|
Stanford's history of providing free transportation is as old as
the university itself. In the late
1880's, while the University was in its construction on the farm
of its proprietor, the railroad baron Leland Stanford, Stanford
ran a horse and 12-person buggy service to and from the train station
just across El Camino Real. In 1909, the horse and buggy gave way
to electric streetcars. That lasted until 1929, when the county ripped
out the tracks to make room for widening El Camino. A private bus
service took the place of rail, and in 1963 the city of Palo Alto
agreed to subsidize it. In early 1973, following the formation of
the Valley Transportation Authority, Stanford began providing a free
shuttle service around campus as well as back and forth to the two
local train stations and downtown Palo Alto.
The Marguerite shuttle is named for the horse that pulled the carriage of Asa "Uncle John" Andrews as he ferried people from Palo Alto to Stanford. Marguerite was apparently Andrews' favorite. We are told that Andrews either drove for Jasper Paulsen, who owned a livery stable in Palo Alto, or leased space from him.
Initially designed to make coming to Stanford by train more convenient,
the Marguerite remains most popular
among staff and faculty. The other major users are students getting
from place to place on the spacious campus. All routes on the system
are free and open to the public.
|
In 2005-2006, Marguerite carried 1.3 million riders (5,300 daily rides).
Over 144 stops on and around campus
23
70,000
|
