Good things are on the horizon for our neighbors to the south: SMART, or Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, is a proposed 70-mile passenger train service proposal with a companion bicycle/pedestrian pathway paralleling Hwy 101 from Cloverdale to Larkspur.  In November 2008, SMART will be put before voters in those counties (it involves a quarter cent sales tax).  In 2006, the measure passed in Sonoma with over 67% of voter support, but failed in Marin by less than 1% (it has to be passed by a super-majority, or two-thirds vote of Marin and Sonoma Counties).

It's a great use of the corridor and unused rail line in Marin and Sonoma.  Most of us in Humboldt have experienced the traffic congestion on Highway 101 that occurs throughout Marin and Sonoma counties during rush hour.  Travel can be made safer, less environmentally damaging, less expensive, and faster with SMART.  Oh, and with the bike trail, it can be healthier too.  Plenty of Marin and Sonomites are salivating at the chance to ride the train one way to catch a ferry to S.F. at Larkspur and then enjoy commuting home by bike, or vice versa.

But, just like they are for Humboldt County, the NCRA (and more specifically, its operator, which paid exactly $0 to lease the line, Northwester Pacific Railroad Co., NWP) is trying to de-rail this worthwhile project.  NWP says that there would need to be 100 foot setbacks from the train tracks for the multi-modal trail, which would put it outside the available corridor and, practically, make the trail impossible.  And NCRA has gone along with this.  In plenty of places, trails run directly adjacent to in-use railroad tracks.  For more on this, see Chris's post Can the railroad rein in its operator?

SMART says a decision regarding setbacks is there's to make, not NCRA's.  And, since I believe they are a more compotent agency than NCRA, my money is with them.

In the meantime, I am helping out Friends of SMART to help make it happen.  Check out the campaign website here.  And a great way to show and share your support with Marin & Sonoma area friends is with the Facebook Group I've created with a few others, Vote SMART: Sonoma-Marin Transportation for the 21st Century.  213 members and counting.

Update: This post was linked from Capdiamont's blog, where he gives his take on the trail setback issue.  Thanks for linking, Larry, and for inviting me to help with the SMART effort.