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Bay Area Transit

Stanford University is accessible by several transit agencies, making it possible to get to campus from just about anywhere.

On this page:

• Transit resources available from P&TS
• AC Transit (Alameda - Contra Costa County Transit)
• ACE (Altamont Corridor Express)
• BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)
• Caltrain
• Capitol Corridor / Amtrak
• Dumbarton Express
• Line U East Bay Express
• Muni (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency)
• SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit District)
• VTA (Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency)

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Transit resources available from P&TS

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AC Transit (Alameda - Contra Costa County Transit)

AC Transit buses serve 13 cities and adjacent areas in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

Stanford Riders can connect with AC Transit at the following locations:

• Fremont: Served by the Line U East Bay Express
• Union City – Served by the Dumbarton Express

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ACE (Altamont Corridor Express)

Stanford faculty, staff, students now enjoy a 50-percent discount on ACE train monthly passes or 20-trip tickets (limit of one per month). Discounted tickets are only available through Stanford Parking & Transportation Services, either at our office or through our online ordering system. Eligible Stanford employees can purchase tickets on a monthly recurring basis via pre-tax payroll deduction for further savings.

The ACE train runs weekdays between Stockton and San Jose, serving the following stations:

• Stockton
• Lathrop-Manteca
• Tracy
• Vasco Road
• Livermore
• Pleasanton
• Fremont
• Great America
• Santa Clara
• San Jose Diridon

Stanford commuters can transfer at the Fremont station to the Line U East Bay Express bus, which runs directly to campus (and is free with a Stanford ID). The ACE train also connects to Caltrain at the Santa Clara and San Jose Diridon stations. Commuters to the main campus or Research Park can take Caltrain to the Palo Alto station on University Avenue, then transfer to a free Marguerite shuttle or bike or walk to their Stanford destination.

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BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)

BART provides transit service on the San Francisco Peninsula and throughout the East Bay.  Stanford riders can connect to BART at the following stations:

• Millbrae – served by Caltrain
• Fremont – served by the Line U East Bay Express
• Union City – served by the Dumbarton Express

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Caltrain

Caltrain is a commuter rail service that runs between Gilroy and San Francisco. The closest stops to the main Stanford campus, Stanford Hospital, and Research Park are the Palo Alto Transit Center (at University Avenue), Menlo Park, and California Avenue stations, respectively. Stanford’s free Marguerite shuttle meets trains at the Palo Alto Transit Center, California Avenue, and Menlo Park stations on weekdays. Marguerite also provides late-night and weekend service to the Palo Alto Transit Center station during the academic year (mid-September through mid-June) and weekends during the summer session. For Caltrain information, including information on “How to Ride,” visit http://www.caltrain.com.

• Caltrain accommodates 48 or 80 bikes aboard every train, free and without permit. Just board the northernmost car and look for the on-board bike racks.
• Bike lockers are available at many stations. For more information, call Caltrain at 1-800-660-4287
• If you are eligible for the Go Pass, you can use your Go Pass to ride Caltrain for free.
• Stanford affiliates make up the largest ridership group for Caltrain.
• Express trains make train time the same as — or shorter than — driving time for many commutes!

All-day parking is available at most Caltrain stations. Parking is free at stations south of San Jose Diridon. At most other stations parking is $5 per day, and monthly parking permits may be purchased for $50 via Online Ordering, or at our office at 340 Bonair Siding.

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Capitol Corridor / Amtrak

The Capitol Corridor train runs between San Jose and Sacramento, with limited service north to Auburn. Stanford riders can connect to the Capitol Corridor in Fremont (via the Line U Stanford Express) or in San Jose (via Caltrain).

Stanford riders also have access to Amtrak's national rail network, via connections in San Jose and San Francisco.

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Dumbarton Express

The Dumbarton Express runs weekdays from the Union City BART station across the Dumbarton Bridge to Stanford or Deer Creek Road in Palo Alto.

• Line DB travels from the Union City BART station and Ardenwood Park & Ride lot to the Stanford Oval, with stops at Menlo Park, the Palo Alto Caltrain station, and Stanford Medical Center (Roth Way at Campus Drive).
• Line DB1 travels from the Union City BART station to Deer Creek Road, serving Stanford Research Park and the Palo Alto VA Hospital.

All Dumbarton Express buses are equipped with Wi-Fi and bike racks. If you are a benefits-eligible employee who is eligible for the Eco Pass program, you can use your Eco Pass to take Dumbarton Express for free. For all other riders, a fare of $4.20 each direction applies.

