[Published April 19, 2023]

The Marguerite Shopping Express, which connects riders to nearby stores like Target and Walmart, returned for a one-year pilot on May 5. The route travels between the Palo Alto Transit Center, Stanford campus, and San Antonio Shopping Center by way of El Camino Real. It was discontinued during the pandemic. Riders have hourly access to the shuttle on Fridays from 3 to 9 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Affordable Shopping Options

The return of the Shopping Express, which connects students and Postdocs with affordable shopping options in one convenient ride, was achieved through a collaborative effort, said Stacey Bent, Vice Provost for Graduate Education. "We appreciate the student advocacy that helped pave the way for a budgetary proposal and are grateful to the Provost for quickly approving the pilot,” she said.

Timeline

The Graduate Student Council (GSC) inquired about reinstating the Shopping Express line in August 2022. The Undergraduate Senate (UGS) created a petition calling for the reinstatement, which received over 1600 signatures.

On behalf of the GSC, transportation co-chairs Lawrence Berg and Elizabeth Park took the lead early on. Berg, a fourth-year chemistry Ph.D. student who’s been at Stanford since 2019, said he was spurred to action by concerns about student affordability and community access. In March, leaders from Stanford Transportation, VPSA, VPGE, and OPA met with Berg and Park, along with members of the UGS, representatives of the Postdoctoral Council, and the Associated Students of Stanford University. The group provided input regarding the line’s potential scheduling and route, which was proposed along with pertinent data to Provost Persis Drell for approval. Shortly thereafter, Provost Drell committed to a one-year pilot. 

All Marguerite routes are free and open to the public.