SONOMA VALLEY, CA — Sonoma Valley commuters who drive roughly 16 miles — and spend up to an hour in traffic — to reach the Petaluma SMART station now have a bus route timed to connect them with trains serving farther Bay Area destinations.
To test the new service, local transit agencies will showcase the pilot route during a public demonstration tour Sept. 8.
Sonoma County Transit launched Route 40X on Aug. 10, replacing the existing Route 40 schedule with weekday morning and evening trips aligned with SMART arrivals and departures at the Petaluma Downtown station.
The redesigned route links Sonoma Plaza directly to the Petaluma Downtown SMART station in roughly 40 minutes, bridging a long-standing transit gap between Sonoma Valley and the regional rail system, according to the Sonoma Index-Tribune.
The Sept. 8 tour will feature multiple transit routes and demonstrate how commuters can connect to San Francisco, Larkspur, and Santa Rosa. The event will test real-world travel schedules and build public awareness of the service.
Officials described Route 40X as the first local bus route reoriented around SMART schedules. The route forms part of a broader regional effort involving SMART, Golden Gate Transit, and local transit operators to coordinate public transportation throughout the corridor.
Route 40 had ranked among Sonoma County Transit's lowest-ridership services, according to agency officials.
Route 40X operates three round trips in each direction during peak weekday commute periods. The route stops at:
Riders and community members interested in testing the connection can reserve a spot online.
More: Route 40X Connects Sonoma Commuters With SMART Trains
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