Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) (/'sm?:rt/) is a passenger rail service and bicycle-pedestrian pathway project currently under construction in Sonoma and Marin counties of the U.S. state of California. The SMART District was established by state legislation in 2002. The service's trademark color is McGlashan green.
If completed, the entire system will serve a 70-mile (110 km) corridor between Cloverdale in northern Sonoma County and Larkspur Landing in Marin County. The first phase to open, a 43-mile (69 km) segment between Northern Santa Rosa and Downtown San Rafael, had long been planned for late 2016, but potential issues with the trainsets, among other factors, pushed this back to "late spring 2017." Additional segments are to be opened as funding becomes available.
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History
Environmental impact report
Mitigation of environmental impacts was studied and summarized in a report issued in June 2006. The recommended remedies, which were certified without challenge, included silencing of some train horns in quiet zones and replacement of certain wetland ditches.
On October 10, 2013, SMART announced that it had obtained more than 56 acres (0.23 km2) of an area in Novato known as the "Mira Monte Marina." The purpose of this purchase is to restore the area and preserve tidal wetlands and habitat, which is all a part of SMART's environmental mitigation program. According to SMART General Manager Farhad Mansourian, "This will not only address the 2.2 acres (8,900 m2) of project impacts that were determined through the environmental review process for the next stage of construction, but ensures a local source for potential future mitigation needs for the rail and pathway project."
Funding
The project is funded by federal, state, regional and local allocations (including bridge tolls), dedicated sales tax revenues, and fares (once operations begin). The capital cost of track rehabilitation, signals, railcars, etc. was estimated to be about $500 million in 2008 (equivalent to $556 in 2016). From Airport Blvd to Downtown San Rafael, the cost of the project is about $428 million.
In November 2006, Measure R, a proposal for funding though an increase in sales taxes, received a combined 65.3% "yes" vote in the two-county District, with 70.1% in favor in Sonoma County and 57.5% in favor in Marin County. Because it lacked the 2/3 majority needed for passage, that measure failed.
Measure Q, similar to Measure R, was approved on November 4, 2008. It received a combined vote of 69.5% in the two counties (73.5% approval in Sonoma County and 62.6% in Marin County). It provides funding for the project through a quarter-cent sales tax in both counties. This funding was initially thought sufficient to bring the line to completion by 2014, but the economic downturn resulted in a plan to build the project in phases.
Bond issues
In late 2011, the SMART Board authorized the sale of bonds, with the proceeds to be put into an escrow account until the fate of the effort to repeal the sales tax was decided.
In May 2012, SMART issued nearly $200 million in bonds to fund construction. The bonds will be paid off with the Measure Q quarter-cent sales tax revenue.
IOS track rehabilitation
In January 2012, SMART completed final negotiations to start rebuilding the 43-mile (69 km) Initial Operating Segment (IOS) between Airport Blvd Santa Rosa and the Civic Center Station in San Rafael at a cost less than originally budgeted. SMART announced that it was adding two stations to the Initial Operation Segment: in north Santa Rosa, near Coddingtown, and in Novato at Atherton Avenue.
The Puerto Suello Hill Tunnel in San Rafael was rehabilitated for service and the 111-year old fixed span Haystack Bridge was replaced with a newer movable bascule bridge. Concrete sleepers were installed along the line to facilitate running up to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) and several spur lines were removed to adhere to federal safety standards. Businesses may connect a switch and spur to the line by purchasing the equipment for about $300,000.
The first phase of construction does not include the parallel pedestrian and bicycle path.
Construction of Larkspur-San Rafael segment
The cost to San Rafael of the Andersen Drive crossing of the Larkspur to San Rafael segment is significant. The street was extended by San Rafael in the mid-1990s to cross the tracks on a "temporary road." In July 1997, the California Public Utilities Commission informed the city that by the time SMART planned to operate on the section, the city had to build and pay for restoring the crossing. The estimated cost for that was $6 million in 2012.
In 2010, the agency received a federal earmark of $2.5 million for technical, environmental and engineering design on the segment. Later in 2010, the revamped Cal Park Hill Tunnel, 30 feet (9.1 m) wide, 25 feet (7.6 m) tall, and 1,100 feet (340 m) long, was opened. The revamping was done at a cost of $28 million, paid equally by Marin County and SMART. The tunnel is partly used for the rail right of way between Larkspur and San Rafael, and partly for bicycles and pedestrians.
