Back to the drawing board for SMART rail planners

<p>With the probability fading of federal funds to bridge a $155 million spending gap, rail planners meet today to review strategy to start commute service between Sonoma and Marin counties.</p><p>Officials for Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit have been told by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the clearing house for transit funds in the Bay Area, that it will not move the two-county agency up the priority list for federal funds.</p><p>That decision deflates SMART's hope that will have the money to operate the full Larkspur-to-Cloverdale route by 2016 — two years later than the plan approved by voters when they endorsed a quarter-cent sales tax in 2008.</p><p>Two weeks ago the SMART staff outlined a plan that would build the first phase of the train system, scheduled to open in 2014, from Larkspur as far north Petaluma, but depending on the construction costs could extend to Santa Rosa.</p><p>That plan counted on $155 million in federal New Start funding to build the remainder of the rail line in 2016. But in a letter being sent to the rail agency, MTC has indicated it will not change the priorities, which emphasize $1 billion projects by BART and San Francisco Muni.</p><p>“The letter coming from MTC basically says the MTC doesn't want to change its policy, but wants to work with us,” said SMART spokesman Chris Coursey</p><p>The update will be given to the SMART executive committee at a meeting at noon Wednesday in the Santa Rosa City Council chambers. There will be discussion, but no decisions will be made.</p><p>Debora Fudge, a Windsor councilwoman and chairwoman of the SMART board of directors, said MTC officials have indicated a willingness to discuss other funding sources. “We are entering a long process of looking at alternatives, everything is in play right now,” she said.</p><p>SMART officials say that because of the recession, there is a $155 million gap between what it costs to build the 70-mile line and the amount of sales taxes it will collect and construction bonds it can sell to finance it.</p><p>The latest proposal was to start in Larkspur and build north, perhaps holding off going to Santa Rosa so it can use Santa Rosa as a carrot to get the necessary federal funds.</p><p>Sonoma and Marin county officials, however, have said since then that Santa Rosa has the largest population and most potential ridership and don't want it left out of the initial startup.</p>