Our East Bay/Stanford Transit Guide (PDF, 126 KB) combines the schedules of the Dumbarton Express Line DB and the Line U East Bay Express, and shows connections with BART and Marguerite. You can also view the Line DB and Line DB1 schedule on the Dumbarton Express website.

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Line U East Bay Express

AC Transit runs a weekday express shuttle bus service between the East Bay and the Stanford campus. This service is FREE for Stanford faculty, staff, students, hospital employees, and SLAC employees with a valid university ID card, hospital ID badge, or SLAC ID badge. For all other riders, a fare of $4.20 each direction applies. The shuttle includes:

• New luxury highway coaches, equipped with high back seats, individual reading lights, and air-conditioning for seasonal comfort.
• East Bay stops at the Fremont BART, Fremont ACE/AMTRAK station (Centerville) connecting with the ACE Train and at the Ardenwood Park and Ride lot in Newark.
• Stanford stops at the Stanford Shopping Center, Stanford Medical Center (Roth Way at Campus Drive), and the Stanford Oval.

Additional parking is available for Line U riders at the Wells Fargo parking lot at 3440 Walnut Avenue in Fremont. Stanford Line U riders may park in any of the 68 spaces marked "Stanford." View more information about this Park & Ride Lot, including maps and photos.

Marguerite Line AE-F riders have the additional option of parking for free at the Kaiser park-and-ride lot at 6574 Kaiser Drive. Currently, only Line AE-F stops at the Kaiser park-and-ride lot.

Our East Bay/Stanford Transit Guide (PDF, 126 KB) combines the schedules of the Line U and the Dumbarton Express Line DB, and shows connections with BART and Marguerite. You can also view the Line U schedule at the AC Transit website.

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Muni (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency)

Muni buses serve San Francisco, with a few stops in Daly City as well. Muni Metro also provides subway and light rail service to various locations.

Stanford Riders can connect with Muni at the following locations:

• San Francisco Caltrain Station (4th and King) – Served by Caltrain. Muni Bus service at this station includes Routes 10, 30, 45, and 47. The N and T Light Rail Lines also connect with Caltrain at this point.
• BART Stations: Served by BART, via Caltrain from Palo Alto to Millbrae (transfer to BART at Millbrae).
• 22nd Street Caltrain Station: A number of Muni routes are within a short walk of the 22nd Street Station, including Muni Metro Line T and 48 Bus.

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SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit District)

SamTrans connects the Palo Alto train station (and the free Marguerite shuttle service) to all of San Mateo County (north of campus), including service to the San Francisco International Airport. For SamTrans information, visit http://www.samtrans.com.

Six SamTrans bus routes serve Stanford at the Palo Alto Transit Center:

• Route 280 and Route 281 provide service between the Stanford Shopping Center and East Palo Alto.
• Route ECR operates along El Camino between Palo Alto and Daly City, serving the Millbrae and Colma BART stations.
• Route KX provides local service on El Camino Real between Redwood City and San Mateo, then express service on Highway 101 to the San Francisco International Airport and downtown San Francisco.
• Route 297 and Route 397 provide local overnight service to Redwood City and San Francisco, respectively.

For more information about transit to San Francisco International Airport, please call the Bay Area Transit Information Hotline by dialing 511 from within the San Francisco Bay Area or (510) 817-1717 from outside the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit the 511.org website for information about San Jose or Oakland airports.

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VTA (Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency)

VTA buses connect the Palo Alto train station (and the free Marguerite shuttle service) to Santa Clara County (south of campus). VTA also provides light rail service in the South Bay. All VTA buses have 2-bike front-mounted racks. For VTA information, visit http://www.vta.org.

Three VTA bus routes serve Stanford at the Palo Alto Transit Center:

• The 22 operates along El Camino, running north to the Menlo Park train station and south to San Jose. It runs 24 hours a day with service approximately every 12 minutes during daytime hours.
• The Rapid 522 is a limited stop service between the Palo Alto train station and San Jose. It runs along El Camino like the 22, but with fewer stops and service every 15 minutes.
• The 35 runs between Mountain View and the Stanford Shopping Center, serving Palo Alto and Mountain View neighborhoods.

If you are eligible for the Eco Pass, you can use your Eco Pass to ride VTA buses, express buses, and light rail for free.

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