Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit

The "SMART" (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit) is a proposed passenger rail service in Northern California, USA, to serve Sonoma and Marin counties, connecting to the city of San Francisco via the existing Larkspur ferry.

The proposal would require upgrading tracks on the historic Northwestern Pacific right-of-way from Larkspur in Marin County to Cloverdale in northern Sonoma County that roughly parallels US Highway 101. [cite web|url=http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/index.php/what_is_smart/|title=What is SMART|accessdate=2008-09-25] The right-of-way is largely owned by the SMART District, which was established by state law in 2003. Projected ridership is about 1.4 million per year, mostly during commute hours, with a mid-day train and four trains per day on weekends. The passenger service would share tracks with freight trains of the North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) [cite web|url=http://www.northcoastrailroad.org/index.html|title=North Coast Railroad Authority Homepage|accessdate=2008-10-01] that are expected to run on the SMART tracks once environmental clearance (now in litigation) is complete. [cite web|url=http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/userfiles/file/14_whitepaper_freight.pdf|title=SMART White Paper #14: Freight Trains and Passenger Trains, July, 2008|accessdate=2008-09-28] The capital cost of track rehabilitation, signals, railcars, etc. is about $450M, the proposal includes spending an addition $91M on a bike/pedestrian path the full 70 miles which will enhance connections between stations and the developing network of bicycle-pedestrian pathways. [cite web|url=http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/userfiles/file/8_whitepaper_railandtrail.pdf|title=SMART White Paper #8: SMART is both Rail and Trail, February, 2008|accessdate=2008-09-28] The project would be funded through a quarter-cent sales tax in both counties, which has been placed on the November, 2008 ballot.

The project financial plan [cite web|url=http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/userfiles/file/18b_whitepaper_ap1fundingplan.pdf|title=SMART Project Funding Plan, July, 2008|accessdate=2008-09-11] is based on 36% fare recovery of operating costs, which is normal for commuter rail services. Sales tax support for transit is an established pattern in California, and if the service is well received it could be continued by voters.

Mitigation of environmental impacts was studied in 2005-06. [cite web|url=http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/index.php/docs/eir/#FEIR|title=Final Environmental Impact Report: Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit, June, 2006|accessdate=2008-09-11] The recommended remedies which were certified without challenge included silencing of train horns by establishment of quiet zones and replacement of certain wetland ditches. The study showed that train service would result in a reduction in vehicle hours of delay and vehicle hours traveled on roads in the corridor. Although Highway 101 levels of service would continue to deteriorate, there would be temporal shifts of traffic that would benefit road users. [SMART FEIR Master Response E.1 p. 3.2 erata sheet #5] Most of the proposed stations are located near historic city centers. The Corridor Evaluation done by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in 2005 showed 17,000 households and over 40,000 jobs located within a half-mile of stations. Some 1400 parking spaces are included in the planned system. The walking distance from the planned Larkspur station to the SF Ferry is under four-tenths of a mile, roughly equal to walking distance from the Ferry terminal at San Francisco to the Embarcadaro BART Station.

The following two paragraphs set forth claims by proponents and opponents concerning the funding proposal (Measure Q) on the November, 2008 Ballot in Marin and Sonoma counties:

PROPONENTS SAY: A coalition of conservation, cycling, business, and labor groups consider it urgent to restore a functioning railroad and create a bicycle-pedestrian pathway in the corridor to cope with congestion, keep businesses viable, protect the environment, and expand the existing network of pathways. Trains would by-pass ever-growing traffic congestion, reducing automobile dependency, improving air quality, and reducing demand for imported oil. Because SMART trains will consist of self-powered railcars they will be just two or three units long and will cross an intersection in about 45 seconds. Trains will fit within a city block, and gates will be coordinated with stop lights, permitting traffic to move normally even near stations. Three freight trains per week operating as far north as Windsor are funded to commence in 2009, regardless of whether passenger trains are approved by voters. If Sonoma County decides to award a trash contract to the freight operator (doubtful at present) freight service might grow to as many as three round-trip trains per day over the next 20 years. All foreseeable freight service could be accommodated during daylight hours. [cite web|url=http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/index.php/docs/eir/#FSEIR|title=Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report: Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit, July, 2008|accessdate=2008-09-28] The bicycle-pedestrian pathway would connect with a growing network of trails, making stations easily accessible to bicycle commuters. Improved access would make the region more vibrant over the long term for employers, employees, and visitors.

OPPONENTS SAY: The operating costs far exceed fare revenue making perpetual sales tax ballot measures inevitable, that noise from the trains will severely impact those within hearing distance of the tracks, and that the number of cars taken off 101 from 5000 train riders daily is trivial (less than 1/2%). They also point out that most stations are beyond walking distance to homes and job centers, and that many stations do not provide parking (for example Larkspur and Santa Rosa, both key hubs); therefore they say the system would be unattractive for most people. They object to absence of a direct link to the SF Ferry at Larkspur, and the multiple transitions would be difficult as well as both expensive and time consuming as compared to bus or other transit methods. They call SMART 'the train to nowhere', and also state that SMART will facilitate freight service which the NCRA has stated (as slow service will not complement SMART) will run mostly outside SMART commute hours (at SMART's insistence) meaning nights and weekends where noise pollution is most noticeable. NCRA states they anticipate 3 round trips per day, with garbage hauling being one possibility, but this may be considerably more depending on the success of the freight business. Opponents also observe that if the combination of SMART and freight is approved, there will be significant traffic disruption in all areas where the rails cross a road, particularly in city centers at peak times. A funding proposal for this system was previously put to Sonoma and Marin voters in November 2006. It also called for a 0.25% increase in sales tax in both counties. Because of the tax increase, the measure needed to be approved by a two-thirds supermajority in both counties in order for the project to go forward. Although 65.3% of those voting supported the measure, it lacked the 67% required for passage. (In Sonoma County 70.1 of voters supported. [cite web|url=http://www.sonoma-county.org/RegVoter/Elections/pdfresults/061107.pdf|title=Final Official Canvass: Sonoma County Consolidated General Election of November 7, 2006|accessdate=2007-12-08] . In Marin 57.51% supported the measure [cite web|url=http://co.marin.ca.us/depts/RV/Main/election_results/06elections/results110706.cfm|title=Marin County Gubenatorial General Election November 7, 2006 Official Final Results|accessdate=2007-12-08] .)

Route

The planned route would take SMART from Cloverdale, in Sonoma County to Larkspur, in Marin County. The stations would be as follows:
* Cloverdale (Asti Rd. south of Citrus Drive)
* Healdsburg (Harmon Street)
* Windsor (Windsor Road and Windsor River Road)
* Santa Rosa (Jennings Avenue and Herbert Street)
* Santa Rosa (Historic depot at Railroad Square)
* Rohnert Park (Golf Course Drive at Roberts Lake Road)
* Cotati (East Cotati Avenue and Industrial Drive)
* Petaluma (Corona Road)
* Downtown Petaluma (Historic depot near Lakeville Highway)
* Novato north (Atherton Avenue and Redwood Boulevard)
* Novato south (U.S. Highway 101 junction with Ignacio Avenue)
* Marin County Civic Center
* Downtown San Rafael (Tamalpais Street, near Transit Center)
* Larkspur Larkspur, where riders can transfer via shuttle .4 mile to the Larkspur-San Francisco ferry

References

External links

* [http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/ SMART]
* [http://www.gosmarttrain.com/ SMART Train] - promoters' site

* [http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080311/NEWS/803110319/1033/NEWS01/ SMART-NCRA] -Report on number of freight trains likely