Close to Home: What you’re missing on the SMART train

As I commute on the SMART train every day, I am baffled by the many available seats, even though I ride at peak commute times. At several points on my ride from Santa Rosa to Novato, I can see the jammed traffic on Highway 101. Why are all those people driving when there is such an affordable, reliable, safe, and comfortable alternative?

I can only guess that too many potential riders are not aware of how low the fares are. When the train first started running, the fares were so high that it would make financial sense to commute on the train only if it meant you did not have to purchase, insure, maintain or put gas into a vehicle.

But during the pandemic, SMART lowered fares by nearly 40%, and they have remained at this level. I now pay $4.50 each way to commute from Santa Rosa to Novato. At current gas prices and typical fuel mileage, it makes more financial sense to take the train based on the cost of gasoline alone.

The cost, though, is just the beginning of the benefits of riding the train.

Let’s start with safety. Research shows that riding commuter rail is about 20 times safer than driving. And reliability: I’ve been riding the train for nearly a year and my train has been late less than once every two months — even by a few minutes. How does that compare to how often you’re late when you drive?

If your images of public transit come from BART or Muni, put those aside when thinking of the SMART train. The trains are clean, even at the end of the day. They are rarely crowded and generally quiet, unless there is a home Giants game and people are taking the train to the ferry. The seats are comfortable and power outlets are available. It’s OK eat and drink to on the train.

While it usually takes a little less time to get door to door when I drive to work versus taking the train, there is so much I can do with my time on the train. I can read or work on my computer. I can safely take a phone call. I see people knitting, studying, napping or playing games. I've even seen people building relationships by actually talking to other passengers.

For many people, the barrier to taking public transit is the dreaded first and last mile — getting from home to the train and from the train to work. Riders solve this with all manner of scooters and bikes, both electric and manual. About half of riders walk or take other public transit to and from the train.

I'm fortunate that my wife can drop me off and pick me up at the designated “Kiss and Ride” spot by the Santa Rosa North station. In Novato, there are 2 miles and a very steep hill between my station and my work, so I leave my car near the station on weeknights and drive it up and down the hill each day. Many of my colleagues arrange to have someone from work pick them up and drop them off. There are as many potential solutions as there are riders.

And, of course, the carbon footprint of the train is far less than that of driving alone.

Are you getting SMART-curious? You have nothing to lose but your miserable driving commute.

Cate Steane, a safety professional at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, commutes between Santa Rosa and Novato on SMART. She lives in Santa Rosa.

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