Before SamTrans, getting around Daly City by bus meant learning the routes by word of mouth. Peter Ratto, now a member of the agency's board, told the Redwood City Pulse that the Northgate Transit buses he rode growing up had no regular map or schedule, and that the route maps SamTrans mailed out before it took over in late 1976 were "something we had never had before."

The San Mateo County Transit District began service on July 1, 1976, by combining several local bus operations. Fifty years later it runs 74 bus routes, two on-demand service areas and paratransit, carrying more than 10 million riders a year, according to the agency. It also provides administrative support for Caltrain and the county Transportation Authority, and is funded in part by a half-cent sales tax.

A year of celebrating

SamTrans marked the milestone this year with two specially wrapped buses, a 25-cent fare on Sept. 1 to match what a ride cost when it started, and a Sept. 26 party at its new headquarters next to the Millbrae Transit Center. Spokesperson Randol White said close to 1,000 people came.

Longtime staff remember a scrappier start. Monica Colondres, who began as a bus operator in 1977 and retired in 2015 as human resources director, told the Pulse the early agency ran "on a shoestring." She recalled that on the day after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, more workers showed up than had been scheduled, in case they were needed.

One of the district's biggest moves came in 1991, when it bought the Peninsula rail right-of-way from the Southern Pacific Railroad. David Miller, its former general counsel, said the purchase protected the interests of San Mateo County riders, and the Pulse reported that it paved the way for Caltrain and other rail service, including BART's extension to San Francisco International Airport.

Riders are back, and want more

Unlike many Bay Area transit systems, SamTrans has fully recovered its pre-pandemic ridership, reaching that mark in March 2025. White credited Reimagine SamTrans, an overhaul that took effect in August 2024, consolidating routes to shorten trips and adding on-demand Ride Plus service in East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, Half Moon Bay and El Granada.

Advocates see room to improve. Jade Costello, communications manager for the nonprofit Seamless Bay Area, told the Pulse that riders want "more frequent buses, better bus stops, (and) more options," noting that many stops lack shade or a trash can. Board member Jeff Gee, who also sits on the Redwood City Council, said he expects the agency will be "required to evolve faster than we've ever been asked to."