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The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) is pleased to announce today the expansion of the SMART Connect shuttle service area at the Sonoma County Airport Station

It's the perfect time to hop aboard SMART for an adventure. In this edition of On Track, we are thrilled to share updates on record ridership, Bike to Work Day, a charming new trolley in Downtown Santa Rosa, and more. Read ahead and explore the latest happenings with SMART.

SMART offers free fare for youth and seniors.

SMART is your ticket to celebrating FeBREWary!

SMART corridor designated part of FRA Corridor Identification and Development Program.

The November issue of On Track is now available!

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) is pleased to announce the agency has been awarded a $32M grant in Federal Railroad Administration, Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement funds.

Wine-Tasting Trips | New Pathway Segments | Field Trip Program

SMART has reduced the price of the 31-Day Pass in response to a survey conducted by the Bay Area Council which indicated that more than half of Bay Area employees are working a hybrid remote schedule.

Please join us on Zoom for a public workshop about the SMART Pathway Wayfinding Plan on Thursday, June 29 from 6 – 7 p.m

North Bay youth get a free ticket to ride public transit this June, July, and August 2023. The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART), Marin Transit, Sonoma County Transit, Santa Rosa CityBus, and Petaluma Transit are offering free rides for K-12 youth throughout the summer season with the Summer Youth Ride Free Program.

City of Santa Rosa offering discounted parking permit for SMART rail commuters City of Santa Rosa offering discounted parking permit for SMART rail commuters Santa Rosa, CA—The City of Santa Rosa is expanding its Commuter Parking Permit program to support commuter use of Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART). The pilot expansion will offer a discounted Commuter Parking Permit for parking located within close walking distance from SMART’s Santa Rosa Downtown Station. Discounted Commuter Parking Permits are currently available in the First Street Garage adjacent to the Transit Mall and Lot 14 at Fifth and Morgan streets. This pilot program will run through July 1, 2024 and will offer a maximum of 20 permits. Monthly rates have been reduced from $50 to $31 for rail transit riders using the Santa Rosa Downtown Station as the starting point of their trip. The Commuter Parking permit may be obtained for Lot 14 at Fifth Street and Morgan, and Garage 12 at First Street, adjacent to the Downtown Transit Mall Lot 14 lot is located under the Highway 101 overpass and is less than a five-minute walk from the SMART station. In addition, commuters and other travelers can park for up to 72 hours in this parking lot. To receive this discount for Lot 14 or Garage 12, train riders and other commuters must submit verification of Clipper account usage of at least $25 per month to the Santa Rosa Parking Office at 90 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa, to obtain the discounted parking pass. In addition, riders must verify with the City Parking Office their continuous commuter usage on their Clipper card every three months. ### Agency Contacts: City of Santa Rosa Media Line: 707-543-4777 Email: PIO@srcity.org Julia Gonzalez, SMART Communications and Marketing Manager 707-794-3063 or 707-981-1028 Email: jgonzalez@sonomamarintrain.org

$34M toward the construction of SMART system’s northern extensions secured.

SMART able to resume construction of northern extension.

New bicycle and pedestrian pathway to open on Saturday, October 22.

Read the News Release: SMART will offer NEW midday train service and improved connections to the Golden Gate ferry

News Release: SMART extends reduced fares, suspension of parking fees at SMART parking lots through June 30, 2023

News Release: SMART announces special San Francisco Giants ferry service on June 12 and 26

SMART News Release: SMART announces 10 trips added to its weekday schedule beginning on Monday, June 13

SMART News Release: SMART seeks community input on Planning for the Future initiative

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities in the month of January, 2022.

Analysis of SMART’s Freight Market Prepared by Project Finance Advisory Ltd. for the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART), December 9, 2021.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities in the month of October, 2021.

Read the Executive Summary of SMART’s Freight Rail Operations

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities in the month of August, 2021.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities in the month of June, 2021.

During the month of April, please join our new General Manager, Eddy Cumins at four public listening sessions on Ridership, Pathways, Extensions, and Freight. Your participation in these conversations will help shape the future of SMART.

Petaluma, CA – Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) approved a list of Rail and Pathway projects connecting SMART stations totaling $21.4 million.

SMART will be performing tests of the grade crossing warning system at Steele Lane in Santa Rosa on Saturday, March 27, 2021 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities in the month of February.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities in the month of January.

SMART has been recognized by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for achieving Positive Train Control (PTC) certification ahead of the industry mandated deadline of December 31, 2020.

Petaluma, CA – Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) announced at its Board of Directors meeting on Wednesday, December 16th, that SMART will create a new in-house training program for Signal Technicians.

Petaluma, CA – Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) announced today that the commuter rail agency would begin participating in the new Clipper START pilot program, allowing lower-income adults aged 19-64 to receive a fare discount of 50 percent on the SMART system.

