July 28, 2021
Friends of SMART is disappointed that MTC places so little emphasis on developing rail transportation in our region. Rail is far more efficient in moving goods than any roadway vehicle. We believe the future of surface transportation should emphasize railways ahead of highways. (Back to the Future!)
Planners at all levels of government give lip service to reducing VMT (vehicle miles traveled) by roadway, but they are mostly silent on how that is to be achieved. Building more lanes on highways will not do it; in fact, that inevitably leads to increased VMT.
SMART could enable freight and some passenger service all the way from the Larkspur Ferry Terminal to Willits Business Park (five miles north of Willits). It can provide an alternative to shipping freight (such as lumber―and now―water) on trucks, which would simultaneously make highways safer and simultaneously reduce GHG (Green-House Gas) emissions.