San Rafael Transit Center - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The San Rafael Transportation Center (also called the C. Paul Bettini Transportation Center), in San Rafael, California, is the main transit center for Marin County. From San Rafael, passengers can travel throughout Marin County, to San Francisco, Contra Costa, and Sonoma Counties. It is also an important station

Bus station

A bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can stop...

for buses serving San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport, and the rest of the country.

Description

The San Rafael Transit Center hosts to a number of bus agencies, including:

Golden Gate Transit
Golden Gate Transit
Golden Gate Transit is a public transportation system serving the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, United States. It mainly serves Marin and Sonoma Counties, and also provides limited service to San Francisco and Contra Costa County.Golden Gate Transit is one of three...

(the main bus agency) - serving Marin, Contra Costa, Sonoma, and San Francisco Counties.
Marin Transit
Marin Transit
Marin Transit is a public bus agency in Marin County, California, in the United States. Originally formed in 1964 as Marin County Transit District , it was rebranded as Marin Transit on 30 July 2007...

- serving Marin County (including Marin Transit Shuttle Route 233 and West Marin Stagecoach Route 68)
Marin Airporter - serving the San Francisco International Airport from Marin County.
Airport Express
Airport Express
Airport Express can refer to the following:*AirPort Express, a wireless product by Apple Inc.*Several airport rail links are named Airport Express:**Airport Express , the airport transit service in Beijing, China...

- serving the Oakland International Airport; serves as stopover for Marin County to Sonoma County.
Sonoma County Transit
Sonoma County Transit
Sonoma County Transit is a public transportation system based in Sonoma County, California.-Cities and communities served:As the primary bus system in the county, Sonoma County Transit operates to the following communities, listed by zones from south to north:Sonoma Coast and Russian River:*...

- serving the Sonoma Valley (Kenwood
Kenwood, California
Kenwood, California is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Sonoma County, California, United States, located on Sonoma Highway between the cities Santa Rosa and Sonoma. It lies east of Sonoma Creek in the upper part of Sonoma Valley, a region sometimes called the Valley of the...

, Glen Ellen
Glen Ellen, California
Glen Ellen is a census-designated place in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA. The population was 784 at the 2010 census, down from 992 at the 2000 census. Glen Ellen is the location of Jack London State Historic Park , Sonoma Valley Regional Park, and a former home of Hunter S....

, Agua Caliente, Sonoma
Sonoma, California
Sonoma is a historically significant city in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA, surrounding its historic town plaza, a remnant of the town's Mexican colonial past. It was the capital of the short-lived California Republic...

, and Schellville
Schellville, California
Schellville is an unincorporated community in Sonoma County, California, United States. Schellville is located at the junction of California State Route 12 and California State Route 121 south of Sonoma...

) from San Rafael. One morning southbound and one afternoon northbound only, with timed connections to Golden Gate Transit buses to San Francisco.
Greyhound Bus Lines - the main stop of Greyhound in Marin County, serving points in Northern California and the rest of the United States.
Other Agencies - County Shuttle Connection, a shuttle service between San Rafael Transit Center and the Marin Health and Human Needs Center at 120 Redwood Hwy, San Rafael.

Location

The San Rafael Transit Center is located at the corner of 3rd and Hetherton Streets, bounded by Tamalpais Avenue to the west and 2nd Street to the south. Its proximity to Downtown San Rafael and U.S. Highway 101 makes the SRTC an important transfer point for services within Marin County and beyond, aside from being the main hub for Golden Gate Transit services.

Transfers and Features

With most of Marin Transit's and many of Golden Gate Transit's routes meeting at the San Rafael Transit Center, it provides a convenient transfer point for passengers from San Rafael going towards the rest of Marin County and throughout the Bay Area. Along with that, being the main stop for Greyhound for the county, SRTC provides connections for its passengers from within Marin County to intra- and inter-regional bus service. And being one of the main stops of two Airport Bus companies (namely Marin Airporter and Sonoma County Airport Express), it allows passengers to travel to either San Francisco International Airport or Oakland International Airport without the need of driving.

