With an eye on safety, SMART tests trains in Petaluma

The commuter rail agency is also coordinating with Petaluma transit buses ahead of expected service later this year.|

As Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit trains begin rolling through Petaluma for testing in advance of the service’s launch date slated for later this year, local transit officials and city staff are working with the agency to brace for the impacts of the first passenger rail service chugging through town in more than five decades.

Though a hard date has yet to be pinned down for the official start of the rail service for North Bay commuters, the testing of rail cars, crossing gates and train control systems on the initial 43-mile route spanning from San Rafael to Santa Rosa is currently ongoing, as are educational efforts and outreach from agencies paving the way for a smooth transition.

With the federally-required testing efforts, residents can expect to see increased activity around the tracks as well as more frequent appearances of the trains in upcoming weeks while the agency works out the timing of the crossing gates, agency spokeswoman Jeanne Mariani-Belding said.

“The testing phase is really important - we want to make sure the system is running safety and efficiently before we open for service,” she said.

Petaluma Transit Manager Joe Rye is also looking ahead for what he expects will be an increase in public transit ridership from those seeking a way to connect with the train for the first and last mile of their journeys, especially since no new parking is planned around the downtown station.

Through May 15, Petaluma Transit is seeking public input on a reconfiguration of several routes that it hopes will bolster connectivity with the new train system. The survey can be found at http://bit.ly/20YaYEu.

Rye said the organization plans to rework Route 1, which provides service to Petaluma Boulevard, downtown and the Petaluma Village Premium Outlets, as well as Route 5, which serves west side residential neighborhoods as well as Petaluma High School and Junior High School and areas along Bodega Avenue and Petaluma Boulevard, near St. Vincent De Paul High School.

It’s also looking to alter Route 24, which serves the Lakeville Highway corridor, from the Copeland Transit Mall to Kaiser Medical Offices, discontinuing some segments while adding other bus stops and increasing frequency of trips for weekday and Saturday service, he said.

Petaluma Transit officials based the proposed route reconfigurations on initial information from SMART and data collected from a survey distributed late last year to glean more knowledge about the train’s ridership, where passengers are coming from and how they plan to get there, Rye said.

“The strategy is to put the next foot forward and add new service,” he said. “We want the train to get off to a good start, so we’re taking a proactive approach.”

He said the officials are doing their best to ensure that the impacts from changes to the bus fleet, which provided more than 373,000 fixed-route trips in the 2014-2015 fiscal year, will be minimal.

“I think it’ll be a quick and easy transformation,” he said. “We’re trying to do everything possible to make the service a bonus to riders.”

As currently outlined, the proposed route changes will cost the agency more than $105,000 to implement, according to its draft Short Range Transit Plan. Officials are hoping to cover costs with grants, though a specific funding source has yet to be identified, Rye said, adding that he’s not anticipating the cost will translate to increased fares, other than a routine bump identified in the agency’s transit plan.

Petaluma Transit will work with SMART as draft route timetables, which have trains departing from Petaluma every 30 minutes during peak periods, are tested this June to coordinate bus timing and fine tune routes before they’re approved and implemented for a pilot period, he said.

City Engineer Curt Bates has been working with SMART officials to roll out infrastructure changes to the city, including installing gate arms at the eight railway crossings in the city’s limits, adding medians, signage and pavement markers, reconfiguring traffic lanes, as well as adjusting signal times to coincide with the trains, he said.

SMART is also planning for an east side station - either at Corona Road or Old Redwood Highway - though officials did not have a timetable on when it might be built.

Though traffic delays are to be expected with the frequency of the train coming through Petaluma, he said the biggest impact will likely be seen near the downtown station.

“There will be some delay, particularly at the downtown station,” he said. “People should be prepared for a little bit of a delay.”

Belding said the train’s impact on local roads at rail crossings will be overshadowed by its overall benefit of alleviating freeway traffic. Crossing gates will be closed for about 35 to 40 seconds while trains pass, according to the agency’s website.

“When the train does come through, it doesn’t take very long – it’s not like they’re going to be stuck at crossing gate, but it will be an adjustment,” she said.

Bates said another major component of getting ready for the rail service is educating motorists, cyclists and pedestrians about safety, and the city plans to work with SMART for public outreach. Belding said SMART representatives are also in the process of canvassing the community bolster awareness about best practices surrounding the train.

“It’s all about safety - drivers should never stop on the railroad tracks, and should never try to race a train through the crossing gates,” she said. “We’re also reminding people that walking on railroad tracks is both dangerous, and illegal.”

(Contact Hannah Beausang at hannah.beausang@arguscourier.com. On Twitter @hannahbeausang.)

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