SMART Awards $190.5M Contract For Healdsburg Rail Extension

PETALUMA, CA — Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit's Board of Directors approved a $190.5 million construction contract Wednesday to extend passenger rail service from Windsor to Healdsburg.

The contract with Stacy and Witbeck/Herzog, a joint venture, moves the Healdsburg Extension Project into a major construction phase. It covers final design and construction of approximately 4.75 miles of rail infrastructure between the existing Windsor station and Front Street in Healdsburg.

Work includes new railroad tracks, train control and safety systems, roadway crossings and a bicycle and pedestrian pathway. Crews will also build two major railroad bridges, including one spanning the Russian River.

The approval follows the California Transportation Commission's allocation last week of $162 million in previously awarded state grants for SMART's rail and pathway expansion, according to the agency.

“SMART is making tremendous progress toward fulfilling the vision of a connected regional rail and path system serving communities in northern Sonoma County,” SMART Board Chair Chris Coursey said in a news release.

State Sen. Mike McGuire said the investment will help bring passenger service to Healdsburg by the end of 2028.

California has provided approximately 73% of the extension's secured grant funding, SMART said.

The agency expects the project to create construction jobs and improve access to employment, businesses, housing, education and recreation throughout the North Bay.

The expansion comes as SMART's ridership grows. The agency reported average weekday ridership of 5,754 in September, up 23% from September 2025.

During the fiscal year that ended June 30, SMART carried nearly 1.5 million passengers who traveled a combined 32 million miles. Its pathway also recorded more than 1.3 million bicycle and pedestrian trips.

The Healdsburg extension is part of SMART's long-term vision to connect Larkspur and Cloverdale through passenger rail and a bicycle-pedestrian network.