Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART)

SMART Background: On January 1, 2003, a new regional transportation district was established to oversee the development and implementation of passenger rail service in Sonoma and Marin Counties. The new rail district, created with the passage of California State Assembly Bill 2224(Nation, District 6), holds in public ownership, over seventy miles of railroad right-of-way estimated to be worth more than $1 billion.

The Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District is governed by a 12-member Board consisting of elected officials: two county supervisors each from Marin and Sonoma counties, three appointed City Council members from each county and two representatives from the Golden Gate Bridge District.

The SMART District is charged with planning, engineering, evaluating and implementing passenger train service and corridor maintenance from Cloverdale to a ferry terminal that connects to San Francisco.

MCL performed a financial analysis of the SMART project in 2006 (see below) and did not support the SMART initiative. While MCL is committed to working with the district to ensure it delivers maximum benefit to the community while minimizing impact on the environment, MCL continues to be concerned by the financial feasibility of the project and its potential environmental impacts, particularly in wetland areas.

In 2014, the Regional Water Board reviewed public comments and SMART's application for Clean Water Act section 401 water quality certification for the SMART IOS-1 South Track Rehabilitation Project (Certification) and has issued a project certification.

MCL has been tracking the issues with the wetlands segment of the rail construction, see documents below.

To review the rejected City of Larkspur Station Area Plan and accompanying DEIR, visit Larkspur's website.

Information about the City of San Rafael Station Area Plans (Downtown and Civic Center) is available here.

2014 Documents and Correspondence
September 19, 2014 - MCL Letter to SMART Board of Directors re: the Sonoma and Marin Grand Jury reports
July 22, 2014 - MCL letter to the Regional Water Quality Control Board re: SMART's 401 permit application for Initial Operating Segment 2
June 1, 2014 - MCL letter to Larkspur Planning Dept. on the SMART Station Area Plan and DEIR

2013 Documents and Correspondence

July 17, 2013 - MCL letter to the Regional Water Quality Control Board re: SMART's 401 permit application
July 3, 2013 - MCL letter to the Army Corps of Engineers re: SMART fill project
February 15, 2013 - MCL letter to City of Larkspur regarding the Larkspur Station Area Plan scoping

2011 Documents and Correspondence

November 14, 2011 - MCL letter to SMART board re: voter approval for new plans
June 23, 2011 - MCL Letter to Transportation Authority of Marin regarding funding gap
February 17, 2011 - MCL letter requesting reevaluation of SMART project and public transparency

2010 Documents and Correspondence

June 25, 2010 - Marin Civil Grand Jury Report, SMART: Steep Grade Ahead
February 6, 2010 - Rep. Woolsey's response to MCL letter re.: Port Sonoma
January 11, 2010 -MCL letter to SMART regarding Port Sonoma

2008 Documents and Correspondence

2008 - MCL position on Measure Q -SMART
June 9, 2008 - MCL's comments on SMART's Financial Plan
April 15, 2008 - MCL's comments on the SMART Supplemental EIR
January 10, 2008 - MCL letter to Transportation Authority of Marin
January 10, 2008 - Context and Background for MCL's 2006 Financial Analysis of the SMART proposal