SMART Train | Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit
November 2nd, 2009 categories: Cotati, Green, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park
Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit – The SMART Train, as it has come to be known has had a long and winding history. Since 101 (AKA Redwood Highway, and AKA “The 101″ for those who have ever lived in Southern California) is the major north and south thoroughfare from San Francisco to Sonoma County and beyond.
The SMART Train initiative was legally set in motion on January 1, 2003 when California State Assembly Bill 2224, gave a new regional transportation district (rail district) the ownership of 70 miles of railroad Right Of Way (ROW), which is estimated to be worth $1 billion.
OK, so now that we know a few of the facts about how it came to be, what actually is the SMART Train? The SMART Train, is a proposed Rail Line that will run from Larskpur to Cloverdale, about 70 miles. The line will feature 14 stops, allow for north and south travel (via “passing sidings” a small section of track where 2 sets of tracks run side by side, to allow one train to pass another), and also feature an adjacent paved bicycle path, AKA a Greenway. This Greenway will likely see 7,000 – 10,000 bikers, joggers, and walkers daily, and will be a recreational centerpiece of Marin and Sonoma County.
The SMART Train is the backbone of a North Bay transportation system that is a vision at this point. Eventually, it is planned to be a part of a system that incorporates, bikes, trolleys, buses, shuttles, ride share parking lots, and commuter parking lots. SMART Train riders will be able to bring bicycles on the train, and the train will be equipped with wireless Internet, coffee and snack bars, and state of the art design.
To learn even more about the SMART Train, I called their main office, and was referred to their community outreach manager. I asked several questions, and we covered a lot of facts I could not find anywhere else. The average fare is expected to be $4.50 (each direction), which seems pretty low cost to me. The total time from Cloverdale to Larkspur is expected to be 90 minutes (70 miles), with stops, which implies an average speed of 46.67 MPH. There will be a total of 14 trains that run north per day and 14 trains that run south. The times these trains will run are not yet determined, but I am told it will be during morning and evening commute hours, and also at least 1 train will run during mid day in each direction. The trains themselves have yet to be chosen, so the numbers of anticipated riders is not yet known.
So where will the SMART Train have stops and stations? The SMART Train will have stops and stations in the following cities: (From South to North): Marin County: Larskspur, Downtown San Rafael, Marin Civic Center, Novato South, Novato North, Sonoma County: Downtown Petaluma, Corona Road, Cotati, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa Railroad Square, Jennings Avenue, Windsor, Healdsburg, and Cloverdale.
The SMART Train project is expected to cost about $540 Million. The majority of the funding will come from Sonoma County and Marin County residents through a 1/4 percent sales tax increase that was approved by voters in the November 2008 election. The tax increase was approved in a measure known as Measure Q. The tax is planned to be a 20 year tax, and started in April 2009, sunsetting in March of 2029…wow, that seems so far in the future.
So when will the SMART Train be here? A project of this magnitude does not just happen overnight, and the SMART Train project is no exception. Actual construction and earth movement will begin in 2011, with the inaugural train ride set for sometime in 2014.
We have heard so many things about the SMART Train over the past few years, long enough for us to form opinions of the project. We think that the SMART Train will only benefit Marin County and Sonoma County homeowners. With a modest 1/4 percent tax increase, there will be a mass transit option from Cloverdale to Larkspur. From Larkspur, you can ride the Golden Gate Ferry into San Francisco. Not only is the a Green alternative to driving a car, but the SMART Train will allow for more Sonoma County residents to earn the higher salaries in San Francisco, with a reliable transportation alternative. This extra income will help Sonoma County Businesses, as the extra income will likely be spent here.
Last and certainly not least, the SMART Train is also more environmentally friendly than any other alternative. The SMART Train is more GREEN, per passenger, than the passenger cars that flow along 101, is more GREEN and cost effective than buses that travel that 101, and will be equipped with clean diesel technology that will provide an extremely clean mass transit option.
If you have any questions regarding the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART Train), please feel free to contact us and we will do our best to find out.
