SMART will begin its soft launch this week with free preview rides for the public, designed to offer passengers an early look at the North Bay’s newest transportation system.
Based on more than a thousand responses from the public identifying what stations they will use and what days they would like to ride, SMART has developed a schedule of public preview rides. In the coming weeks, roundtrip preview rides will be offered from Rohnert Park to Marin Civic Center; Santa Rosa Downtown (Railroad Square) to Novato San Marin; Petaluma Downtown to San Rafael; and Sonoma County Airport to Petaluma Downtown.
SMART will kick-off the preview rides with three special runs this week, including preview rides in connection with the Marin County Fair.
On Thursday, June 29, SMART will offer roundtrip public preview rides between its Rohnert Park and Marin Civic Center stations:
- Trains will depart southbound from SMART’s Rohnert Park Station at 8 a.m.; 10 a.m.; 12 p.m.; and 2 p.m.
- Trains will depart northbound from Marin Civic Center at 4 p.m.; 6 p.m.; and 8 p.m.
On Saturday, July 1 and Tuesday July 4, SMART will run a train on each day from the Sonoma County Airport Station to the Marin Civic Center for the Marin County Fair. Here is a list of departure times and stations for the Marin County Fair train for both days, with an arrival at the Marin Civic Center Station at 6:01 p.m.:
- 5:00 p.m. depart Sonoma County Airport Station
- 5:07 p.m. Santa Rosa North Station
- 5:12 p.m. Santa Rosa Downtown Station
- 5:19 p.m. Rohnert Park Station
- 5:23 p.m. Cotati Station
- 5:36 p.m. Petaluma Downtown Station
- 5:47 p.m. Novato San Marin
- 5:55 p.m. Novato Hamilton
- 6:01 p.m. arrival at Marin Civic Center
On the return, the train will depart Marin Civic Center on both days after the fireworks celebration at 10:36 p.m. Here is a list of arrival times and stations for the Marin County Fair train, with the train departing the Marin Civic Center at 10:36 p.m.:
- 10:36 p.m. depart from Marin Civic Center Station
- 10:42 p.m. Novato Hamilton Station
- 10:50 p.m. Novato San Marin Station
- 11:01 p.m. Petaluma Downtown Station
- 11:14 p.m. Cotati Station
- 11:18 p.m. Rohnert Park Station
- 11:25 p.m. Santa Rosa Downtown Station
- 11:30 p.m. Santa Rosa North Station
- 11:37 p.m. arrival Sonoma County Airport Station
Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis and all trains depart promptly so please arrive at stations early. Schedules for upcoming preview rides will be issued later this week.