Gullixson: SMART fares may leave many at the station

It seems as if all of Sonoma County has been asking the same question for the past few days. It's not a question, really. It's more of a number followed by a question mark, as in '$9.50?'

That's the amount that directors of Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit decided passengers on the new SMART train will need to pay for a trip from Santa Rosa to San Rafael — one way.

From the perspective of some, that may not seem like a lot. That's less than a movie ticket. But most of us don't pay to watch half a movie and most of us don't pay for a one-way trip. So we're really looking at a fare of $19.

And if you're like me, you don't think in terms of just one fare. You think in terms of taking your family — like to a Giants game. So there's a multiplier involved. Yes, children under 18 get 50 percent off. But for my family of four, we're looking at $57 for a roundtrip, and we're still not out of Marin County. Tickets for the ferry to AT&T Park are another $12.50 — each way, per person. So now we're talking $107 for a family trip to the ballgame, and we haven't even bought a hot dog yet — let alone a ticket to the game.

Let's be clear. I'm a big fan of the SMART train. Always have been. I wrote columns in support of it each time a funding measure went before voters, including in 2008 when Measure Q, the quarter-cent sales tax supporting the train, was approved.

I believe in the idea that having a public transit system is like the old saying about planting a shade tree. The best time to do it is 20 years ago. The second best time is today. Eventually, it will grow into something indispensable.

But the worst outcome is to have a train that starts off on the wrong track.

In April, we took the kids to a Warriors game. It was the present that got the biggest scream on Christmas morning. But as much as we're fans of Steph Curry and company, I'm not a big fan of paying $40 for parking at Oracle Arena. So we drove to the El Cerrito BART station, where you can get a roundtrip ticket to the Coliseum stations for $6.10. A youth roundtrip ticket is a mere $2.20, but you can't buy them at the El Cerrito station, something you don't find out until you get there. Even so, the total cost for four to get to Oracle (a 25-minute trip) was $24.40. I still saved $15.60 on parking, avoided traffic and had a relaxing trip watching the kids put on blue and gold face paint.

All in all, it was a positive public transit experience.

BART's other fares are pretty positive as well. A trip from Richmond to Fremont runs $5.35. Round trip from Concord to downtown San Francisco (46 minutes each way, similar to the Santa Rosa-San Rafael trip) costs $11.60.

The most expensive trips involve getting to SFO. But you can still get from Richmond to SFO (a one hour and 20-minute journey) for under $10. There's certainly value in that.

But I'm struggling to find the motivating value in the rates set by SMART directors last week. Given where I live in east Santa Rosa, the train is not a commute option. But I teach a weekly class at Sonoma State University and was hoping to use the train on those nights. But under the new fares, a roundtrip ticket from Railroad Square in Santa Rosa to Rohnert Park will cost $11. Yes, I may save on the $5 for parking at SSU. But even when factoring the savings of wear and tear on the car and the sense of satisfaction of lessening my carbon footprint, it still nets out as a loss. Meaning, it's not something I'm likely to do on a regular basis.

Whatever happened to the idea of having SMART start off with low fares and gradually increasing them over time?

Of course, not all of the SMART directors were happy about the fares approved Wednesday. Two of Sonoma County's representatives on the board — Supervisors David Rabbitt and Shirlee Zane — voted against them saying they were too high. As Zane said, the initial goal should be to 'generate ridership, not maximize income.'

Couldn't agree more. Plus what about that business about cutting carbon emissions? Shouldn't the goal be high ridership as opposed to high fare-box returns.

I get that SMART had set a goal of generating $5 million in fare revenue over the first two decades of service. But maybe the board should have spent more time re-evaluating that goal when presented with the range of fares that it would necessitate. At the least, SMART officials should have spent more time hearing from the public about prices.

I don't know what the sweet spot is for the right fare structure. But it seems SMART could have looked to Southern California for some guidance. The Sprinter train in northern San Diego County, which also is funded by a quarter-cent sales tax, charges a flat $2 one-way rate for adults. A monthly pass allowing unlimited travel is $59. That seems to make a lot more sense.

As I tell my kids, there's really only three things we control in life: How we spend our time, how we spend our money and our attitude.

I still have a good attitude about SMART. But based on these fares, I don't see myself spending much time or money on the system.

It's too bad. I was hoping for something different.

Paul Gullixson is editorial director for The Press Democrat. Email him at paul.gullixson@pressdemocrat.com.