San Rafael wants a delay in SMART trains to Larkspur

Citing traffic concerns, the mayor of San Rafael is requesting the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit system halt plans to extend trains to Larkspur until a new downtown transit center can be built — a project that is at least five years away.
The letter from Mayor Gary Phillips and City Manager Jim Schutz to SMART General Manager Farhad Mansourian raises issues about traffic impacts to downtown San Rafael if trains continue to Larkspur as planned.
“We understand fully the value of people coming to San Rafael on SMART, but it does not appear there will be many people going to Larkspur,” Phillips said Friday. “It would benefit a few riders, but to the detriment of many.”
The SMART plan has trains crossing busy Second and Third streets then going through the Bettini Transit Center, which sees 9,000 passengers a day, to get to Larkspur. Phillips fears trains crossing those streets will serve to back up traffic not only downtown, but on nearby Highway 101 off and on-ramps.
In addition, in order to accommodate trains passing through the transit center, bus stops will move to the perimeter of the facility, creating more traffic problems, the city believes. The San Rafael to Santa Rosa rail segment is scheduled to begin operation later this year.
In December 2015, SMART officials announced the agency was in line to receive funding to extend the commuter rail service to Larkspur, with construction starting as soon as this summer and service starting next year.
Now the city wants to put the brakes on that plan and instead wait until a site for a new permanent transit center is found and funding available. A new transit center — which could more easily accommodate bus and train service — would cost between $32 million and $42 million, according to preliminary estimates. Funding has not been identified. See Full Article HERE
Letter from San Rafael to SMART





Farhad Mansourian, General
Manager
Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District
5401 Old Redwood Hwy., 2nd Floor
Petaluma, CA 94954
Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District
5401 Old Redwood Hwy., 2nd Floor
Petaluma, CA 94954
Dear
Farhad
The City of San Rafael has
many policies in our General Plan and other planning documents that encourage
the expansion of regional transit by the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit
(SMART). The City has appreciated our productive working relationship with SMART
and the other transit agencies in the development of our Station Area Plan,
Transit Center Relocation Study, and many other efforts.
Our
work to date has demonstrated clearly the significant impacts of SMART
particularly on downtown San Rafael. While the impacts of the Initial Operating
Segment are significant, there are severe impacts on this important downtown
gateway area due to the Larkspur Extension. The tracks bifurcate and will
require the relocation of the Bettini Transit Center, which serves approximately
9,000 riders per day, and are less than a block away from the north and south
bound ramps of US-101. The area is the center of both a major north-south and
east-west corridor. When the tracks cross Second and Third Streets, a three to
four lane, one-way, major arterial couplet, tens of thousands of vehicles per
day will be impacted.
San
Rafael has been preparing for this project as expeditiously as possible, such
as:
·
We invested approximately
$4.5 million in City funds and an additional $1.9 million in
grant funds in traffic signal SMART coordination and accessibility improvements.
grant funds in traffic signal SMART coordination and accessibility improvements.
·
We are in the process of
applying to the CPUC to allow the at-grade crossing at Andersen Drive,
estimated to cost the City an additional $4-5 million and expected to take six
months to more than a year for approval.
·
We recently approved the
contract for the environmental and design work for the Multi-Use Path along the
SMART tracks from Second Street to Andersen Drive, estimated to cost
approximately $3-4 million (no construction funding secured).
·
We partnered with SMART and
the transit agencies on the Station Area Plan and the Transit Center Relocation
Study. The latter estimated the Interim Transit Center as costing approximately
$3.2 million (funding secured) and the Permanent Transit Center as costing
between $22-32 million (no construction funding secured).
·
We have begun discussions
with SMART on agreements related to Quiet Zone maintenance, the W. Francisco
Blvd. "Flip," Andersen Drive, and other issues.
·
We have been awaiting the
required MOU between the Golden Gate District and SMART regarding the Transit
Center so that we may understand the impacts that may arise from that
agreement.
·
We are working with SMART
staff to clarify Right-Of-Way ownership through the downtown gateway area.
Gary
0 Phillips, Mayor •
Maribeth Bushey, Vice Mayor • Kate Colin,
Councilmember • John Gamblin,
Councilmember • Andrew Cuyugan McCullough, Councilmember
SMART's current schedule to begin construction of the Larkspur
Extension in Summer 2017 (estimated completion at the end of 2018) would
require that the City of San Rafael either: 1) approve an Interim Transit
Center allowing buses, taxis, and other ride sharing vehicles to use city
streets for their operations — thus impacting traffic congestion, pedestrian
safety, and reducing the already very limited parking, or 2) decline to approve
an Interim Transit Center which would result in the elimination of bus service
to thousands of riders per day.
As mentioned above, our local policies and planning documents
support the SMART train and pathway. We feel SMART would be more successful if
the negative impacts on bus transit riders and vehicular trips are minimized,
which can be done through the creation of a Permanent Transit Center and
through minimizing or eliminating the need for an Interim Transit Center that
uses City streets.
The selection of a Permanent Transit Center is underway, and
Golden Gate Transit will soon be releasing a Request for Proposals to begin an
environmental review process to analyze final alternatives. As a consultant has
not been selected yet, there is no timeline for completion, but similar
processes have taken in the range of one to two years. Possible construction
funding mechanisms that have been mentioned include one or a combination of: a
potential Regional Measure 3 ballot measure, a potential TAM sales tax
increase, a potential future SMART reauthorization, and Cap and Trade funds.
Each would require considerable further exploration and approvals outside of
the control of the City of San Rafael.
The City's concern is that SMART's current schedule necessitates
an Interim Transit Center in advance of the selection of a site and the funding
for a Permanent Transit Center. The City of San Rafael therefore respectfully
requests that the SMART Board of Directors add an item to your February 1
agenda to consider modification of SMART's current schedule so that the construction of the Larkspur Extension
does not begin until such time that a final site of the Permanent Transit
Center in downtown San Rafael is agreed upon (by the City and transit agencies)
and funding to construct the Permanent Transit Center has been obtained.
Thank you for your consideration of this request and we await your
response.
Gary Philips,
Mayor
City of San Rafael
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