SMART restarts work on long-awaited Windsor rail extension

A project extending the SMART rail line to Windsor is back on track after a nearly three-year construction hiatus forced by pandemic restrictions and a lawsuit tying up funds.

The estimated $75 million project can restart now that the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit board has unanimously approved a package of budget adjustments and construction contract amendments. The board voted at its meeting on Nov. 15.

"I'm just so excited that we're now moving forward with Windsor, and Windsor is extremely ready for the train," said Debora Fudge, a member of the Windsor Town Council and the SMART board.

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, which started passenger service in 2017, runs trains 45 miles between Larkspur and the Santa Rosa Airport. The agency's goal is a 70-mile rail route and pedestrian path to Cloverdale with train stops at Healdsburg and Windsor.

The 3-mile extension from Santa Rosa to Windsor got underway in 2020. The project was 30% complete and expected to open by the end of 2021 when a major funding shortfall halted work.

The Windsor extension was slated to receive about $40 million from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the agency that administers funding from Regional Measure 3. The 2018 ballot measure was intended to raise bridge tolls on the seven state-owned bridges in the Bay Area by $3 from 2019 to 2025, but a four-year lawsuit challenging the increase tied up that funding.

While the bridge toll revenue was in question, SMART sought to fill the funding gap by applying for grants.

In January, the California Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit, making nearly $5 billion available for major Bay Area transit projects.

Since then, SMART has received a $30 million grant from the Senate Bill 1 Solutions for Congested Corridors Program, and a $10 million state grant to advance the Windsor project to completion.

The Regional Measure 3 funds once earmarked for the Windsor project are now being redirected to the Healdsburg extension project. That project will add a 5.5-mile extension from Windsor to Healdsburg. The project received a $32 million federal allotment in September and is about 65% funded, with approximately $106 million secured for the estimated $160.5 million project, according to SMART.

The SMART board's vote last week to restart the Windsor project included a $17.7 million budget adjustment for fiscal year ending in 2024.

The approvals also included a $8.3 million contract amendment with Stacy and Witbeck Inc. to complete grading and drainage, and work on bridges, the train tracks, a bicycle and pedestrian path and the platform and park and ride lot in Windsor. The contract total is about $57.2 million.

A $2.4 million contract amendment with Modern Railway Systems Inc., was also approved for a total contract of no more than $17.3 million. Modern Railway Systems is constructing the train control and communications systems.

When work halted, about $24.1 million had already been expensed. Another $51 million worth of work is left, said Heather McKillop, SMART's chief financial officer.

The Windsor project is now fully funded and expected to be ready for rail service in 2025.

"We're thrilled to be back," said Bill Gamlen, the district's chief engineer.