Six years ago, a similar funding question couldn’t clear the two-thirds threshold. Now, Marin and Sonoma counties will ask voters on June 2 to approve a 30-year, quarter-cent sales tax extension to fund SMART.
The measure only needs a simple majority this time, thanks to late-2024 state legislation. If it passes, the Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit could keep rolling and deepen multimodal links from Larkspur to Windsor.
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In Marin, towns from San Rafael and Mill Valley to Sausalito and Corte Madera would feel the financial ripple of the decision. The vote also ties into broader plans for more transit-oriented growth across the North Bay.
What the ballot means for Marin communities and SMART
In Marin and Sonoma counties, the vote centers on extending a tax that currently covers about half of SMART’s annual revenue—roughly $51 million—and that is set to expire in 2029. Without renewal, SMART officials warn that operations could cease.
The agency already runs trains between Larkspur and Windsor and maintains about 40 miles of a planned 70-mile rail and multiuse path. Contracts are in place for an extension to Healdsburg, with Cloverdale possibly next.
Ridership has surged in recent years. More people want Bay Area mobility that connects Marin towns like Ross, Fairfax, and San Anselmo with Sonoma’s towns and beyond.
The basics at a glance
- What’s before the voters: a 30-year extension of the quarter-cent sales tax to fund SMART operations.
- Approval threshold: lowered from two-thirds to a simple majority under 2024 state legislation.
- Funding impact: current revenue about $51 million annually; renewal needed to prevent service termination in 2029.
- Service scope: trains from Larkspur to Windsor, along with a 40-mile portion of a planned 70-mile rail and multiuse path; extensions to Healdsburg and potentially Cloverdale.
Ridership and efficiency goals
- Ridership trend: more than 1.1 million passengers in the past year, a 33% increase largely due to free-fare pilots for youth and seniors; projection around 1.4 million trips this year.
- Subsidy metrics: per-passenger subsidy fell to $31.27 in 2025 from $39.27 in 2024. SMART says per-passenger-mile is a better gauge—$1.50 in 2025, projected to $1.40 as ridership grows, a figure they claim compares favorably with regional transit.
Supporters’ view: why renewal matters for Marin
Supporters, including SMART board members and the ballot-initiative committee, say the renewal is essential for ongoing service, community connectivity, and broader climate goals. For residents in towns like San Rafael, Larkspur, Corte Madera, and Tiburon, the extension is pitched as a way to keep a critical mobility backbone in place and expand multiuse paths that link neighborhoods, parks, and downtown cores.
What supporters emphasize
- Continued service: keeping SMART trains running and the multiuse path program on track.
- Expanded access: sustained youth and senior fare pilots that boosted ridership.
- Community connectivity: stronger links among Marin towns—Larkspur, San Rafael, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Corte Madera—and across the bay to Sonoma.
- Environmental benefits: reducing vehicle miles traveled and supporting Bay Area climate goals.
Critics’ concerns: what opponents say
Opponents argue SMART hasn’t met ambitious ridership expectations and that subsidies per rider remain high in places like the San Rafael Transit Center corridor. They say the system’s efficiency and governance need scrutiny and urge voters to withhold more funding if benefits don’t show up.
In Marin, critics in Novato, San Anselmo, and nearby towns worry about local budgets. Some question whether a 30-year tax extension is really the right tool for meaningful, sustainable outcomes.
What critics point to
- Cost vs. benefit: concerns about whether growth will justify continued taxation in Marin communities.
- Operational transparency: calls for clearer reporting on subsidies, performance, and maintenance costs.
- Deliverables: questions about new stations and the pace of the multiuse path expansion for towns like Fairfax and Ross.
What’s next and how to participate
Ballots just hit mailboxes, and polling places open up on June 2. Marin voters—from San Rafael and Mill Valley to Sausalito and Novato—face a big decision: Should SMART keep expanding as the North Bay grows?
Local officials in Larkspur, Corte Madera, and neighboring towns are urging folks to read the ballot language carefully. They suggest showing up at forums and, of course, casting a vote.
Whatever happens, the results will shape transit, traffic, and maybe even the Bay Area’s environmental goals for a long time. No pressure, right?
Here is the source article for this story: Marin, Sonoma send SMART tax renewal to June ballot
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