• Subscribe
  • Magazine
  • 40 Under 40
  • Supplier's Directory
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
    1. Rail

    SMART ridership increases 40 percent over past year

    March 3, 2020
    Early analysis of 2020 data is signals a continued upward trend, showing SMART is carrying more than 3,000 passengers a day.
    Related To: Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District
    SMART Twitter
    Smart 5e5e7d9c672a2

    Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District's (SMART) ridership continues to rise, with SMART experiencing double-digit growth for the second month in a row.

    Early analysis of 2020 data is signaling a continued upward trend, according to SMART, which shows SMART is carrying more than 3,000 passengers a day. 

    Approximately 72,000 people a month are opting to leave their car at home and hop aboard a SMART train—that’s thousands of cars taken off traffic congested Highway 101 and local roads.

    Below are highlights from the preliminary analysis of February 2020 data.

    Continuing upward trend in ridership: In January 2020, SMART reported a 26 percent increase in ridership compared to the previous year. Now the February 2020 on-board counts are indicating that this growth is a continuing upward trend as evidenced by a 40 percent increase in ridership from the same month in 2019.

    Weekend ridership is increasing: Weekend and holiday ridership rose 70 percent between February 2020 and the same month in 2019—highlighting that SMART is not just popular for workday commutes, it's also becoming a favored transportation alternative for weekend and leisure trips, according to the agency. 

    Transportation with bicyclists: In February 2020, SMART carried about 350 bicycles on-board during weekdays, which is nearly double the number of bicycles carried in February 2019. Bicyclists multiply the environmental benefits of riding the train because they get to and from the train station on their bikes. On weekends and holidays, the number of people bringing bicycles aboard the train increased 269 percent.

    SMART's 12 stations connecting North Bay cities provide access to places of employment, schools and centers of commerce, as well as connecting riders to other regional transit services.  

    Soon, passenger service will extend to Windsor—construction of the railway’s extension to Windsor is underway and other stations are planned for North Petaluma, Healdsburg and Cloverdale.