Sonoma county smart search5/18/2023 Two of the main thoroughfares linking the North Bay and East Bay, Highway 37 and Interstate 80 are notoriously traffic clogged. In SMART’s case, that also means looking east, and to a state rail plan that envisions passenger service tying Marin and Solano counties to the busy Capital Corridor line serving Sacramento and the East Bay. SMART is reporting its best ridership levels since the pandemic shutdowns in early 2020, and transit officials remain bullish on the outlook for rail commuting despite significant changes in work-week traffic patterns spurred by the pandemic. The federal grant funding would speed rollout of passenger service by offering a new pool of money for construction, according to SMART officials. It’s undetermined at this point how many cars are required. Plus, another $44 million is needed to buy additional train cars, according to SMART officials. The Windsor-to-Healdsburg section is estimated to cost $125 million, and the Healdsburg-to-Cloverdale line will run about $170 million. Eventually, the route is set to have its northern terminus at Cloverdale, though SMART officials have been wary of estimating when that might happen. The current 45-mile north-south line runs roughly parallel to Highway 101 from Larkspur to near the Charles M. SMART’s $65 million expansion to Windsor, delayed by years now, is about 30% complete, with progress hampered by court fights related to bridge fee revenue and rail rights of way. Then it will have to decide how much to apply for. SMART has to meet eligibility requirements first. “We believe this offers specific funding opportunities that fit our north- and east-(bound) route extensions.” ![]() ![]() “We’ll be pursuing it,” said Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit spokesman Matt Stevens. The bill has bolstered the rail agency’s Corridor Identification and Development grant program. The funds are available through the Federal Rail Administration and were allocated as part of the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure law last year. North Bay commuter rail officials confirmed they are pursuing new federal infrastructure funds to help speed the delayed northward extension of SMART in Sonoma County as well as an east-west route linking Marin and Solano counties along Highway 37.
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