Mill Valley commuters who catch the early bus to San Francisco on Fridays will need a new plan starting next month.

Golden Gate Transit is eliminating two Friday trips on Route 114 as part of a systemwide schedule overhaul taking effect Sunday, Sept. 13. The 6:14 a.m. southbound departure from the E. Blithedale & Tower stop and the 2:59 p.m. northbound return from Perry & 3rd Street in San Francisco will no longer run on Fridays, according to the agency's service change announcement. The first Friday without those trips will be Sept. 18.

The cuts mean riders who depend on that early morning departure will need to catch an earlier or later bus, and those counting on the 2:59 p.m. return will have to find an alternative for their Friday commute home.

Route 114 is not alone. Routes 132, 154 and 172 also face reduced Friday schedules under the same changes, which the agency says will "improve system efficiency." Route 120 will shift up to 12 minutes earlier to better connect with Marin Transit Routes 36 and 71. Golden Gate Transit is also resuming Route 172X express service between Santa Rosa and San Francisco due to high demand. Golden Gate Ferry schedules remain unchanged.

The Friday reductions fit a pattern. Under the Marin-Sonoma Coordinated Transit Service plan, known as MASCOTS, Golden Gate Transit cut its total service hours by 12% while increasing the number of trips by 22%, according to a July 28 report from Enjoy Mill Valley. The philosophy: run more frequent buses on high-demand corridors, trim low-ridership runs elsewhere.

Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt, who sits on the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District board, explained the rationale in that same report from Enjoy Mill Valley on why Golden Gate Transit eliminated low-ridership late-night Sonoma County service under the same MASCOTS framework: "Golden Gate, because of the way it's funded, doesn't run empty buses, and won't support a full bus carrying that few people, quite honestly."

Transfers between SMART, Marin Transit, Golden Gate Ferry and Golden Gate Transit rose 45% in April and May 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, according to a preliminary MASCOTS evaluation. A formal evaluation including rider surveys will continue through 2029.

Golden Gate Transit has not disclosed ridership figures for the specific Route 114 trips being cut, and the agency's announcement does not mention a public comment period for the changes.

New timetables are available at goldengate.org/bus/schedules-maps-updates. Riders can call 511 or 415-455-2000 weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for schedule help, or sign up for alerts at goldengate.org/alertsignup.