Another SMART Announcement

February 1, 2008

From SMART:
January 1 was a red-letter day for Sonoma and Marin County residents, as it marked the beginning of the year in which a measure for the 70-mile SMART passenger rail-and-trail project likely will return to the ballot.

After SMART’s razor-thin loss at the polls in November 2006 (the sales-tax measure garnered 65.3 percent of the vote, but needed 66.7), our Board of Directors heard from a variety of individuals, community groups and local governments. The overwhelming message was SMART should return to the ballot in 2008, but with a few changes to the project and improved public outreach efforts.

The Board has since expressed its intention to return to the voters in November of this year. Meanwhile, SMART is conducting a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report to examine the environmental effects of adding weekend train service, adding several sections of bike and pedestrian pathway, using lighter self-propelled rail cars and identifying alternate proposed locations for a SMART station in southern Novato. In addition to those potential changes in the project, the SEIR is studying the impacts of an increased level of freight rail service proposed by the North Coast Railroad Authority, which changed its projections about its future service after SMART completed its original Environmental Impact Report in 2006.

(The NCRA has been sued by the City of Novato, which claims the railroad should not be proceeding with repairs on the rail line before NCRA has completed a full EIR on its project. This lawsuit does not affect SMART’s plans.)

SMART’s draft Supplemental EIR is expected later this spring. The SMART Board must take action no later than August to formally place a measure on the November ballot.

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