In a pilot program to streamline SamTrans bus traffic and increase on-time performance for routes connecting to BART, Muni and Caltrain, the transit agency on Sunday will consolidate two bus lines that run from Palo Alto to Daly City on weekends.
The popular 390 and 391 SamTrans lines, which now operate along El Camino Real seven days a week, will be merged into one bus line on weekends to simplify the schedule and make it more convenient for users headed to major transit hubs, SamTrans spokeswoman Christine Dunn said.
Called the "ECR Service," the program will last for 18 months and may be expanded to weekdays if it proves successful, Dunn said.
Buses on the consolidated line will roll to BART, Muni and Caltrain stations every 20 minutes on Saturday and Sunday, as they do now, but just on one bus route, Dunn said.
"Running just one route along El Camino Real gives SamTrans more flexibility in managing bus schedules, eliminating a common customer complaint about multiple buses back-to-back rather than evenly spaced to provide better frequency," Dunn said.
The 390 and 391 lines on average carry about 12,000 passengers each weekday and 12,950 on the weekends, she said.
-- Bay City News
