SMART train begins free preview rides this week

The free preview period is aimed at making the public more familiar with the new Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit system.|

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit will offering free train rides this week to give residents an early look at the North Bay’s new transportation system.

Roundtrip rides will be offered from Rohnert Park to Marin Civic Center; Santa Rosa Downtown (Railroad Square) to Novato San Marin; Petaluma Downtown to San Rafael; and Sonoma County Airport to Petaluma Downtown.

SMART’s free soft-launch begins this week with three special runs that include two preview rides associated with the Marin County Fair. Rides will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, said SMART spokeswoman Jeanne Mariani-Belding.

“We are encouraging people to arrive early because we anticipate we will be full for all of our preview rides,” Mariani-Belding said.

The specific schedules and station locations offered during the public review period are based on thousands of responses from the pubic, SMART said.

The first preview run begins Thursday with roundtrip rides between Rohnert Park and Marin Civic Center stations. Trains depart southbound from SMART’s Rohnert Park Station at 8 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Trains will depart northbound from the Marin Civic Center at 4, 6 and 8 p.m.

Trains aimed at providing service to the Marin County Fair will be run on Saturday, July 1, and Tuesday, July 4, between the Sonoma County Airport Station and the Marin Civic Center. The scheduled run for both days has the train arriving at the Marin Civic Center Station at 6:01 p.m.

Departures are as follows:

5:00 p.m. depart Sonoma County Airport Station

5:07 p.m. Santa Rosa North Station

5:12 p.m. Santa Rosa Downtown Station

5:19 p.m. Rohnert Park Station

5:23 p.m. Cotati Station

5:36 p.m. Petaluma Downtown Station

5:47 p.m. Novato San Marin

5:55 p.m. Novato Hamilton

6:01 p.m. arrival at Marin Civic Station

Return trips from Marin Civic Center on both days take place after the fireworks celebration at 10:36 p.m. The other departure times for the trip back to Sonoma County are as follows:

10:36 p.m. depart from Marin Civic Center Station

10:42 p.m. Novato Hamilton Station

10:50 p.m. Novato San Marin Station

11:01 p.m. Petaluma Downtown Station

11:14 p.m. Cotati Station

11:18 p.m. Rohnert Park Station

11:25 p.m. Santa Rosa Downtown Station

11:30 p.m. Santa Rosa North Station

11:37 p.m. arrival Sonoma County Airport Station

Mariani-Belding, the SMART spokeswoman, said the preview rides are aimed at getting local residents more familiar with the new transit system and how it works. She said later this week SMART will announce additional schedules for upcoming preview rides. For more information about the preview rides, visit www.SonomaMarinTrain.org.

This story will be updated.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @renofish.

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