The first Operating Segment of the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit train is up and running! And what a beautiful, smooth ride. The scenery is beautiful. Vineyards north of Santa Rosa and estuaries filled with birds along the Petaluma River and estuaries.
Trains travel from the Airport Blvd. Station to the Transit Center in downtown San Rafael with two stops in Santa Rosa, one in Rohnert Park, one in Cotati, one in Petaluma, two in Navato and two in San Rafael. The full trip takes about an hour and seven minutes.
Construction crews have already begun work on the extention from San Rafael to Larkspur. Many segments of the SMART Multi-use pathway have also been completed. A number of bike trails can be accessed from the SMART stations and you can take your bike onboard.
Work still needs to be done to better coordinate local bus times and routes. However, progress is being made. Convenient shuttle buses to the Charles Schultz Airport, to Santa Rosa downtown parking and to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal are up and running.
Demand has been so strong that SMART has added a third unit to some of the more popular trains. You can find current schedules and information on stations, fairs and shuttles on the SMART website here.