SMART to soon exceed 1 million passengers

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) by week's end expects to surpass 1 million in ridership since the commuter-rail system launched in August 2017.

To mark the occasion, the agency will provide free trip passes to 1,500 riders onboard the train that breaks the million barrier.

"This is our way of saying 'thank you' to our riders, and it is also a way for them to share their SMART train experience with a friend or family member," said SMART Chair Debora Fudge in a press release.


SMART began operating Aug. 25, 2017, along a 43-mile system from Santa Rosa to downtown San Rafael, California. Last year, the agency received a $22.5 million federal grant to build a 2.1-mile extension from San Rafael to the Golden Gate Transit Larkspur Ferry terminal in Marin County. Work is underway on two new stations in Larkspur and downtown Novato, and the extension is expected to open later this year.

SMART is also working on extending its system further north to Windsor by 2021's end.

"This year will be a banner year, with the opening of the Larkspur extension, two new stations coming online and the addition of two new two-car trains that will help us expand our schedule," said SMART Vice Chair Judy Arnold.