Happy 50th Anniversary to the Marguerite Shuttle
Take the Marguerite 50 Challenge
Although the official Marguerite Shuttle began on September 27, 1976, and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Stanford transportation history dates back to when Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane, built the university.
As president of the Central Pacific Railroad and owner of a champion racehorse farm, Stanford recognized the importance of transportation early on and established a connection between the university and the local train station.
The first campus transit service – which made it possible to build Stanford’s earliest infrastructure – began in the 1880s. A 12-person horse-drawn buggy transported not only people but also building materials from the Palo Alto train station to campus. Passengers got so dirty they often needed a dust outfit (aka “motor clothing”) to change into after the ride.
Students Adore the 5 Cent/Ride Toonerville Trolleys
Soon, students and professors found horse-drawn carriages and bicycles too slow for the daily journey to campus. In 1909, an electric streetcar, aka the Toonerville Trolley, connected Stanford to downtown Palo Alto along University Avenue and through the campus. A ride on the bright red cars cost a nickel. The streetcars were so popular that many students climbed onto the roof to hitch a ride when all 50 seats were taken. In 1929, when the tracks were pulled up to widen El Camino Real, Peninsular Railway Co. extended the system’s retirement by one day to allow a procession of student “mourners” one final run.
Soon, automobiles began to take over, with Model Ts cruising down pristine, paved Palm Avenue. Private transit companies operated city buses from 1929 to 1975, with routes serving Palo Alto, the campus, and eventually the Stanford Shopping Center. This activity led to the modernization and widening of El Camino Real. For the first time, cars were allowed on campus, including Lausen, much to the chagrin of library-bound students who dodged cars for fear of getting run over.
Take the Marguerite 50 Challenge
Want to win a MacBook Neo, Bose headphones, AirPods, or an iPad mini? Take the Marguerite 50 Challenge and share the joys of riding the Marguerite Shuttle as it turns 50! Here’s how it works: record a video of yourself on the Shuttle and tell us about your destination or what you love about the “Marg.”
Post the video to your Instagram account and tag us @stanfordonthemove, or email it to transportation@stanford.edu for us to post. Share funny stories, cool rides, or your day-to-day appreciation of the Marguerite. Each time you post, you will earn an entry into our grand prize raffle. We’ll also give away $50 gift cards (one per entrant) to the Stanford Bookstore throughout the year. One post earns you a commemorative tote bag or pin. Multiple posts earn you a commemorative Marguerite Anniversary T-shirt while supplies last.
The Marguerite 50 Challenge is open to all Stanford affiliates from September 24 through April 27, 2027. We will announce grand prize winners in May.
Extra, Extra: Marguerite Shuttle Officially Begins Service
Following Leland Stanford’s initial prioritization of a first- and last-mile connector for passengers, the University leased two gas-powered trolley-style buses for a 17-week trial period in December 1975 for $17,000. Painted Cardinal red with white trim, these trolleys marked the unofficial start of the Marguerite Shuttle. They served the Palo Alto train station, campus, Stanford Shopping Center, and the Medical Center. The two-bus system became permanent on Sept. 27, 1976, and was officially named Marguerite in homage to the star horse who pulled Stanford’s first horse-and-buggy. Soon the fleet grew from two buses to 10.
As the university evolved, so did its shuttle system. The trolleys were followed by a fleet of 10 gas-powered Dodge buses, each costing $28,000 and with open sides for easy entry and exit.
In 2001, the Marguerite Shuttle program was expanded to accommodate the growing campus and to support Stanford’s 2000 General Use Permit (GUP). Diesel buses seating 55 passengers, with room for an additional 10 standing, transported riders from Palo Alto to various locations on campus and to SLAC. The GUP required the university to adopt a "no new net commute trips" policy during peak hours, meaning academic and residential growth could not increase single-occupant vehicle trips entering or leaving campus.
Sustainability Becomes a University-wide Priority
As the university prioritized sustainability (including developing the Doerr School of Sustainability in 2022), Stanford Transportation did, too. To reduce its carbon footprint, Stanford introduced a fleet of five hybrid diesel-electric Marguerite shuttles in 2009. In 2012, the University purchased a double-decker commuter bus to begin Line AE-F, complementing Line U for university and hospital workers commuting from the East Bay. The university operated the line until 2015, when it hired a permanent contractor. Today, Line AE-F continues to run year-round.
During the construction of the new Stanford Hospital from 2013-2016, Sprinter vans transported patients and guests between the main hospital and the Cancer Center. The five-minute route was the second-busiest Marguerite route at the time, with four vans ferrying 1,500 passengers per day.
In 2014, Stanford added 10 all-electric, zero-emission buses to its fleet. By 2017, that number had expanded to 41.
Today’s All-Electric, Eco-friendly System Serves 2M a year
Today, 95% of the system’s total miles are all-electric. And like the beloved electric streetcars of yesteryear, the Marguerite continues to generate excitement among the Stanford community. This year, new anime mascots, Maggie and Traffic Turtle, were introduced in a campaign to inform the university’s growing population about the shuttle system’s ease of use and geographic reach.
On any given day, 8,000 passengers, including students, faculty, staff, and the general public, ride the free Marguerite Shuttle. Nineteen active routes with 155 bus stops serve Palo Alto, Stanford University, Stanford Hospital, SLAC, and the Research Park, highly expansive for a university transit network.
No doubt Leland and Jane Stanford would be pleased with how the Marguerite Shuttle has grown from its humble "horsepower" beginnings into an eco-friendly, efficient, and useful mode of transportation for more than two million riders a year.