Routes Starting and Ending at SRTC

Route Number	Origin/Destination	Operated by	Platform
17	Marin City Marin City, California Marin City, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Marin County, California, United States. It is located northwest of downtown Sausalito, at an elevation of 23 feet . Marin City was developed for housing starting in 1942, to accommodate war-time shipyard workers and other... via Mill Valley Mill Valley, California Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. The population was 13,903 at the 2010 census.Mill Valley is located on the western and northern shores of Richardson Bay... Most trips Tiburon Tiburon, California Tiburon is an incorporated town in Marin County, California. It occupies most of the Tiburon Peninsula, which reaches south into the San Francisco Bay. The smaller city of Belvedere occupies the south-east part of the peninsula and is contiguous with Tiburon... via Strawberry One morning trip	Marin Transit	A
22	Sausalito Sausalito, California Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to... via College of Marin College of Marin The College of Marin is a community college in Marin County, California, U.S., with two campuses, one in Kentfield, and the second in Novato. It is the only institution operated by the Marin Community College District. Its chief executive officer is currently Superintendent/President David Wain... Most trips College of Marin Select morning trips	Marin Transit	B
23 Weekdays and Saturday late nights	Fairfax Fairfax, California Fairfax is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States. Fairfax is located west-northwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 115 feet... via San Anselmo San Anselmo, California San Anselmo is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, in the western United States. San Anselmo is located west of San Rafael, at an elevation of 46 feet . It is located about north of San Francisco. Neighboring towns include San Rafael to the east, Fairfax to the west, and Ross to the... White Hill Middle School School days only, one morning route	Marin Transit	B
29 No Sunday or holiday service	Fairfax Manor via Sir Francis Drake Weekdays San Anselmo via Sir Francis Drake Weekday peak period services & Saturdays	Marin Transit	B
35	Canal District Canal Area, San Rafael, California The Canal Area comprises two neighborhoods of San Rafael, California, designated by the city as the "Canal Waterfront" and the "Canal." The Canal Area is bounded on the east by San Francisco Bay, on the north by the San Rafael Canal and on the south and west by Highways 101 and I-580 and by San...	Marin Transit	A
38 Weekday commute periods only	Sonoma Valley Sonoma Valley Sonoma Valley is the birthplace of the California wine industry and often called The Valley of the Moon. Sonoma Valley is home to some of the earliest vineyards and wineries in the state, some of which survived the phylloxera epidemic of the 1870s and the impact of Prohibition...	Sonoma County Transit	D
40, 42 - Weekdays only	Del Norte BART El Cerrito del Norte (BART station) El Cerrito del Norte, frequenly shorterned to del Norte, is one of two BART stations in El Cerrito, California, just east of the Cutting Boulevard interchange of Interstate 80 parallel to San Pablo Avenue and the Ohlone Greenway straddling the Richmond border. Del Norte opened to revenue service on... Routes 40 & 42 Richmond BART Richmond Station (California) Richmond Station is an at-grade Bay Area Rapid Transit and Amtrak station located in Richmond, California. Each system is served by an island platform. The Capitol Corridor, San Joaquins, California Zephyr, and Coast Starlight stop here and connect to BART. The station is currently being rebuilt... Route 42 only	Golden Gate Transit	A
45, 45K* * - Weekdays only	Northgate Mall The Mall at Northgate The Northgate Mall, is a shopping mall located in San Rafael, California, north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It's the largest of three shopping centers in San Rafael called Northgate. It is managed by The Macerich Company. It is the only enclosed regional shopping center in Marin County. The mall's... via Civic Center Marin County Civic Center Marin County Civic Center, the last commission by Frank Lloyd Wright, is located in San Rafael, California. Groundbreaking for the Civic Center Administration Building took place in 1960, after Wright's death and under the watch of Wright's protégé, Aaron Green, and was completed in 1962. The... Routes 45 & 45K Kaiser Hospital Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield... Route 45K only	Marin Transit	B
49†	Ignacio Ignacio, California Ignacio is an unincorporated community in Marin County, California. It is located southeast of downtown Novato, at an elevation of 30 feet .... via Northgate/Kaiser	Marin Transit	B
52 Weekdays only	Redwood & Grant Novato, California Novato is a city located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, in northern Marin County. Novato is located about north-northwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 30 feet above sea level . The 2010 U.S. Census estimated the city population to be about 51,904. Novato is about ... via S. Novato Blvd	Marin Transit	D
68	Inverness Inverness, California Inverness is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in western Marin County, California. Inverness is located on the southwest shore of Tomales Bay northwest of Point Reyes Station, at an elevation of 43 feet . In the 2010 census, the population was 1,304... Most trips Point Reyes Station Point Reyes Station, California Point Reyes Station is small unincorporated town located in western Marin County, California. Point Reyes Station is located south-southeast of Tomales, at an elevation of . Point Reyes Station is located along State Route 1 and is a gateway to the Point Reyes National Seashore, an extremely... One round trip	West Marin Stagecoach	D
70 Select trips	San Francisco Civic Center Civic Center, San Francisco, California The Civic Center in San Francisco, California, is an area of a few blocks north of the intersection of Market Street and Van Ness Avenue that contains many of the city's largest government and cultural institutions. It has two large plazas and a number of buildings in classical architectural style...	Golden Gate Transit	C
114 Summer school days only	Redwood High School Redwood High School (Larkspur, California) Redwood High School is a public secondary school located in the city of Larkspur, Marin County, California, approximately 11 miles north of San Francisco. Redwood High is part of the Tamalpais Union High School District...	Marin Transit	A
126 School days only	San Domenico via Brookside Schools Sleepy Hollow, Marin County, California Sleepy Hollow is a census-designated place in Marin County, California. It is located south of downtown Novato, at an elevation of 177 feet . Its population as of the 2010 census is 2,384....	Marin Transit	B
233 Weekdays only (except holidays)	Santa Venetia	Marin Transit Shuttle	D
Shuttle Weekdays only (except holidays)	Marin Human Needs Center	County Shuttle Connection	D

Note: † - Weekday Route 49 trips continue as/from Route 51 (Ignacio-San Marin), and weekend Route 49 trips continue as/from Route 52 (Ignacio-Novato) at the Ignacio Bus Pad, facilitating a one-bus trip between San Rafael and Novato.

