North Bay Approves Diesel Light Rail Ballot Measure

The fourth attempt proved a charm as Marin and Sonoma county voters narrowly passed a 1/4 cent sales tax measure to build and run a diesel light rail train through both counties along with an adjacent bike path. The tax measure needed 2/3 to pass.

1 minute read

November 5, 2008, 2:00 PM PST

By Irvin Dawid

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) "measure asked voters if they want to OK a 20-year, quarter-cent hike in the sales tax to finance a 70-mile rail line and adjacent bike and pedestrian path from Cloverdale to Larkspur that will cost an estimated $1.1 billion over the period.

The tax dollars will now be used to buy rail cars, rehabilitate existing track, build bridges, install signal crossings and build the bicycle and pedestrian pathway, among other things.

In 2006, the similar Measure R was on the ballot, but it fell short with 65 percent."

From SF Chronicle:

"The measure, which needed a combined two-thirds majority in Sonoma and Marin counties to pass, took 73.5 percent of the vote in Sonoma and garnered 63 percent in Marin.

The biggest asset SMART has is already in hand - the rail right of way, valued at more than $1 billion."

Thanks to MTC-ABAG Library

FULL STORY: Train tax rolls to victory

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 in Marin Independent Journal

Government / Politics Transportation California Light Rail Diesel Marin County Sonoma County North Bay SMART View More

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