Rails with Trail

The Wave of the Future

As Americans struggle with increasing traffic congestion, pollution and volatile gas prices, communities throughout the United States are looking more and more toward multi-modal transportation alternatives that decrease collective auto travel.

As a result, many jurisdictions are now choosing to combine "rails with trails" and make two transportation facilities in one transportation corridor. This makes good sense, as a railroad right-of-way is often wide enough to build a bicycle/pedestrian path parallel to the rail line.

There are currently 62 rails with trails in the United States, with 150 more planned for the future. Here in the North Bay, the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit Commission is planning a rail line that would span from Cloverdale in the north to the ferry to San Francisco in the south. There are also plans on the books that date back over two decades which show that County and City Planners in both Marin and Sonoma are also looking to use the rail corridor for a separated bikeway.

On September 13, 2000 the SMART Commission officially made it a goal to have a "rail with trail" where ever feasible, along the 68 mile length of the proposed light rail corridor. In addition, the Commission has filed papers to become an official transit agency that can accept the $37 million that was set aside for the rail line through Governor Davis' Traffic Congestion Relief Plan. SMART also resolved on November 15 to include the bikeway as part of the EIR/EIS process.

To find out more information about rails with trails and the MCBC's correspondence with SMART, and press about the issue, please see the following documents:

• SMART releases draft EIR, November 21, 2005
• Thank you letter to the SMART Board, March 24, 2004
• SMART Implementation Strategy document, February 11, 2004
• BPAG Recommendations on Station Planning
• Update on Rails-with-Trail, August 2003, prepared by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition
• Letter to SMART, October 24, 2000, prepared by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition
• Yes on Bikeway, October 7, 2000, Marin IJ Editorial
• Sonoma-Marin train to Include Bike Trail, October 1, 2000, Marin IJ Article
• Existing Rails with Trails, prepared by the Rails to Trails Conservancy
• Letter to SMART, June 30, 2000, prepared by the Rails to Trails Conservancy
• Letter to SMART, June 30, 2000, prepared by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition
• Report on Rails with Trails, prepared by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition

Much more information on "rails with trails" can be found by connecting to http://www.trailsandgreenways.org/TAG_active_pages /TechnicalAssistance /main.asp. Then click on "online references" and then rails-with-trails.