Petaluma, CA –Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) announced today that Heather McKillop had been hired as the district’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Petaluma, CA –Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) announced that it successfully sold $122.97 million in “Green Bonds” to refinance its outstanding debt related to the construction of the new transit system generating average annual savings in debt service of $3.47 million which will support operating costs going forward.

Help shape the future of SMART.

SMART is proudly providing essential public transit service to the North Bay.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities, including ridership information and updates on the Windsor Extension project.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities, including construction updates on the Windsor Extension and our continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities.

SMART and its Board of Directors are in the process of analyzing several strategies to reduce expenses that will have a direct impact on train service.

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations require ongoing training and certification for SMART’s train engineers. To comply with these regulations, SMART Operations crews will perform training operations this weekend, Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26, from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Petaluma, CA— The Citizens Oversight Committee of the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) will hold their upcoming meeting via Zoom teleconference in response to local and state shelter-in-place orders and social distancing protocols.

Petaluma, CA— Due to a significant decline in ridership resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) will implement further reductions to weekday train service, effective Monday, April 6, 2020.

SMART is implementing the best practices for social distancing, as outlined below.

Petaluma, CA—In response to changes in ridership demand resulting from what are now, statewide Shelter in Place orders, the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District is making additional changes to its train service schedule.

Petaluma, CA— In response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and shelter in place orders for seven of the nine Bay Area counties, the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District is temporarily cancelling weekend train service through Sunday, April 5, 2020.

Petaluma, CA— Ridership for the Sonoma-Marin Rail Transit District (SMART) continues to rise. For the second month in a row SMART has experienced a double-digit growth in ridership and early analysis of 2020 data is signaling a continued upward trend.

Petaluma, CA— SMART is excited to announce that early analysis of 2020 data shows total ridership grew by 26% between January 2020 and the same month of the previous year. This extraordinary growth in ridership is believed to be attributed to multiple factors including SMART’s new expanded service schedule with a 32-minute train frequency during weekday commute hours and the addition of two new stations in Downtown Novato and Larkspur.

Petaluma, CA— Following a request by its Board of Directors to study the agency’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions, SMART released a Green Commute fact sheet today.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities including the opening of the new Larkspur and Novato Downtown stations.

SMART will operate on the weekend/holiday schedule on Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, 2019.

Petaluma, CA— At the December 4, Board of Directors meeting, SMART General Manager, Farhad Mansourian, announced that passenger service to the new Larkspur and Downtown Novato stations would begin on Saturday, December 14.

Petaluma, CA— The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District will offer fare-free train service beginning Thursday, November 28 through Sunday, December 1.

Petaluma, CA – Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) announced today that Ms. Julia Gonzalez is joining the district as its new communications and marketing manager. She will oversee SMART’s communications, public outreach programs, marketing, and media relations.

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) will be closing a portion of the railroad between the Petaluma Downtown and Novato Hamilton stations to accommodate testing for the new Novato Downtown station on Saturday, November 9 and Sunday, November 10.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities regarding the testing for the Larkspur extension, Novato Downtown station, and more.

UPDATE: Free service has been extended through Friday, November 8. Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) will operate it’s full, end-to-end service schedule beginning Thursday, October 31, as a result of mandatory evacuation orders being lifted for the Santa Rosa North and Sonoma County Airport station areas.

Train service will be canceled tomorrow, Tuesday, October 29 due to the Public Safety Power Shutdown impacts on local city traffic signal systems which cross SMART railroad tracks.

SMART Board Unanimously Adopts Expenditure Plan

As part of National Rail Safety Week, September 22-28, North Bay law enforcement agencies will be partnering with SMART to reinforce safe behaviors near trains, tracks and at railroad crossings. Police officers will be actively patrolling railroad crossings, in San Rafael, Novato, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Cotati, and Santa Rosa.

September is California Rail Safety Month. Help us share important rail safety messages as part of National Rail Safety Week, September 22-28, 2019.

SMART updates its strategic plan every five years, and is currently working on an update of this plan.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities regarding the Larkspur extension, safety outreach and education, and more.

Sonoma County, Marin County and the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District are partnering to provide veterans, and active duty military personnel and their families with free train service and free entry to county parks during the Memorial Day weekend. The free train service and free parks entry begins Saturday, May 25, through Monday, May 27, with a valid military identification card, or Veterans Administration identification card.

Get on Board Day is a new national awareness day created by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) to increase awareness and support for public transportation.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities regarding the Larkspur extension, community outreach, and more.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities regarding construction updates, safety, and more.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities regarding passenger service, construction projects, and more.

At the request of the City of Petaluma, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) will be recalibrating and testing its railroad crossing warning systems in the downtown Petaluma area to accommodate the City of Petaluma’s changes to its traffic control system.

After carrying nearly 700,000 passengers since opening its doors, the SMART train is celebrating its first year of service with a free festival in the North Bay and free train service on the weekend of the event.

