[Published March 6, 2020; Updated July 12, 2021]
Stanford Transportation is back to near-normal operations with a few changes. Parking permits are now required, and the Marguerite shuttle service is up and running on the most traveled routes. As demand increases Marguerite routes may be expanded. The transportation team is also working on an enhanced mobile application that will allow daily permits to be purchased with relative ease. Until that application is fully operational, please go to our parking page to purchase daily, monthly, or visitor permits.
Below are some resources to help if you are resuming your commute to Stanford’s main campus or Stanford Redwood City:
- Returning to Your Stanford Commute page for information about Stanford Transportation programs, services, and eligibility requirements.
- See the Status of Transportation Programs and Services table for the current status of Stanford Transportation’s operations.
- Remember to bring your Stanford-issued Clipper card if taking transit.
- Check the status of your university-provided transit passes with the Transit Eligibility and Status Checker.
- If you are driving to campus, make sure to purchase a parking permit during weekday enforcement hours.
- At the main campus and Stanford Redwood City, commuter and visitor parking is enforced Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., unless otherwise posted.
- Unsure about what permit works best for you? Visit the Permit Cost Based on Days Commuting table to see the daily equivalent rate of a monthly permit based on the number of days commuting.
- Visitor parking at the main campus and Stanford Redwood City is available through the ParkMobile app.
- Free Marguerite shuttle service is running. As more of the Stanford community return to campus, decisions to increase service levels will be made in collaboration with university leadership and funding partners.
- Please refer to the Marguerite Service Changes: COVID-19 table for more information about service changes since April 1, 2020, and available alternatives.
- If you are riding a bike back to work, safety first. Please follow these rules of the road.
If you are thinking about resuming your commute to Stanford’s main campus or Stanford Redwood City, we are providing updates, including the top five questions we are hearing. If you have questions about your commute, please contact us at transportation@stanford.edu or 650.723.9362.
Top five questions
I am only commuting part-time. Which permit should I purchase? (June 8 2021)
For those who commute on a part-time basis, we offer daily parking permits at daily rates. If cost is a priority for you, the ‘C’ permit is the lowest-cost option. You can park six times at the daily ‘C’-permit rate before it makes more sense to purchase a monthly permit.
If you prioritize time and convenience, the ‘A’ permit provides parking closer to destinations throughout the day at a premium rate. You can purchase up to seven daily ‘A’ permits before it makes financial sense to purchase a monthly permit.
To see the cost of ‘A’ and ‘C’ permits at the daily rate, please refer to our Short-term Daily vs. Long-term Commuter Permit table to help you decide which permit type--daily or monthly--makes financial sense for you.
If you purchase a monthly permit and only use it part-time, visit our Permit Cost Based on Days Commuting table to see the daily equivalent rate of a monthly permit based on the number of days you are commuting.
Still unsure about what permit to choose? Please contact us at transportation@stanford.edu or 650.723.9362. We would be happy to help.
Are my free transit passes still valid? (June 8, 2021)
Yes, university-provided Caltrain Go Passes, VTA SmartPasses, and AC Transit EasyPasses remain valid. Current pass holders, or those eligible, can continue free, unlimited travel on Caltrain, VTA, and/or AC Transit.
No action is required if you already have your pass(es). Visit these pages to learn more:
- Transit Eligibility and Status Checker: to check the status of your transit passes.
- Transit Pass Request Form: to request a free Go Pass, SmartPass, and/or EasyPass.
- COVID-19: Public transit and pre-tax transit purchases updates: for information about public transit changes, service hours, and fare collection.
Has parking enforcement changed on the main campus? (June 16, 2021)
Yes. Stanford is currently undergoing a gradual reopening of its main campus. On June 16, Stanford ended its temporary campus zones program and Stanford’s main campus returned to weekday enforcement for commuter parking. Visit our article to learn more.
For questions about parking on campus, please contact us at transportation@stanford.edu or 650.723.9362.
What's being done to protect the health and safety of commuters who ride transit? (July 16, 2021)
As commuters consider returning to transit, they are seeking assurance that steps have been taken to make that ride as safe as possible.
At Stanford, the university continues to take steps to protect the health and safety of the campus community. Please refer to the university's updates for current COVID-19 policies.
Regarding exposure to members of the public, the increase in the number in the state and country who are fully vaccinated helps to reduce the risk of exposure. Those who choose to travel on public transit also are required to follow all relevant local, state, and federal requirements to reduce COVID-19 transmission.
For example, in line with federal requirements, all Bay Area transit agencies currently (July 2021) require drivers and passengers to wear face coverings. In addition, all transit agencies in the region have committed to cleaning and disinfecting all in-service vehicles daily and to maximizing fresh air in vehicles and facilities.
The Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan provides more information about transit agencies’ COVID-19 response, which is based on guidance and best practices from the California Department of Public Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, as well as other transit agencies from around the world. For more information about how transit agencies’ COVID response may affect your commute, please visit our Public Transit Service Changes: COVID-19 page.
What Stanford Transportation programs and services are available? (July 12, 2021)
There have been a number of updates to the programs and services we offer as a result of COVID-19. We have created a Status of Transportation Programs and Services page to make it easy to find the current status of our operations.
Find answers to additional frequently asked questions about the following topics by visiting these pages:
- Marguerite and DisGo [Updated July 12]
- Transportation options to vaccination sites [Updated July 7]
- Public transit and pre-tax transit purchases [Updated July 6]
- Bicycle program [Updated June 21]
- Status of transportation programs and services [updated June 16]
- Parking, rideshare and bridge tolls [Updated June 16]
- Commute Club and car free incentives [Updated Jan. 4]
For other COVID-19-related updates for the Stanford community, visit healthalerts.stanford.edu.
