Deb Hubsmith: Rail with trail is a SMART bargain
Marin Independent Journal, October 18, 2006
THE MARIN County Bicycle Coalition strongly supports the SMART rail-with-trail project and encourages voters to cast their ballots in favor of Measure R.
Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit offers us a valuable opportunity to create an alternative to growing traffic congestion on Highway 101 and our local roads by providing Marin and Sonoma counties with commuter rail service and a parallel bicycle and pedestrian pathway.
For the cost of a couple of pennies on a $10 purchase, the quarter-cent sales tax that Measure R proposes to pay for SMART gets both the train and pathway built and operating in less than four years. There are no other options in front of us that offer such immediate benefits for such a minimal expense.
The 70-mile SMART bicycle and pedestrian pathway will parallel the rail line and provide an opportunity for people to bike or walk to the rail stations, or to use the pathway for other commute or recreational purposes. A north-south greenway along the railroad right of way has long been a goal for Marin. This is our chance to get it and a top-notch commuter train, too.
The alignment of the pathway was created with the help of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition and the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition during a detailed process between 2002-2004.
Seventy percent of the route will be a pathway along the SMART right of way; to avoid impacts on wetlands, the remaining 30 percent will be made up of bike lane and sidewalk segments on city streets. The SMART ballot language clearly states that the bicycle and pedestrian pathway is an integral part of the Measure R proposal.
The expenditure plan allocates $46 million for capital costs related to construction of the pathway, as well as $15 million over 20 years to operate and maintain the pathway. The pathway will support 7,000 bicycle trips every weekday and more than 10,000 on weekend days.
The SMART proposal presents the rail and pathway as an integrated transportation system. Rail stations are being designed to optimize pedestrian and bicycle access, including on-site bicycle parking at all stations. The downtown San Rafael and Santa Rosa stations will provide space for staffed bicycle storage and maintenance facilities. With rail cars designed to carry bicycles, passengers will be able take the train and ride their bicycles to work, school, shopping or for recreation.
Imagine biking to the train, boarding and enjoying the peaceful ride to your destination and then riding your bike to work. What a difference that would be from sitting in traffic on Highway 101. You could enjoy some physical exercise as part of your morning and/or evening commute.
MCBC has been working on the rail-with-trail project since 1999; we have attended public meetings, commented on the environmental impact report and participated in the design of the pathway. The past seven years of public process has shaped Measure R into a 21st century proposal that will result in building an important transportation alternative to Highway 101 gridlock. SMART will be an invaluable amenity for our county.
We support Measure R so strongly that we are contributing staff time to make sure that it succeeds in November. Ultimately, the support that matters most is that of the voters.
MCBC invites you to help us get the word out through phone banking, precinct walking and other volunteer opportunities.Contact us through our Web site, www.marinbike.org
Most important, vote "yes" on Measure R.