In May 2013, the SMART board approved a resolution designating the San Rafael to Larkspur link as its "preferred alternative." The agency submitted a letter to the Federal Transit Administration and on September 24, 2013, SMART was successfully accepted into its "Small Starts" program, which funds new projects and extensions to commuter rail, light rail, heavy rail, bus rapid transit, street cars and ferries. The FY2016 Federal Budget included the funds to construct the Larkspur Extension under the Small Starts Program. Construction on the extension is planned to begin in summer 2017, with service to Larkspur expected to begin in summer 2018.
Startup delayed
Scheduled passenger service, already delayed from an originally estimated 2014, had long been expected for late 2016. This resulted from lack of tax revenues due to the economic turndown, which also led to the project opening in phases.
As late 2016 approached, the agency further delayed opening until spring 2017. A crankshaft failure on a diesel engine used in the near-identical Nippon Sharyo diesel multiple unit trains operating in Toronto necessitated all of SMART's cars to be recalled for crank replacemets, according to SMART management. The agency additionally had been experiencing problems with warning systems at some grade crossings, and had not fully completed its approval process with the Federal Railroad Administration. The 2017 California floods caused damage to the Puerto Suello Hill Tunnel, further delaying testing of the line.
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System details
Rail corridor and freight
The SMART District will provide passenger service on the historic Northwestern Pacific right-of-way, which roughly parallels US Highway 101 and is owned by the SMART District from Healdsburg to Larkspur. There are 63 at grade crossings in the segment from San Rafael to Santa Rosa, with the possibility of adding more. A positive train control system is being implemented for the length of the passenger corridor for customer and pedestrian safety.
The historic Northwestern Pacific Railroad corridor will be utilized by North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) freight services in addition to SMART passenger service. Freight operator NWP Co began to serve businesses along the SMART right-of-way between Lombard (at the Napa River) and Windsor in 2011.
In December 2014, rains washed away some of the train track beds near Petaluma at Ely Road. A photo of the spot on December 11 showed the tracks hidden beneath feet of water. A spokesperson for SMART said that "Trains are not running yet, so this is something we will pay attention to."
Stations
Many of the planned platforms are located near historic depots in city centers. However, SMART will not directly utilize any of the historic depots, and will instead all use 48-inch (120 cm) platforms constructed adjacent to the historic depots. High-floor platforms will allow level boarding onto and off of the train and provide accessibility. Platforms will typically include a traditional shelter with a peaked roof and a bench for seating. They will also have light poles, signs, and garbage cans.
Original plans called for ten stations in the initial operating segment (IOS) with five more in a second phase. A further station is being planned in Novato's downtown district.
Rolling stock
The SMART fleet consists of nine two-car Nippon Sharyo DMU trainsets, each powered by a Cummins QSK19-R diesel engine. The vehicles, designed specifically for SMART and another transit service, the Union Pearson Express in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, are slope-nosed and self-propelled by diesel engines that meet stringent "Tier 4" EPA requirements. They run in pairs, with the ability to put a third, non-powered car in the middle for extra passenger capacity.
The diesel multiple unit trainsets were ordered from Sumitomo Corporation of America / Nippon Sharyo at a cost of $46.7 million, or $6.67 million for each two car set. They were delivered to Rochelle, Illinois for assembling, and then sent to the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. in Pueblo, CO for testing. Under the contract, additional railcars may be ordered at a cost of $2.9 million per individual car. The first trainset arrived in Cotati, California on April 7, 2015. The original order was for fourteen cars in seven two car trainsets, but on July 30, 2015, the state of California announced an $11 million grant to SMART to finance the purchase of three additional cars to be added to the fleet, allowing for three trainsets to be run with three cars, with an increase in capacity of 130 passengers over a two car trainset. In April 2016, SMART's general manager negotiated with CalSTA and Nippon Sharyo to adjust the order so SMART will receive two more full trainsets in place of the extra cars, bringing their fleet size to the required nine trainsets needed for service to Cloverdale. They will be painted in a McGlashan green livery.
A July 2016 fire aboard one of Toronto's Nippon Sharyo units revealed a fatal design flaw in the engine's crankshaft; it was decided to delay operations until the engines could be serviced to correct the problem.
