SamTrans is throwing open the doors of its brand-new Millbrae headquarters for a free community celebration marking 50 years of connecting San Mateo County, with food, a kids zone, music and tours set for Saturday, September 26, from 1 to 5 p.m. The party lands at 166 N. Rollins Road, the transit agency's freshly opened home base, and organizers describe it as a chance for riders, employees, partners and neighbors to look back at SamTrans history while getting a glimpse of where transit in the county is headed next.
The celebration was announced by the City of San Mateo on Facebook. It caps a year of festivities that included a 25-cent nostalgia fare on September 1 to kick off Bay Area Transit Month, according to SamTrans. The agency also hosted a Free Fare Day on July 1 and rolled out specially wrapped 50th-anniversary buses, per the same source.
From 11 City Bus Lines to a Countywide Network
From 11 City Bus Lines to a Countywide Network SamTrans has spent five decades developing a countywide network. Over the years since, the agency has provided bus service to passengers across the county.
SamTrans also provides paratransit service for older adults and residents with disabilities.
A New Headquarters Built for the Next 50 Years
A New Headquarters Built for the Next 50 Years The party venue itself is part of the story. SamTrans' administrative headquarters is the 180,000-square-foot facility at 166 N. Rollins Road, under a lease-to-buy agreement valued at $126 million. The new office sits in Millbrae, linking the agency's operations to the city.
SamTrans today runs far more than city buses. As of 2026, the agency operates bus routes, on-demand Ride Plus service and countywide paratransit service, according to the City of Menlo Park. Beyond bus operations, the district also serves as the managing agency for Caltrain and for the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, giving it administrative oversight of regional rail and voter-approved transportation funding alongside its bus network.
Leadership and a Push Toward Zero Emissions
April Chan is the agency's General Manager and CEO, according to SamTrans.
SamTrans has also been pressing forward on cleaner buses. Last July, the district approved a $17.37 million contract with Trillium USA to build a hydrogen fueling facility at its North Base site in South San Francisco, supporting an expanding zero-emission fleet, as Hoodline previously reported. Diesel buses had previously generated about 89 percent of the agency's greenhouse gas emissions. Last August, SamTrans also provided 5,000 free, unlimited-ride transit passes to financially needy community college students.
Taken together, the 50th-anniversary celebration lands at a moment when SamTrans is balancing its legacy against a forward-looking transformation that includes a zero-emission fleet conversion and a rebuilt fare structure. The free party in Millbrae on September 26 offers county residents a chance to see both sides of that story under one roof.
