SMART recommended to receive for $12.6 million grant for bicycle and pedestrian pathway

“This funding will allow SMART to complete its multi-use pathway in key cities and build on its existing connections to train stations. As Sonoma County’s representative on MTC, this is a significant accomplishment for our constituents, and I am committed to working with my fellow MTC commissioners to secure final approval of this grant,” said MTC Commissioner and SMART Board member Jake Mackenzie.

“Having an integrated pathway enhances SMART’s successful passenger rail service, which has already carried more than 1 million passengers in just over a year of operating,” said SMART Board Chairman Gary Phillips. “This funding is a major achievement for SMART and for the communities we serve.”

The grant, which is part of MTC’s the Active Transportation Program funded by SB1 gas and vehicle weight tax, will be used to build an additional 4.7 miles of pathway from McDowell Boulevard in Petaluma to Main Street in Penngrove, and from Golf Course Drive in Rohnert Park to Bellevue Avenue in Santa Rosa, connecting existing pathway segments as far south as Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park and as far north as Guerneville Road at the Santa Rosa North SMART station.

“This underscores the importance of leadership and experience. Having a clear understanding of our transportation network and how all of these components work together enables us to compete for and secure the funding we need to build on our success,” said David Rabbitt, president of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and a member of SMART’s Board of Directors. “The Metropolitan Transportation Commission and its leadership understands the importance of investing in Sonoma and Marin counties and we are grateful for that support.”