Marin trains get funds to extend to ferry terminal

SMART, the North Bay’s nascent commuter railroad, got word Monday that it will receive $22.5 million in federal funding to complete a critical extension to the Larkspur ferry terminal.

The 2.1-mile extension to the Golden Gate Ferry terminal is considered a vital link that will lure commuters who travel between the North Bay and San Francisco. To make the trip now, SMART riders have to get off the train at the current end-of-the-line station in downtown San Rafael and take a bus to the ferry terminal or into San Francisco.

SMART officials believe a direct connection to ferries to and from San Francisco will significantly boost ridership.

“Our Larkspur connection is an important link to San Francisco and will connect residents, employers and visitors to Sonoma and Marin counties,” said Judy Arnold, a SMART

board member. “It will provide an economic boost for the North Bay.”

SMART had been awarded the grant from the Federal Transit Administration in February 2015, but as the Trump administration overhauled the Department of Transportation, the funding became uncertain.

The grant makes up a large chunk of the $55.4 million cost of the extension, which is expected to carry trains by the end of 2019.

Construction started last fall, and crews are laying new rails south of downtown San Rafael. As part of the extension, San Rafael will have to move its downtown transit center to make way for the trains. Trains will head south from the San Rafael station to the already renovated Cal-Park tunnel to a Larkspur station a short walk from the ferry terminal.

Despite the uncertainty of the federal funding, work on the extension continued while federal officials pondered the project. But the money came in time to keep the project on track.

“The project wasn’t delayed,” said Jeanne MarianiBelding, SMART spokeswoman. “We just kept working, waiting for word the funding would be coming.”

SMART started running the North Bay’s first commuter trains in 60 years in August, traveling 43 miles between Sonoma County Airport and downtown San Rafael. Trains stop at 10 stations.

Trains make 17 round trips between San Rafael and Santa Rosa on weekdays and five each way on weekends and holidays. The trains are dieselfueled and self-powered, meaning they aren’t pulled by locomotives.

Plans call for SMART to eventually span 70 miles, reaching north to Cloverdale, stopping en route. An extension north of Santa Rosa to Windsor is next, and could be completed as soon as 2021, depending on funding.

Since its start, SMART has endured the Tubbs Fire, which stopped at its tracks, limited service and prompted the railroad to give thousands of free rides to fire victims.

SMART nevertheless met or exceeded ridership and revenue projections for its first six months. About 15,600 passengers ride SMART trains each week.