New SamTrans routes serve Peninsula students

Students returning back to school in the Peninsula will now have an easier, more convenient way to get to and from school thanks to four new bus routes that launched Monday, the San Mateo County Transit District announced.

The newly launched SamTrans Routes 18, 56, 61 and 81 will all serve schools throughout the county and are scheduled to coincide with school start and finish times, SamTrans officials said.

Bus Route 18 will shuttle students traveling between Half Moon Bay and Granada, serving students at Manuel F. Cunha Intermediate School and Half Moon Bay High School.

Bus Route 56 will travel throughout the city of San Mateo and was designed to cater to students at Aragon High School and the College of San Mateo, according to SamTrans officials.

Route 61 will operate primarily in San Carlos, taking students who are traveling to Tierra Linda Middle School and Carlmont High School. The line will depart daily in the morning from the San Carlos Caltrain Station, allowing students coming from other areas on Caltrain to make a connection.

Lastly, Route 81 will serve students in Menlo Park and Palo Alto and was created to take students to and from Menlo-Atherton High School, SamTrans officials said.

The new lines are an addition to the nearly 40 already existing bus lines that primarily serve peninsula area schools, according to SamTrans officials.

The newly created lines will not operate when school is not in session, including weekends, SamTrans officials said.

Schedule changes and adjustments for SamTrans lines take place about three times a year, as a way to keep up with changing traffic impacts, travel patterns and bus operator availability, according to SamTrans officials.

For a complete list of bus schedules, riders can visit www.samtrans.com.