PETALUMA, Calif. — Northern California commuter rail service Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit is set to launch service on its northern extension to Windsor, Calif., on Saturday (May 31).
The North Bay Business Journal reports that SMART received final clearance from the Federal Railroad Administration to begin operation on Thursday, according to SMART General Manager Eddy Cumins.
The Business Journal reports that SMART believes the new station could add 400 to 500 riders daily, which would put it among the top four stations on the 14-station, 46-mile system. An official opening ceremony for the new station is slated for June 13.
The new service extends SMART about 3 miles beyond its current endpoint, the Sonoma County Airport station in Santa Rosa. The updated schedule reflecting the additional station is available here.
Having gone out to the Sonoma valley for the last 4 decades to buy wine, often staying in Healdsburg, it has been interesting to see the decrepit line come back to life. One winery owner bemoaned the fact that back when the millions went to add another lane thru Santa Rosa.
I don’t think many people know that this line goes through prime wine country, Asti, Coppola, just to name a couple. I think it also goes next to Skywalker Ranch and Lucasfilm Ltd.
Too bad they couldn’t get a circle extension into the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. That would make ridership really explode. But it would cost a lot and they need more riders to justify the expense, unless Gavin has another cash box to raid.