[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3167]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO SAMTRANS ON ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 14, 2016

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 40th 
Anniversary of the San Mateo County Transit District, known locally as 
SamTrans, and congratulate its Board and everyone at the agency. 
SamTrans has provided important bus service throughout San Mateo County 
since it carried its first passengers on July 1, 1976.
  SamTrans was formed through the consolidation of 11 separate city bus 
systems into a single countywide service. Since its beginning, SamTrans 
has provided bus service to several heavily populated employment 
centers on the San Francisco Peninsula. SamTrans also provides critical 
service to the rural coast of San Mateo County which is home to 
agricultural workers and many other residents who are dependent on the 
SamTrans bus system to get to work, school, and medical appointments.
  SamTrans is also a leader in providing paratransit service for 
passengers with mobility impairments. In 1977, more than a decade 
before passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, SamTrans 
launched the Redi-Wheels program to provide on-demand, free transit 
service for passengers with disabilities. This innovative program now 
provides more than 1,000 trips per day.
  In 1988, SamTrans was named the managing agency of a half-cent sales 
tax measure approved by San Mateo County voters for transportation 
projects. This sales tax was renewed in 2004 and will be in effect 
through 2033. Three years later, SamTrans joined with the Peninsula 
Corridor Joint Powers Board to purchase the Caltrain right-of-way from 
San Francisco to San Jose and ensure that this regional commuter rail 
remained in service. SamTrans now serves as the managing agency for 
Caltrain which is the spine of our transit system on the Peninsula and 
serves over 55,000 passengers on an average weekday.
  Today, SamTrans has a fleet of nearly 300 buses providing service to 
over 13 million riders per year. SamTrans operates on over 75 routes 
throughout San Mateo County, with service extended into parts of San 
Francisco and Palo Alto, and the District has continually improved and 
upgraded its service over the years to better align with demand.
  My own experience with SamTrans dates back to my service on the San 
Mateo County Board of Supervisors from 1982 to 1992. Throughout my 
tenure on the Board and in Congress, I'm proud to have worked closely 
with SamTrans to ensure residents of San Mateo County have access to 
safe, efficient transportation options that reduce congestion and 
improve mobility on the Peninsula.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House to join me in honoring SamTrans 
for 40 years of superb service to the people of San Mateo County.

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