After carrying more than 630,000 passengers since opening its doors, the SMART train is celebrating its first year of service with a free festival in the North Bay and free train service on the weekend of the event.

SMART trains are operating on the regular schedule.

SMART began passenger rail service just over a year ago. Check out SMART's year in review presentation for an overview of the first year of service.

The first part of SMART's slideshow presentation to the Board of Directors is now available to view.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's latest activities regarding passenger service, construction projects, and other activities.

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District received top honors as Transit/Rail Project of the Year from the California Transportation Foundation (CTF) during an awards ceremony held May 24, 2018 in Orange County. The award recognizes excellence in California transportation projects in 2017. SMART was selected from a field of seven statewide nominees.

On Saturday, October 19, the SB 7:23 p.m. out of the Sonoma County Airport station and NB 8:50 p.m. out of the San Rafael station will be canceled to accommodate pre-revenue operations for the Larkspur Extension.

SMART would like your feedback on the 2020 Expenditure Plan draft.

Construction Update: Beginning July 5, Francisco Boulevard West will be closed between 2nd Street and Rice Street through the end of 2018.

How would you like to work alongside a committed staff, in a vibrant and engaged community, in one of the most dynamic areas in the country?

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's recent activities in the month of November, 2021.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's latest activities regarding passenger service, Larkspur rail extension, and multiuse pathway.

Join us Tuesday, June 12 from 7-8 p.m. at the San Rafael Community Center, 618 B St., to learn more about construction and road closures in San Rafael related to the Larkspur extension work. See you there.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's latest activities regarding passenger service, Larkspur rail extension, and multiuse pathway.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's latest activities regarding passenger service, Larkspur rail extension, and multiuse pathway.

Freight operator Northwestern Pacific Railroad Company, which has been testing its Positive Train Control (PTC) system to meet Federal Railroad Administration requirements, will begin testing in the Rohnert Park area Friday, April 6, 2018.

Freight operator Northwestern Pacific Railroad Company will begin testing its Positive Train Control (PTC) system Thursday, March 29, 2018 to meet Federal Railroad Administration requirements.

Read our latest General Manager's Report to learn about SMART's latest activities regarding passenger service, Larkspur rail extension, and multiuse pathway.

Trains are now back on schedule. Thank you for your patience. SMART trains had experienced delays earlier today due to an incident involving a woman struck by a train near Hearn Ave. in Santa Rosa. The Santa Rosa Police department is investigating the incident as an apparent suicide. Please know there is help available by calling the North Bay Suicide Prevention Hotline at (855) 587-6373 or the Sonoma County Mental Health Crisis Line at (800) 870-8786.

Concessions on board the SMART Train are provided by BI Buzz, an enterprise of local nonprofit Becoming Independent. Every purchase helps local people with developmental disabilities become successful members of our workforce.

SMART announced that beginning Monday, January 8, it will be adding a third rail car to the popular morning and early afternoon commute runs.

Rohnert Park, Cotati and Penngrove have established Quiet Zones.

SMART is distributing senior Clipper cards at the Rohnert Park Senior Center, located at 6800 Hunter Drive, Suite A, on Tuesday, October 31st from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. SMART riders with a senior Clipper card receive a 50 percent discount on SMART fares and 31-Day Pass.

A bicyclist was struck by a southbound train Thursday afternoon at W. Steele Ln and Coffey Ln. in Santa Rosa.

The San Rafael station was re-opened Friday at 7 p.m. after being temporarily closed due to a natural gas leak. Service has resumed as scheduled.

SMART will continue free service for passengers Wednesday, October 11, to assist those in the area who need transportation options during this period.

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) will offer limited emergency service between downtown Santa Rosa and downtown San Rafael today, October 9. SMART inspected tracks and equipment and will begin limited service at 2:31 p.m. from the Santa Rosa downtown station to downtown San Rafael, serving all stations in between. Trains will run both southbound and northbound. (See schedule below).

The Smith Ranch Road and San Rafael Airport crossings are functioning properly. SMART will not need to use the horn in that area, unless there is an emergency. SMART will temporarily continue to use safety flaggers this week as a safety precaution. Thank you for your patience.

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District announced today that it has received the green light from the Federal Railroad Administration to begin full passenger train service. Service will begin on August 25.

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District will soon announce the date for its service launch. Once service begins, SMART will open with a free introductory period for a limited time, followed by 50 percent discounted rates through the September 4 Labor Day holiday. Regular fares will go into effect on September 5.

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District received notification that Petaluma’s Quiet Zone will take effect beginning Wednesday, May 24. Once Quiet Zones are established, SMART trains will no longer use horns at railroad crossings in those areas, unless there is an emergency. Please use caution near all railroad crossings and near all tracks and trains. Petaluma joins Novato, San Rafael and the County of Marin, on the list of jurisdictions that have established Quiet Zones. SMART anticipates other jurisdictions will also establish Quiet Zones throughout the 43-mile initial route.