Lawmakers Welcome SMART to Larkspur

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It was a huge weekend for SMART as the rail line officially kicked off long-awaited service to Larkspur, with connections to San Francisco via the Larkspur Ferry.

The unveiling of the Larkspur station, within sight of the Ferry landing, was celebrated by a big crowd of dignitaries and elected officials who were on-hand for the station’s dedication.

The Larkspur extension adds just over 2 miles to the 45 mile rail line, but more importantly delivers on a promise to provide North Bay rail customers with a usable link to San Francisco. That promise was a major selling point for SMART when voters in Marin and Sonoma Counties approved a quarter cent sales tax to fund the system back in 2008.

So far more than $55 million has been spent on the system, and the SMART board plans to go back to voters in March to ask for an extension of the sales tax to help fund operations and future expansion to Windsor and Cloverdale.

This weekend also saw the opening of a second SMART station in Novato, part of an expansion of service for commuters and other customers in Marin County.

SMART next plans to extend rail service north to Windsor, a project not expected to be completed for at least two years.

At the Larkspur dedication, Congressman Jared Huffman and Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt touted the benefits they say the new SMART service will provide to North Bay residents.