SMART Advances Healdsburg Rail Plan, Petition Pushes Back

HEALDSBURG, CA — The push to bring passenger rail back to Healdsburg after nearly 70 years has ignited a challenge along the banks of the Russian River, where boosters see long-awaited progress that a river business wants to freeze long enough for a second look.

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit district is moving forward with a $269 million, nine-mile extension from Windsor to Healdsburg, adding a downtown station, upgrading rail infrastructure, and extending a multi-use pathway that will connect to regional trails.

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Officials and supporters say the line will cut Highway 101 congestion, reduce emissions, and deliver riders to San Francisco in about 90 minutes via a Larkspur ferry connection.

Local leaders and businesses expect the station—planned near a quieter stretch of town by the river—to pull visitors beyond the crowded plaza and into an area long bypassed by tourism traffic. Infrastructure upgrades to water, sewer, and electrical systems are already part of a hoped-for conversation as the city prepares for growth.

SMART has begun early fieldwork, including soil testing and utility mapping along the corridor, with major construction expected to ramp up in phases. Passenger service is targeted for late 2028.

At the center of the conflict stands the aging railroad bridge over the Russian River, originally built in the 1870s. Engineers say the structure is too deteriorated to retrofit and must be fully replaced to meet modern safety standards. Plans call for dismantling the existing bridge and installing a new span built off-site during a narrow seasonal window when river conditions allow.

SMART spokesperson Julia Gonzalez said environmental reviews covering the full rail corridor—including waterways—are complete and have been approved by agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. She said impacts to recreation will be temporary and limited, with short interruptions under the bridge during installation.

“Once we have more detail about construction sequencing, that information will be shared,” Gonzalez said in an email, adding that the agency has met multiple times with concerned business owners and will continue outreach.

But for Kim Lockhart, co-owner of a riverfront kayak business located about 100 feet from the bridge, those assurances fall short.

Lockhart and her husband have gathered more than 200 petition signatures and are urging residents to press the SMART board ahead of a key June vote. She argues the agency failed to analyze how thousands of people use the river today—an omission she says undermines the intent of the California Environmental Quality Act.

“The purpose of CEQA is to analyze impacts, propose measurable solutions, and allow public comment,” Lockhart said. “If you skip the analysis, you skip everything that comes after.”

Lockhart contends SMART relied on a broad 2006 environmental review rather than establishing a current baseline of river recreation in Healdsburg. Without that baseline, she said, there is no clear plan to protect kayakers, swimmers, or businesses during construction. A subsequent 2025 CEQA includes details about the construction and impacts.

Lockhart's concerns are both economic and physical. Summer crowds routinely put 150 people on the water at a time near her launch site, where customers pass directly under the bridge. She fears unexpected closures, falling debris, or shifting currents could lead to accidents—or damage her company’s reputation if trips are disrupted without warning.

“You can’t cancel at the last minute,” she said. “People plan these trips months in advance.”

Lockhart insists she is not opposing the rail project itself. Instead, she wants coordinated scheduling—clear windows when the river will close—so businesses can plan around construction and avoid dangerous surprises.

Big infrastructure projects often trigger local fights over safety, access and environmental impacts. This is especiallly true of SMART, which is threading stops in nine cities across two counties with another two on the way (Healdsburg and Cloverdale).

In addition to signatures, public comments on the petition site include alarm, ambivalence, and discussions about other conflicts involving the SMART infrastructure. "I enjoy paddling on the river and we need access," wrote one signee.

"In the end, the extension offers clear benefits for reducing traffic and supporting the local economy, but it also raises legitimate questions about cost, construction impacts, and river access," wrote another. "Local leaders and residents will need to weigh those upsides against the challenges."

SMART disputes claims that river use was ignored and says the project will ultimately improve environmental conditions by removing an aging structure, reducing in-water supports, and replacing creosote-treated materials. The agency also notes that navigation downstream is already limited by a small dam about 1,000 feet away, which it says reduces the scope of disruption.

The agency says there are no plans to remove the Russian River bridge in 2026. When construction does occur, it will happen within a limited seasonal window, with the bridge removed in one season and replaced the next. Temporary interruptions to river access are expected during installation, but SMART says closures will be brief, parks will remain open, and overall disruption to navigation will be minimal—partly because the downstream dam already limits river passage.

SMART argues that the bridge replacement is necessary for safety and modern rail standards and will not cause long-term losses to the park or recreation. It also highlights environmental upgrades, including reducing in-water structures and removing older, potentially harmful materials to improve river health.

Gonzalez said environmental reviews—through Environmental Impact Reports and addenda—analyzed a wide range of impacts, including water quality, recreation, noise, and public safety. SMART maintains it has met with and talked to nearby property owners, including River’s Edge Kayak and Canoe, holding multiple meetings and promising to coordinate construction timing where possible, though a final schedule is not yet set.

While acknowledging noise, dust, and access limitations during construction, SMART says these impacts are typical, not compensable under California practice, and are outweighed by long-term benefits such as improved mobility, economic growth, and regional connectivity. The agency adds that community feedback has been largely positive, with residents and businesses expressing support for bringing passenger rail service to Healdsburg.

While Lockhart wants compensation she has also said she is willing to work with SMART to mitigate the impacts. That would slow the project. A slower timeline is not something the agency has offered, according to Lockhart.

The debate is unfolding just days before a scheduled groundbreaking ceremony on Friday at the Foley Family Community Pavilion, where officials plan to celebrate the extension as a milestone for sustainable transit.

The agency is also looking at a crucial vote on June 2. SMART is asking voters in Sonoma and Marin counties to extend a quarter-cent sales tax to operate and fund expansions.

That includes increased service on weekends and weekdays as the agency integrates into a network of existing agencies, including Golden Gate Transit and local bus systems to provide public transportation options on HWY-101 between Sonoma and Marin county.

In the meantime, the agency has been fending off attacks, including by the Gallaher family, Sonoma County developers, and longtime SMART opponents.

Related: SMART Sales Tax ReUp On Healdsburg City Council Agenda Tonight

Somoma County Voter Guide: What's On The June 2 Ballot