Bicycle and pedestrian pathway
In the original sales tax expenditure plan, $90 million was allocated for a bike/pedestrian path along the line for recreation and to enhance connections between stations and the developing network of bicycle-pedestrian pathways. As a result of the down turn of the economy in 2008, SMART has phased the construction of the bicycle-pedestrian pathway as well as the commuter rail project. Current SMART pathway construction focuses on bridging gaps between existing bicycle-pedestrian pathways, providing access to stations and serving potential high-use areas. A number of segments are being constructed in partnership with local jurisdictions. For example, SMART has obtained a grant for pathway construction in Rohnert Park and is seeking grants to fund additional segments. By April 2016, 9.95 miles (16.0 km) of trail were at or near completion.
Operations
Trains will operate 17 round trips on weekdays. Southbound service begins at 4:19 A.M. with a final train at 6:49 P.M. while northbound service runs from 5:59A.M. to 8:35 P.M. There are five round trips on weekends with the first train (southbound) departing at 10:13 A.M. and the final train (northbound) leaving at 8:50 P.M. The 43-mile IOS is scheduled to be covered in 1 hour 7 minutes, an average of 38.5 miles per hour (62.0 km/h).
Fares
The system will operate with fare zones and a proof-of-payment system with Clipper card serving as the only payment method. There will be five zones in the initial opening segment, expanding to seven when service to Cloverdale is completed. Zone ticketing requires little infrastructure at the stations but can be expensive for passengers making a short trip that crosses a zone boundary.
Fares start at $3.50 for a ride within one zone, with an additional $2 added for entering each new zone. Once a daily fare of $23 is reached (the maximum round-trip fare), no additional fares will be assessed for further travel that day. Transfers from Santa Rosa CityBus, Sonoma County Transit, Petaluma Transit, and Golden Gate Transit will receive a $1.50 reduction in fare per transfer ($0.75 for discounted tickets). A specialty transit card, the SMART EcoPass, can be purchased in bulk by businesses, schools, and other agencies and will provide a discount of up to 50% for children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. A monthly pass is also sold for $200 ($100 for eligible riders) which grants the bearer 31 days of unlimited travel from the date of first use. Parking will be $2 daily or $20 for a monthly pass at stations, with no overnight parking.
An increase in fares was forecast to arrive about a year after operations commence.
The first several months of service will be free, allowing the public to try and the system and acclimate to its operations.
Governance
The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District is a special-purpose district consisting of Sonoma and Marin Counties. The Board of Directors represent the various cities and transit agencies served along the main line. The twelve members consist of:
- Two members of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, each of whom shall also serve on the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Transportation Authority, appointed by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.
- Two members of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, appointed by the Marin County Board of Supervisors.
- Three members, each of whom shall be a mayor or council member of a city or town within the County of Sonoma, appointed by the Sonoma County Mayors and Council Members Association or its successor, provided the following conditions are met:
- At least two members are also city representatives for the Sonoma County Transportation Authority.
- All of the members are from cities on the rail line in Sonoma County.
- No city has more than one member.
- The member of the City Council of the City of Novato who also serves on the Marin County Congestion Management Agency, appointed by the Marin County Congestion Management Agency or its successor.
- The member of the City Council of the City of San Rafael who also serves on the Marin County Congestion Management Agency, appointed by the Marin County Congestion Management Agency or its successor.
- One member, who shall be a mayor or council member of a city or town within the County of Marin and a member of the Marin County Congestion Management Agency, appointed by the Marin County Council of Mayors and Council Members or its successor.
- Two members of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, neither of whom shall be a member of the Marin or Sonoma County Boards of Supervisors, appointed by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District or its successor.
In January 2011, General Manager Lilian Hames, who had led the project for a decade, resigned amid ongoing concern about the project's financial challenges and the necessity to build it in phases. David Heath, the Chief Financial Officer, took over management duties until the appointment later that year of Farhad Mansourian as acting General Manager. In August 2011, Mansourian was appointed permanent General Manager, assuming both financial and general management responsibilities for the project.
For many years, Mansourian was Director of Public Works for Marin County, and his combined annual compensation from SMART ($346,000) and Marin County pension ($148,000) raised some questions initially. SMART board members said that the threat of a SMART repeal effort made bringing a general manager from an out-of-state rail system to the San Francisco Bay Area even more costly. They concluded that Mansourian's demonstrated abilities during his temporary assignment coupled with his knowledge of California's permitting requirements and successful delivery of complex public works projects in Marin County made him the best candidate.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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