WELCOME ABOARD GOLDEN GATE TRANSIT S new rider s guide
WELCOME ABOARD! R iding Golden Gate Transit (GGT) and Golden Gate Ferry (GGF) is a convenient and relaxing way to get to work, go shopping, and get into (or out of) the City. Once you learn to ride, the rest is easy. The hardest part will be choosing where to go with all the destinations we serve! This guide will help you get started, from planning your trip to boarding the bus or ferry. If you ve never ridden our buses or ferries, we recommend that you first call one of our friendly representatives who will make sure your trip gets off to a good start. We ll recommend the best route and departure time, quote the fare and inform you of any transfers you ll need to make along the way. Helpful Numbers Schedule and Trip Planning Information: 511 (toll-free) 711 (TDD) 415/455-2000 (outside the Bay Area) www.goldengate.org Lost and Found 415/257-4476 (Bus) 415/925-5565 (Ferry) To Comment on Bus and Ferry Services 511 (toll-free) 711 (TDD) Buscomments.goldengate.org (online bus form) Ferrycomments.goldengate.org (online ferry form) Customer Relations Golden Gate Transit 1011 Andersen Drive San Rafael, CA 94901-5381 Marin County Transit District (Sets the level of service & fares for travel solely within Marin County) 415/499-6099 415/499-6172 (TDD) marintransit.org
TIPS WHEN CALLING 1. Have pen and paper ready 2. Be prepared to tell the representative: a. What day of the week you are traveling b. Where you re leaving from (city & nearest intersection) c. Where you want to go (city & nearest intersection) d. When you would like to get there Call: 511 (toll-free) 711 (TDD) or 415/455-2000 (outside Bay Area) Hours: Monday Friday 7:00 am 7:00 pm Weekends and Holidays 8:00 am 6:00 pm Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve Days 7:00 am 5:00 pm Closed Presidents, Christmas and New Year s Days You can also plan your trip by using our Bus & Ferry Transit Guide or by visiting our website at www.goldengate.org. The Transit Guide is updated quarterly and is available on all Golden Gate buses and ferries, as well as at many Bay Area locations including hotels, libraries and welcome centers. Or, call us at 415/257-4413 and we ll mail one to you. 1
King Santa Rosa Commerce Liberty Petaluma Hill STEP ONE Check the Map to Identify the routes you ll need when planning a trip, first look at our system map to identify the routes that serve your travel needs. The map is located in the back of the Transit Guide and online at goldengatetransit.org (click Bus Schedules then Route Map ). Every bus stop is identified on the map. Find the stop closest to your starting point. Then identify which bus routes serve the stop that is closest to your destination. Keep in mind that you may need to transfer to another route to reach your final destination. Once you find the route(s) you ll need, you re ready to check the schedules. GOLDEN GATE TRANSIT Bus & Ferry System Map 58 29 63 Strawberry Reed & Belvedere 8 9 10 15 21 Pick up a handy Transit Guide with detailed schedule explanations, information for fares and maps or visit goldengate.org Basic Bus Route Daily service between Marin, San Francisco, Sonoma and Contra Costa counties. Ferry Route Daily service between Marin and San Francisco. Commute Bus Route Operate Monday Friday except holidays. Morning routes operate southbound; evening routes operate northbound. Marin County Local Route Weekday and limited weekend service within Marin. Supplemental Weekend Bus Route Weekend and holiday service to/from Stinson Beach. Extended March Dec. to Audubon Canyon Ranch. 9 Bus Route Number 58 63 Bus Route Terminus golden gate Major Transfer Point Convenient location to transfer between routes indicated. Bus Stop Some stops are not shown. Commute buses may not serve certain stops along route. Bus Pad Bus stop at a freeway interchange served by buses operating on the freeway. Park & Ride Lot Bike Racks School Fare Zone Boundary BUS & FERRY Fulton Wright Piner H.S. 12 J.H. 116 72 73 W College Av Roblar Piner Guerneville Luther Transit Guide Other Transit Systems (For information, call 511) AC Transit Airport Express (Sonoma Co.) Angel Island-Tiburon Ferry Amtrak Burbank Ludwig Gravenstein Steele Ln Coddingtown Shopping Ctr Santa Rosa Transit Mall, 2nd St & Santa Rosa 72 73 75 Sebastopol Mem. Hwy Stony Point Todd Cleveland Cotati 73 Santa Rosa J.C. Santa Rosa H.S. 75 Barham Bellevue Scenic Milbrae Wilfred Hearn W Sierra 101 72 73 75 72 72 73 75 Note: Some peak period Route 72 trips serve Cotati Hub stop. See Timetables. Bodega 3rd Rohnert Park Rohnert Park Expwy & Commerce Blvd. Hwy Cotati Hub W. Sierra & Old Redwood Hwy 72 75 Pepper St Santa Rosa Plaza Rohnert Park Bus Pad Silva McConnell Spencer College Chanate Franklin J. H. Mill Pressley Colgan Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Maple Kawana Springs Court St Robert s Lake Dr Stony Point Mendocino Elsa St Castro Ct E Robles E Todd Rohnert Park J.H.S. 72 73 75 Mountain View Bl Horn Golf Arlen Commerce W City Hall 4th 116 St Sonoma Course Rohnert Enterprise Bl City Hall Adrian Dr Southwest Dr E Rancho Cotati Railroad Cotati Highland Sonoma County Fairgrounds Petaluma Myrtle Old Hill Park Blvd Lancaster Redwood Snyder Ln Farmers Minnesota Ln Rainsville Bennett 101 J.H. Montgomery H.S. Rancho Cotate H.S. Yulupa Expwy Hoen 74 12 Summerfield Sonoma State University E Railroad Hwy Penngrove Goodwin Stony Point Hatchery Skillman Ln Valley Warrack Hospital Crane Creek Regional Park Penngrove Old Redwood Hwy 73 Sonoma Pressley Davis Ln Adobe Ely York Corona Sonoma McDowell N P 76 Annadel State Park FARE ZONE6 FARE ZONE5 Hardin Mountain Pkwy Maria Cygnus Ct 76 Petaluma Valley 72 H it l Ln Lynch Ln Rainier Castle Dr Hwy Chehalis Sonoma Mtn E Washington St SUMMER 2005 Effective June 12 September 10, 2005 2
