5000 seems to be a good indicator of success. Just 10% more than 5000 people ride the successful Larkspur ferry after 30 years of operation (details) and less than 5000 people cross the bay each morning on the successful GGT peak period buses (details). There's very few under utilized rail systems when they're well integrated with commute patterns.

Caltrans says there's 14400 vehicles at peak in central San Rafael (details). 1220 vehicles at peak use Marin's HOV lanes (details). Statistically, at peak 92% of the 101 drivers will have the same number of lanes in central San Rafael as they did before the project. At best, a freeway lane can accommodate 2400 vehicles per hour. After the HOV opens, central San Rafael will be 2 lanes short of the needed capacity for existing traffic. The good news is the buses may be faster. Meanwhile, traffic counts continue to grow on 101.

BART doesn't think so. BART's proposing a nearly identical solution to SMART to extend their service. Read about it here (eBART). Why did they choose what SMART proposed? "Conventional BART to Hillcrest Avenue was considered less attractive when compared to other options due to significantly higher construction costs and a much longer construction timeline. Conventional BART trains would require special engineering for tracks and hardware, with a cost three times that of the eBART solution." eBART's project cost per mile is about $48M versus SMART's cost of $7.5M per mile thanks to the existing right-of-way.

Marin and Sonoma have relied exclusively on buses or cars since the '70s. Golden Gate Transit buses do a good job of taking commuters to San Francisco, but get stuck in the same traffic problems as cars. There's only limited bus service among the 101 corridor's cities. Express bus service or additional buses have been suggested as an alternative to SMART. Express buses need express lanes to be better than any other bus, and there aren't any lanes for that purpose. They could be built, but the cost is higher than SMART per mile

Some have proposed increasing the number of buses in use on existing routes. Marin passed a tax 4 years ago providing almost the same funding as Measure Q to improve bus service in Marin. Since that tax was approved, bus service has been reduced, fares have risen, and tolls to pay operating costs have been increased. Bus ridership has also fallen. It doesn't seem to me that adding bus funding has improved service. I think it's time to fund a new service dedicated to moving people up and down the 101 corridor.

The tracks won't, they are already in place, but in shabby shape. Rebuilding tracks is done by vehicles on those tracks. Some of you may remember the freight trains that rolled along the tracks through Novato in the 90's (behind Costco). Tracks south of Novato haven't been used in years, but are still railroad right-of-way. The trains will reduce car trips and the math on emissions says there will be tons less each day. If each commuter saves just 5 miles commuting to work, that's 50,000 miles every day.

Most often San Francisco is mentioned, some times the East Bay or BART. San Francisco service is provided by Golden Gate Transit buses and ferries. SMART will certainly provide connections with the ferry and some of the existing bus routes. Connections with BART are provided today by buses from the San Rafael Transit Center.

SMART's primary focus is on the people who live and work IN THE NORTH BAY. The majority of commuting employees and students stay within their county. The majority of Sonoma commuters entering Marin each day work in Marin. There's nothing in the SMART project that prevents a future connection with BART in the East Bay. The Metropolitan Transit Commission has a design for a line connecting SMART to the Richmond BART and Amtrak stations. Of course, there's no reason for that connection if SMART isn't built first.

Trains make noise, like cars and buses. The constant drone from 101 can be heard all day, and even sound walls only deflect the noise. Trains approaching crossings are required to use horns to alert cars and pedestrians, but those requirements are waived when crossings are configured for "quiet zones". That means crossings must prevent cars and people from going around gates either with extra gates, median strips, or fences. Quiet zones are being planned along some of the route.

The type of train proposed for SMART uses engines with clean diesel technology. The engines are similar to the newest, cleanest truck engines at similar noise levels.

I don't get this. If 5000 trips from or to the north don't drive to or through Larkspur, don't park in Larkspur, don't use Sir Francis Drake, then how will a train add to Larkspur's congestion? Sir Francis Drake is a nightmare at rush hour on both sides of 101. Taking any cars out of the traffic pattern should improve the flow. The train isn't planned to cross SFD on the ground so it won't block traffic (read on).

Perhaps, but it could be built to complement the Airporter depot (not much of an attraction). It might even hide the view of the Caltrans metering lights that have been idle for 5 years. Better still, have elevated tracks cross SFD and let the passengers out at the ferry terminal. A pedestrian bridge already crosses SFD and has been built to avoid being an eyesore. An overpass for a single track wouldn't look much different.

Good for them! I predict they'll get on in Novato and skip the daily backup from Rowland to central San Rafael. That will make many other Marin drivers happy. Others will join them when they see how easy it is to use the train.

The 2 car train will fit in the existing Transit Center or between 3rd and 4th where the original train station was located. That means southbound trains will clear 4th street, perhaps 3rd street and allow the gates to go up. Much of central San Rafael's backup is on Hetherton trying to go west on Third or east on 2nd. The train would open 2nd eastbound for Hetherton traffic and, depending on the station location, open 3rd and certainly 4th westbound for Hetherton. And, of course, train passengers won't be in cars contributing to the congestion.

SMART is one of the least costly transit options in the Bay Area in decades. Reusing the existing rail right of way allows most of the work to be done at about $7.5 million per mile. That's a lot of money, but let's keep it in perspective. BART's proposed new route to San Jose is estimated at nearly $300 million per mile. BART's proposed line in east Contra Costa (built like SMART) is estimated at $48 million per mile. Phoenix's new light rail system is budgeted at $100 million per mile. Denver has lines costing $48 million per mile. Start up costs of public transit (and roads) are always a big obstacle, but the only alternative in Marin remains highway 101. Building an alternate route like SMART can get more years out of 101 before it becomes hopeless. The annual operating cost of SMART, according to budget information from SMART and from Golden Gate Transit, is slightly less per passenger than for the Larkspur ferries.

More than half the traffic on 101 each morning originates between Novato and the Civic Center. Most Marin commuters are trying to get to work or school in Marin, not in San Francisco, and have no way other than 101. Introducing rail gives many of them an opportunity to leave their cars at home, ignore the traffic, get to work faster and on a predictable schedule. No asphalt spills, multi-car accidents, road repairs or rain delays.

Freight ran through Sonoma county and Novato in the 90's. Storm damage up north and poor maintenance wrecked the rails, so service was suspended. The rail line was never abandoned and is already preparing to reopen for freight. Ignoring the opportunity to add a transit alternative because of freight will cancel the commute benefit, but not the freight. The relationship between the two is tracks (which don't need transit for freight), and schedules (which will be less restrictive for freight without transit).