The remarkable work of Sonoma Marin Area Regional Transit (SMART) to re-establish passenger rail service after the Great Recession of 2009 will benefit North Bay residents for generations to come. It is significant that the trains already take about thousand cars a day off the roads, and it is important for our growing population to be able to locate close to public transportation and reduce the need to drive a car. The housing and mixed-use developments that will arise within walking and cycling distance of the SMART train stations are as important as the option to ride a train.
SMART now serves 80% of the population included in its initial vision, and has provided more than a million and a half rides since operations began in 2017. In the last ten years its . cent sales tax has produced $289 million in revenue. These funds have attracted more than $300 million in State & Federal grants to construct and operate the first stages of the Larkspur to Cloverdale system. Additionally, SMART Trains serve riders late into the evening and two stations have been built that were not part of the original plan. Service to the City of Larkspur, providing access to the ferry will commence soon, and work has begun to extend the line to the Windsor Station.