commend every organization involved for their cooperative efforts. By aligning schedules, strengthening timed transfers, and expanding service where it's needed most, we are delivering a more seamless rider experience across Marin and Sonoma--and better connections into San Francisco. This is regional collaboration that will pay dividends for the communities we serve," said SMART Board Chair and Sonoma County Supervisor, Chris Coursey.

Golden Gate Transit Service

Golden Gate Transit Route 101 will run more often between the San Rafael Transit Center and San Francisco--every 30 minutes all day and every 15 minutes during weekday peak periods--roughly doubling previous service levels. Route 101 will continue to Novato (every 60 minutes all day and every 30 minutes during peak periods), but service north of Novato to Santa Rosa (and intermediate communities) will be discontinued and replaced by increased SMART train service.

Together, the expanded SMART and Golden Gate Transit Route 101 services create more seamless connections between Marin and San Francisco, giving riders more reliable transit options.

• Along the Highway 101 corridor, many transfers between SMART and GGT Route 101 have been improved to fall within an ideal transfer window of 5-10 minutes
• This reduces wait times and overall trip time for riders

Riders traveling to and from San Francisco will have more options with connections to Golden Gate Transit buses or ferries in Marin County.

Additional service changes include:

Three new trips are being added to Route 132 between southern Marin County and San Francisco.

Route 120 will replace Routes 130 and 150 in southern Marin, starting at Strawberry Village and going to San Francisco via Sausalito every 30 minutes most of the day, with timed connections to/from Marin Transit Route 71 at Marin City.

Commute bus service in Sonoma County will be streamlined into a single alignment with higher frequency and additional trips; Route 172 will have buses running every 20-30 minutes during peak periods.

Route 580 trips will be faster and more direct with express service from Bellam Blvd. to Pt. Richmond, and more trips added. Riders will use Marin Transit Route 23 for access to/from East San Rafael.

Local Bus Service

Marin Transit Route 71 will serve Marin Community Clinics in Novato and the San Marin SMART station, and timed connections to/from Golden Gate's Route 120 will be provided at Marin City.

All local transit agencies are planning changes to improve connections with regional transit services. Check individual agency websites for route and schedule information.

There are no changes to Paratransit services.

Learn more and plan your trip

Riders are encouraged to visit mascotsplan.org for an overview of the coordinated changes and links to participating agencies. For route-specific schedules, maps, and rider information, visit:

SMART: https://www.sonomamarintrain.org

Golden Gate Transit: https://www.goldengate.org

Marin Transit: https://marintransit.gov

Sonoma County Transit: https://sctransit.com

Santa Rosa CityBus: https://srcitybus.org

Petaluma Transit: https://transit.cityofpetaluma.net

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marin-sonoma-coordinated-transit-service-mascots-plan-launches-april-12-2026-302732559.html

SOURCE Metropolitan Transportation Commission