SMART lands more funding for commuter line projects; Santa Rosa gets 4 electric buses
Two North Bay public transportation projects will receive $4.8 million in federal transit and infrastructure funds, including $1.8 million for design work to extend the next Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit section five miles from Windsor to Healdsburg, and $3 million for the purchase of four all-electric buses for Santa Rosa Transit’s CityBus program.
The total cost of the rail line expansion from Windsor to Healdsburg is now estimated to be $160 million for the main line, pathway and a new Russian River railroad bridge planned for construction between 2023 to 2025. In 2019, the estimated cost was $125 million.
“Once full funding has been achieved, this extension could be built in approximately 24 months,” according to SMART Community Outreach and Customer Services Manager Matt Stevens.
Another element to complete is the extension of the line from the station near Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport north to the Windsor depot. That is expected to cost $70 million, of which SMART has funded $35 million, spending part of the money on track updates and a roundabout project. That leaves $35 million unfunded.
SMART has applied for a $30 million grant from the California Transportation Agency’s Solutions for Congested Corridor Program to help close this existing funding gap.
Because of that, commuter rail officials say they cannot predict when that segment will be finished.
Once the Windsor extension is complete, the most current estimate for the final Healdsburg-to-Cloverdale buildout is $308 million, including the pathway for the 17-mile section, Stevens said. That’s up from $170 million forecast in 2019.
And for the entire line, from Larkspur in Marin County to Cloverdale in Sonoma County, it is now estimated to cost $1.1 billion, according to officials.
“Because the Healdsburg and Cloverdale extensions are not yet fully funded, it is not possible to estimate precisely when the 70-mile rail system will be completed,” Stevens said.
“However, SMART is actively pursuing federal and state grants to fund remaining projects, including applications made for funding from the California Department of Transportation’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program for $125 million for the Windsor to Healdsburg link, along with a grant request for $30 million from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program for this extension.”
Other successful and pending construction grants for northbound SMART corridor project elements include the Petaluma North Station and 20.1 miles of multiuse pathway, including the 5.1-mile Windsor-to-Healdsburg pathway, and the 15-mile Healdsburg-to-Cloverdale pathway.
Last October, the SMART board of directors approved $14.1 million to be used to fund the Petaluma North Station, including $10.1 million from the state transportation agency’s rail capital program. This will be the city’s second train station, with construction estimated to begin at Corona Road and North McDowell Boulevard in the summer of 2023 and be completed by late 2024.
The latest newly approved design funds for Healdsburg SMART extension came from the Federal Rail Administration and were included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2023, nominated by Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, last May and announced on Dec 23.
“I’m incredibly pleased to have been able to secure funding for 14 local projects in the latest government appropriations bill …,” Huffman said. “Thanks to our yearlong efforts, it’s now on the path to extend its reach, better serve our region and the people who depend on SMART’s services.”
He said commuter rail service is a vital part of the North Bay’s economy.
“This expansion north will not only create hundreds of construction jobs refurbishing the rail infrastructure but will more importantly usher in economic opportunities by strengthening our housing, business and community infrastructure,” Huffman said.
David Rabbitt, board chair of SMART, said, “A strong transit network supporting the entire North Bay is crucial if we are to meet our goals of building climate resilience and creating access to opportunities for education, employment, health care and housing for people along the SMART corridor.”
Electric buses for Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa’s public transit, CityBus, received four electric buses, rolled out at a Dec. 12 ceremony. Officials said the plan is to transition to an all-electric fleet by 2040.
The transit agency received these 40-seat ZX5 Max battery electric buses, starting in late October through early November. The EV buses were built by Proterra, an electric vehicle manufacturer in Burlingame, as part of a broader move by local county governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.
The $3 million funding package for the purchase of the four EV buses — costing about $1.1 million each — came from the Federal Transit Administration’s Buses and Bus Facilities grant program and matching funds from the state Transportation and Development Act.
Powered by Sonoma Clean Power’s EverGreen program, these new buses will use 100% locally generated renewable clean energy from the Geysers geothermal power plant and local solar projects — eliminating nearly all greenhouse gases from bus operations, according to the power agency.
In addition, CityBus has received a third competitive grant award from the Federal Transit Administration’s 5339 Bus and Bus Facilities Program, to be used to deploy 10-12 additional electric buses and charging equipment.
CityBus Communications Coordinator Jaime Smedes said the city is awaiting some final paperwork from California Department of Motor Vehicles, expected to be completed very soon, before placing the electric buses in regularly scheduled service.
