Comments on: November 2008 Election: Yes on Measure Q (Sonoma & Marin Counties)

By: theo

theo — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:49:44 +0000

When SMART is finished, it will become the fastest and most reliable way to go wine tasting from SF without a car (which is always the wisest option for wine tasting).

Ferry to Larkspur, SMART to Healdsburg, and there are almost 20 tasting rooms within walking distance of the station.

http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/index.php/stations/healdsburg/

http://www.avenuevine.com/archives/001932.html

I didn’t see this mentioned in the proposal materials — perhaps because commuters aren’t looking forward to sharing the train with drunk oenophiles?

By: Wad

Wad — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:11:18 +0000

Allow another Southern Californian (apart from Bob) to congratulate the Bay Area for this victory.

I have a particular fondness for SMART. I have family friends who live in Santa Rosa, and I became familiar with the Golden Gate Transit commuter buses.

I was amazed at how many people have such an extraordinarily long commute. I’ve been on buses that leave San Francisco early in the afternoon and leave Sonoma County while it’s still dark at dawn … and I can’t believe that every bus along this long distance is full!

I don’t think there are any BODO, or board-only/discharge-only, restrictions along the lines, because nearly everyone was riding the long haul with almost no intracounty travel.

If you use the bus ridership patterns, SMART ridership is going to meet its records very early. Even though bus riders lose a single seat ride into San Francisco, the train and the ferry connection (then a transfer to a BART or Muni train) into San Francisco would be faster for most riders. The buses are really slow to and from the Financial District and Civic Center.

Golden Gate Transit’s boardings are around 20,000 weekdays. I wouldn’t be surprised if SMART lures about 10,000-15,000 away from the buses.

By: November 2008 Election: Results and Reflections « Transbay Blog

November 2008 Election: Results and Reflections « Transbay Blog — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:30:05 +0000

[...] Transbay Blog « November 2008 Election: Yes on Measure Q (Sonoma & Marin Counties) [...]

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:17:29 +0000

thamsenman, I appreciate your concern, but North Bay isolation is a difficult problem to deal with. Rail connections from the North Bay to either SF or Richmond would cost billions, and ridership projections aren't anywhere near high enough to justify that magnitude of investment. There may be fewer Marin residents riding it, but that's no reason not to have trains run through Marin. The right of way already exists in Marin, and many Sonoma residents are traveling to Marin. Cutting the line short before Marin would only decrease ridership. Also, as I indicated in the post, most North Bay residents aren't commuting to SF; the biggest travel demand is really within the North Bay itself, and SMART would serve this market. That said, it would be good one day soon to build a better rail/ferry link. Ian, I'm very glad it passed too. I suspect it may be the sort of thing where ten years after the trains start running, they'll become an accepted part of the landscape, and North Bayers will wonder how they didn't have them all along. And of course, we have to hope that the service will be popular and that people will demand more service still.

By: Ian Leighton

Ian Leighton — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:06:01 +0000

Here’s one Marin native reading –

And I’m so glad that this passed… unfortunately, it was hard to convince some people I know who are staunchly anti-transit and just do not see the value that this train will bring, do not agree that the very small cost ($20,000 spent for this tax to collect $50, a tank of gas) will bring huge benefits in density and mobility. Too bad. It’s the future (and the law! thanks to SB375).

Luckily, it has passed and will be built. In five years, when ridership is above projections, I’ll make sure to drop them an “I told you so!” note.

Thank you so much for all you do here — it is invaluable to my engineering education and love for the future in transit.

By: Bob Davis

Bob Davis — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:06:42 +0000

Here in Southern Calif., there was an abandoned SP rail line in the San Fernando Valley that should have been rebuilt into a light rail line (or a subway extension with overhead power). Instead, the right of way was paved over to become a “busway”. Now passenger loadings are greater than some rail lines and folks are asking “whose bright idea was this @#$%! busway?” The price for building rail wouldn’t have been that much more, and the service would be considerably faster and more efficient. Last report I saw showed measure Q winning, so sometime in the next several years I’ll have another train to ride when I visit the Bay Area.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:42:12 +0000

I’m all for it, only if there are requirements for smart growth and high-density development around each station. Nothing wrong with building up in Sonoma county.

By: thamsenman

thamsenman — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:47:12 +0000

Thanks for your analysis on this!

I’m not sure I agree with you though. I can’t help but think this train will do one thing: keep Marin and Sonoma county isolated from the rest of the bay area.

I also think the ridership figures are greatly exaggerated, particularly for commuters from Marin county. SMART will no doubt help commuters from Sonoma County, but I don’t think very few people in Marin will use it.

I know almost no one in Marin who will take the train to Larkspur and then come to San Francisco by ferry.