SMART Trains begins building Healdsburg extension

SMART Train's Healdsburg extension to start construction soon

The nearly quarter-billion dollar SMART Train extension to Healdsburg is set to open in 2028. Area merchants are on-board with the plan.

HEALDSBURG, Calif. - SMART Train, the first California transit system to get back to pre-pandemic levels, is starting another expansion to the major but charming tourist attraction of Healdsburg. Another bonus: the Golden Gate Ferry ties the city of San Francisco to more of Marin and Sonoma county wine tasting and tourism on SMART.

SMART, the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit board, has approved the first $22 million of an almost quarter billion-dollar extension of the system to the wine and tourist Mecca of Healdsburg.

"Passenger rail service has not served Healdsburg since 1958. So, when we open by the end of 2028, it will be 70 years since the last train was there," said SMART General Manager Eddu Cumins.

The nine-mile extension's biggest hurdle is the Russian River, which has a likely ancient and unused rail bridge.

"I think this will be a brand-new bridge that we'll reconstruct there. Don't forget we're also gonna have a pathway as a part of this, with a pathway on one side of it and so I think we're gonna be looking at building a brand-new bridge," said Cumins.

With an anticipated completion date just about three years away, the engineers will design the right-of-way, track, crossings, bridge and station.

Merchants, such as the Forage Gift Shop approve.

"I think it can't help but increase it because I think people would love to come up from the city for the day at least and they can have some nice food and shop around the square," said Forager Healdsburg Store employee Heather Grandvoinet.

Levin's Community Bookstore agrees. "If SMART Train were to coordinate with other forms of public transportation, shuttles and so forth, to get people easily to the station and make it more accessible, I think it can definitely work that way," said Greg Dolgushkin of the Levin & Company Community Bookstore.

The Marine Layer Wine Bar says more tourists could mean more tasting and fewer customers driving.

"We have a lot of people coming from the city; had a few people come from Marin today. So, yeah. We have people from all of the world coming here; a lot of people from the Bay Area as well," said host Taylor Lionette.

The only two disadvantages to Healdsburg is one: parking sometimes can be a real big challenge. The other is that it's far from the central Bay Area. But with SMART Train, those problems are solved in one fell swoop.

"Traffic is a lot. Parking is very, very hard. So, it would alleviate a lot of problems for people who come into Healdsburg as well as for locals who live here," said Matheson Restaurant host Cristen Moloinelli-Ruberto.

SMART Train will also serve workers. "85% of the workforce commutes into downtown Healdsburg each day, So, I anticipate that we’re gonna have a lot of workers on our train as well," said SMART General Manager Cumins.

After Healdsburg, the only thing left is the City of Cloverdale, which the train plans to connect to sometime in the future.

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