STEP TWO Check the Schedules Schedules are listed in numerical order in the Transit Guide and online goldengatetransit.org (click Bus Schedules ). Find the schedule for the direction you re going. Next, check the header for the correct day that you re traveling (bus service may be different for weekdays, weekends and holidays). Near the top of the schedule you ll find the major bus stops served by the route. GGT has over 1,000 bus stops, however, not all stops are listed in the schedules. Find the bus stop nearest your departure location, and then locate your departure time in the column beneath it. Remember that the listed time is only for that specific intersection. If you re boarding between major stops, use the earlier time as your reference. Read left to right to approximate what time the bus will get to your destination. Read the schedule from top to bottom to determine the times between buses at any single bus stop. Schedules can be found in the Transit Guide or online at goldengate.org 3
STEP THREE Check the Fare insert in this brochure to determine your fare. If the fare sheet is missing, you can find a fare table and zone map in the Transit Guide or online at goldengatetransit.org (Click Fare Programs ). To determine your fare, find the portion of the Fare Table appropriate to you (i.e., Adult, Senior/Disabled or Youth); then find the numbers of the Fare Zones where your trip begins and ends. If you plan to ride the bus often, you can save money by purchasing ticket books or by using a TransLink (prepaid) card. Ticket books contain 20 tickets and are valid for up to 6 months. To learn more about Ticket Books or TransLink, visit goldengate.org. Check the Fare Table and Zone Map to determine your fare. 4
STEP FOUR Board the Bus Make sure you get to the bus stop about five minutes before the scheduled stop time and that you re on the correct side of the road for the direction you re headed. When the bus approaches, check the number and destination on the front of the bus to verify that you re catching the right one. If you re not sure, you can always ask the bus operator which bus to take. GGT bus stops are clearly marked. Always check the destination sign on the front of the bus. Make sure the driver can see you and wave to him/her to indicate that you wish to board. When the bus stops, allow passengers to get off before you board. Upon boarding, you will see the fare box, which is where you ll deposit your cash or ticket. If you re using cash, remember that drivers don t carry change, so you ll need to have the exact amount with you. If you have a transfer, show it to the driver. Tell the driver where you are going. If you need to take more than one bus to reach your destination, pay your full fare and ask the driver for a transfer, because transfers are only issued when you pay your fare. Transfers cannot be used to make a round trip. Drivers don t carry change - exact fare required. date transfer is valid zone originated from will be punched by driver transfer will be torn to indicate time it expires FPO 5
STEP FIVE Getting Off the Bus For your convenience, the bus driver will announce major bus stops. The driver will also announce any stop upon request. This service assists passengers with disabilities, as well as those who are unfamiliar with the route. About a block prior to your stop, press the rubber strip between the windows or above your seat to signal the driver to stop. Wait for the bus to make a complete stop before leaving your seat. Don t forget your belongings. Press the strip to signal the bus driver to stop at the next bus stop 8
HOT TIPS Tips for riding GGT Move quickly to an empty seat and remain seated while the bus is moving. If the bus is full, you may stand, but you should hold on at all times. Keep designated priority seating available for seniors and passengers with disabilities. W Eating, drinking, smoking and playing a radio without headphones are not permitted aboard buses. Fold up baby strollers and hold the child in your lap. Do not block open seats or aisles with your personal belongings. Use of cell phones or electronic equipment is allowed as long as it does not disturb other passengers. Y Animals are allowed on buses and ferries if they are service or special-assistant animals. Other animals must remain in approved hand-carriers. G Oversize luggage is not allowed onboard. 9
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Bikes & Buses Exterior bike racks are available during all hours of operation on buses that are 40 feet or less in length and articulated buses. There are no racks on 45-foot long coaches. Every effort is made to assign buses without racks to weekday commute routes because they offer more seats. Many buses have bike racks for your convenience. Bike & Ferries All Golden Gate Ferries accept bikes on a first-come, first-served basis. Up to 15 bikes are permitted on high-speed ferries, and 25 bikes are permitted on our Spaulding ferries. To learn about bike loading/unloading instructions, rack rules/limitations and safety tips, obtain a copy of our Bike to Transit brochure online at goldengatetransit.org (click Services ) or email eventsgoldengate.org. Spaulding ferries hold up to 25 bikes. 10
Accessible Services All Golden Gate buses and ferries are wheelchair accessible. For information regarding accessible services offered by GGT and GGF, please read our accessible service booklet, Welcome Aboard, online at goldengatetransit.org or request a copy by calling 511 (toll-free), 711 (TDD) or 415/455-2000 (outside the Bay Area). Anywhere GGT goes so can your wheelchair. Special Event Services To find out more about GGT and GGF service to special events, such as 49ers games and Giants games or other events at SBC Park, send an email to events@goldengate.org or call 511 (toll-free), 711 (TDD) or 415/455-2000 (outside the Bay Area). McCovey Cove docking is the closest you can get to Giants action. We look forward to seeing you onboard. Enjoy the ride! 11