Routes Stopping at San Rafael Transit Center

Route Number	Terminals		Operated by	Platform
Route Number	North/East	South/West	Operated by	Northbound/Eastbound	Southbound/Westbound
27 Weekday commute periods only	San Anselmo Most trips Sleepy Hollow Sleepy Hollow, Marin County, California Sleepy Hollow is a census-designated place in Marin County, California. It is located south of downtown Novato, at an elevation of 177 feet . Its population as of the 2010 census is 2,384.... One round trip	San Francisco Financial District	Golden Gate Transit	A	B
36 Weekday commute periods only	Canal District	Marin City	Marin Transit	A	A
44 Weekday commute periods only	Lucas Valley Lucas Valley-Marinwood, California Lucas Valley-Marinwood is a census-designated place in Marin County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,094.-History:...	San Francisco Financial District	Golden Gate Transit	A	D
70	Novato Novato, California Novato is a city located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, in northern Marin County. Novato is located about north-northwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 30 feet above sea level . The 2010 U.S. Census estimated the city population to be about 51,904. Novato is about ...	San Francisco Civic Center All trips Transbay Terminal San Francisco Transbay Terminal San Francisco Transbay Transit Terminal, or simply Transbay Terminal, was a transportation complex in San Francisco, California, USA, located roughly in the center of the rectangle bounded north–south by Mission Street and Howard Street, and east–west by Beale Street and 2nd Street... Most trips	Golden Gate Transit	A	C
71	Novato	Marin City	Marin Transit	A	C
80 Weekdays (before 6am and after 7pm), weekends, and holidays	Santa Rosa	San Francisco Civic Center	Golden Gate Transit	A	C
101 Weekdays (except holidays, between 6am to 7pm) and Saturdays (several hourly trips)	Santa Rosa	San Francisco Civic Center	Golden Gate Transit	A	C
Marin Airporter Ticketed passengers only (pick up only to SFO, drop off only to Novato)	Novato	San Francisco International Airport San Francisco International Airport San Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, near the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO...	Marin Airporter	D	D
Airport Express Ticketed passengers only (pick up only to OAK, drop off only to Santa Rosa)	Santa Rosa	Oakland International Airport Oakland International Airport Oakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport located south of the central business district of Oakland, a city in Alameda County, California, United States...	Sonoma County Airport Express	D	D
Greyhound Ticketed passengers only	Various		Greyhound, Inc.	D	D
Valley of the Moon Commute Club Valley of the Moon Commute Club Valley of the Moon Commute Club is a privately owned and operated transit system based in the San Francisco Bay Area.-History:The service began in Sonoma, California as a non-profit during the 1970s oil crises as a cheaper alternative to driving to financial district job centers in San Francisco...	Sonoma Riverside Dr. and La Mancha Dr. Santa Rosa Santa Rosa Transit Mall Santa Rosa Transit Mall The Santa Rosa Transit Mall is a major transfer point for several bus routes serving the city of Santa Rosa, California, located in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, in the United States...	San Francisco Van Ness/Hayes St. and Market St.

Note: Golden Gate buses may board at a different side of the same platform.

In addition to bus services, there is a single railroad track and side platform that was built as part of the transit center in anticipation of the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit

The SMART or Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit project is a future passenger rail service and high density housing project in Northern California, USA, to serve Sonoma and Marin counties. The project was approved with passage of Measure "Q" by the voters in 2008 by the required 2/3 vote...

service. However, this platform and track is currently not used even though railroad crossing signs remain in place.

Route 101, Golden Gate Transit's limited-stop service, serves the San Rafael Transit Center complementing the existing Route 80 on weekdays (except holidays) and Saturdays. For a description of this service, click here. Route 80 continues to serve the SRTC weeknights, weekends, and holidays when the Route 101 does not operate.

Features

The San Rafael Transit Center has the following amenities for its passengers:

Saluté Cafe, a coffee shop which also carries Golden Gate Transit and Marin Transit value tickets.
A shop that hosts ticketing offices for Greyhound Bus Lines and Sonoma County Airport Express (for Oakland Airport)
Busboat, a small restaurant serving snacks and refreshments
Clipper ticketing machines on all platforms
Disabled access throughout the Transit Center
Taxi stand

Near the Transit Center are full-service restaurants, especially along Fourth Street (Downtown San Rafael

San Rafael, California

San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...