SMART Adds New Midday Trains, Improves Golden Gate Ferry Connections

PETALUMA, CA — Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District's Board of Directors recently approved expansions to the train schedule that include new midday service on weekdays and better connectivity to the Golden Gate ferry.

The new schedule, which goes into effect Oct. 3, is the product of many months of extensive outreach through listening sessions, online surveys and customer input, SMART officials said in a news release.

"SMART's new schedule improvements are a direct result of listening to public input and requests from riders," said Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt, who serves as chairman of the SMART Board. "The new midday train and alignment with the Golden Gate ferry will ensure that SMART continues to be a reliable, climate-friendly, and affordable transportation alternative for commutes and leisure trips."

Midday Service On Weekdays

The addition of two midday trips allows SMART to better serve school commuters and employees. Every weekday starting Monday, Oct. 3, the midday trip will depart southbound from the Sonoma County Airport station at 10:22 a.m. and northbound from the Larkspur station at 12:15 p.m.— bringing the total number of weekday trips to 38 per day.

The new schedule also features a northbound train departing at 3:27 p.m. from Larkspur, which addresses an afternoon service gap, provides a new ferry connection, and better serves Larkspur area employees, in addition to improved alignment with the Petaluma City School District's new schedule.

Improved Connections With Golden Gate Ferry

The new schedule improves weekday connections to San Francisco by meeting the 11:20 a.m. northbound ferry and 12:10 p.m. southbound ferry. Additionally, three weekend trains have been changed to better align with the arrival and departure of the Golden Gate ferry at Larkspur, facilitating the use of public transit for weekend leisure trips.