High SMART fares pricing out riders

Many Petaluma residents have started to get excited about commuter rail, thanks to a flurry of activity in the city recently.|

Many Petaluma residents have started to get excited about commuter rail, thanks to a flurry of activity in the city recently.

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit trains have started plying the tracks through town with increasing frequency as officials test the system ahead of a planned start of service later this year. The new station platform at the Lakeville Street depot is nearly complete with its ramps, stylized light poles and sleek shelters. The towering green Haystack rail bridge at the city’s southern gateway rises and falls several times each day as trains cross the Petaluma River.

But there is one sign of SMART’s imminent arrival that will surely damper the enthusiasm of North Bay commuters: the notice on the ticket kiosks announcing the price to ride the train - $19 roundtrip.

For many, that price point is just too high to make riding SMART a viable daily commute option.

SMART board members recently set the starting fare at $9.50 for a one-way ticket from Santa Rosa to San Rafael, the length of the initial line. Fares will increase by zone, so to travel from Petaluma, near the middle of the line, to either end will be cheaper, but the base fare is still higher than any comparable public bus in the North Bay.

The point of SMART is to encourage a new way for commuters to get to work and take cars off of Highway 101, easing traffic and creating less greenhouse gas emissions. In order for the system to be successful, transit officials need to incentivize commuters to use it.

The system, as it is being built, will already have several inconveniences for commuters. Several stations, including downtown Petaluma, won’t have much additional parking, so commuters will have to either take a bus or find an alternative way to catch the train. At the other end, unless a commuter’s workplace is within walking distance of a SMART station, they will be faced with the same last-mile dilemma.

Since the service’s eventual southern terminus will be Larkspur, commuters heading to San Francisco will be required to take a ferry to get to the downtown financial district and from there, perhaps a BART or Muni bus. Each additional mode of transit will add a cost to a commuter’s daily tab.

Two Sonoma County SMART representatives, Supervisor Shirlee Zane and Supervisor David Rabbitt, both voted against the fare, arguing that is was set initially too high. For comparison, a one-way Golden Gate Transit bus from Santa Rosa to San Rafael is $8.

Before the start of service, SMART should rethink its fares and start with an initial fare that is comparable to bus service. Sure, SMART riders will have the added luxury of snack bars, restrooms and wifi during a trip that is unencumbered by traffic. Some would argue that those benefits are worth paying extra.

But the goal of public transit is not to make a profit; it is to encourage people to use it. Sure, SMART needs to cover its operating expenses, but there are also transit grants that officials can pursue to help with costs.

Let’s keep the enthusiasm for SMART going. SMART should set fares that don’t discourage people from using the system. We don’t want to set the project up for failure from the start.

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