On January 1, 2003, a new regional transportation district was established to oversee the development and implementation of passenger rail service in Sonoma and Marin Counties. The new rail district, created with the passage of California State Assembly Bill 2224 (Nation, District 6), holds in public ownership, over seventy miles of railroad right-of-way (ROW), estimated to be worth more than $1 billion.

The Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District is governed by a 12-member Board consisting of elected officials: two county supervisors each from Marin and Sonoma counties, three appointed City Council members from each county and two representatives from the Golden Gate Bridge District.

The SMART District is charged with planning, engineering, evaluating and implementing passenger train service and corridor maintenance from Cloverdale to a Ferry Terminal that connects to San Francisco.

MCL did not support the SMART initiative, but is committed to working with the district to ensure it delivers maximum benefit to the community while minimizing impact on the environment.

2010 Documents and Correspondence

• June 25, 2010 - Marin Civil Grand Jury Report, SMART: Steep Grade Ahead
• February 6, 2010 - Rep. Woolsey's response to MCL letter re.: Port Sonoma
• January 11, 2010 -MCL letter to SMART regarding Port Sonoma

2008 Documents and Correspondence

• 2008 - MCL position on Measure Q -SMART
• June 9, 2008 - MCL's comments on SMART's Financial Plan
• April 15, 2008 - MCL's comments on the SMART Supplemental EIR
• January 10, 2008 - MCL letter to Transportation Authority of Marin
• January 10, 2008 - Context and Background for MCL's 2006 Financial Analysis of the SMART proposal

2006 Documents and Correspondence

• 2006 - MCL's Financial Analysis of the SMART proposal