I was digging through my files and found this.

Marin Voice: Report card on SMART pathway — Incomplete

By Jim Elias

POSTED: 09/28/15

In 2008, more than two-thirds of Marin and Sonoma County voters said yes to Measure Q, enabling the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District to build a train and multiuse pathway from Larkspur to Cloverdale and providing a 21st-century, healthy and green alternative to Highway 101 gridlock.

The Marin County Bicycle Coalition supported Measure Q and the promise of a pathway.

That vision, and promise, are now at risk.

When SMART fell upon tough financial times in 2011, the SMART board identified measures to save the project, including deferring one-third of the funds for the pathway. This left $28 million of the $42 million originally earmarked to build the pathway along the initial operating segment between downtown San Rafael and Guerneville Road in Santa Rosa.

SMART recently boasted that 37 miles of pathway within that segment will soon be federally environmentally cleared, making it “ready to go for federal funding.”

Ready to go for federal funding? That segment of the path was already funded through Measure Q.

SMART now says that it intends to compete against other local agencies for limited pots of bike/pedestrian monies in hopes of funding the SMART pathway — again.

SMART also boasts that 24 miles of the pathway will be “in operation” by the start of train service; however, this includes existing bike/pedestrian facilities and projects constructed by other agencies or with non-Measure-Q funds. Only approximately three miles of pathway (seven segments) are slated to be built with Measure Q funding.

At the SMART Board of Directors’ meeting in October 2014, after one of several requests by the MCBC for a pathway timeline and funding plan, SMART’s general manager stated that he did “not want to mislead (the SMART board) and give dates for a pathway timeline when there is no money to back it up.”

Translation: SMART is utilizing only a tiny fraction of the board-dedicated $28 million pathway monies toward actually building the pathway. The board never voted to de-fund the path, but that’s what it’s effectively doing. SMART continues to assert its commitment to the pathway, but commitment requires money, design and construction timetables.

Additionally, SMART removed three San Rafael pathway segments from its 2014 strategic plan, and its environmental assessment for the San Rafael-to-Larkspur segment does not include the original SMART pathway alongside the railroad from Andersen Drive to Second Street. If the pathway between Second and Andersen is not designed into the project now, extension of the rail as planned will forever preclude its construction.

MCBC strongly opposes the exclusion of the Second-to-Andersen pathway and urges SMART to environmentally clear the pathway now, and to fund and construct it at the same time as the rail.

In response to public concerns, the city of San Rafael asked the Transportation Authority of Marin to fund an impartial right-of-way analysis of pathway alternatives between Second and Andersen, which the county of Marin is now performing. But SMART has no intention of considering alternative routes; they are plowing forward with the assumption that bicyclists and pedestrians can use industrialized city streets.

It’s time to stand up and collectively say that we voted for the pathway, we’re paying for the pathway and we want SMART to deliver on its promise of a pathway.

What you can do?

Sign the petition today urging the SMART board to honor its enabling legislation by funding and constructing the pathway — in its entirety — as promised to the voters, at www.surveymonkey.com/r/savethesmartpath.

Also, send an “I want my Pathway” photogram to the SMART board via Instagram: #savethesmartpath.

Eleanor Sluis
Smart Train funding:

My concern and question is about the funding for the train using tax payer’s property and income taxes to match the hundreds of millions spent on the train in addition to the ¼ cent tax voted for as Measure Q in 2008. In other words is the public aware that the all the funds come from taxpayers and is not free from the county, state, and federal government matching funds?

For example: $ 28 million tax dollars were spent on the train tunnel in Larkspur, to the best of my knowledge, of which $ 14 million tax dollars from residents’ property taxes have been spent to match the other half or $ 14 million dollars of the ¼ cent SMART train measure Q funds for the tunnel.

Matching federal, state, and county funds implies that all county residents including City of Novato residents are paying more for the train tunnel than originally thought- as many are not aware of having their property and income taxes spent for matching local county, state, and federal funding grants using taxpayers’ middle and low income tax dollars until 2029 when the tax is voided.

[en.wikipedia.org]...
[ballotpedia.org]-...
[www.marincounty.org]...

In the background findings last paragraph of the pdf file:
“...SMART requires this measure in order to provide matching
revenues to existing state and federal transportation
grants, to bond for the construction of the project, and to
provide funding for the on-going operation and maintenance
of the project...” Thanks for the article. Eleanor Sluis

Jimmy Fishbob Geraghty
Maybe Assemblyman Marc Levine can propose legislation to hasten the opening of the Multi Use Path (MUP) along SMART...

Toni Huffines Jimmy Fishbob Geraghty
Is there any issue where you don't defend government?

Jimmy Fishbob Geraghty Toni Huffines
You think that is defending government... bashing and mocking Levine. You need to get a life girl.

Novato Joe
What a shock. A government managed project going way way over budget. The Contractor is laughing all the way to the bank. I am sure that we will soon be looking at Measure STT (Save The Train). But it will all be worth it for those 2 or 3 people who live in Santa Rosa, work in San Rafael and do not need a car at work. How are people supposed to get from the train station to work? Taxi? I am pretty certain that this concept can only be successful if the drop-off point is near a downtown area where thousands of people work in high rises like the Financial District.

arthouser
Marin Bike Coalition to County:
"Why don't you ever call me?"

Richard Hall
I support the Marin County Bike Coalition and Jim Elias on this issue. A bike path was promised to be funded as part of Measure Q. Put simply, yet again, what was promised is not being delivered.

Not only that - this pathway is a matter of rider safety. My kids cycle daily to school, we have them walk the segments that are not bike paths due to the danger of the proximity of traffic. We need to build bike paths like this, that were promised - if not for ourselves, for the safety of our children.

I've signed the petition and encourage others to do the same:
[www.surveymonkey.com]...

John Parnell I'm so sorry this has happened. I really wanted the path built more than the train (like most of us). When we did our petition to repeal SMART, we first tried to do it so as to keep the path and only stop the train. We couldn't legally do it though, as SMART could have had our petition thrown out in court. Val Brown agreed. We had to go after the tax and repeal the whole thing. It was the only way.

I really don't enjoy saying "I told you so", but the writing has been on the wall for years. I remember telling Deb about 3 or 4 years ago to look at the numbers, because there was no way SMART was going to build it. They couldn't. She didn't believe me. How could she, after working so hard to get it passed?

Now that SMART has been getting its board members to pay for parts of the path in their towns, SMART will take the credit for it. Meanwhile, they aren't going to build a damn foot of it themselves.

You put so much work into it. SMART wouldn't have passed without you guys. I'm truly sorry that they suckered you like the rest of us. They are dishonoring all the work done for them by Deb, Andy & the entire MCBC.

I hope you will think twice before supporting them the next time they come back to increase/extend the tax. Maybe we will be standing together next time.

Also, now that you've seen SMART's true colors, I hope you will stop advocating for the SMART T.O.D. policy. That has tarnished the Bike Coalition's reputation. Marin doesn't need or want this high-density housing, and it wouldn't increase bike path funding or usage like you think. It will only ruin Marin.

scojo
I want my money back.

John Parulis
Surprise surprise Jim Elias. You too have been lied to by SMART. No big surprise. Members of your organization not only actively supported the train, but some allegedly took to ripping down No on Q posters spread around the county. You were duped just like thousands of voters were. This wasn't pushed by Marin btw, but by a large enough margin of Sonoma voters. Had the special Marin Sonoma tax district not been set up, there would still be money in the kitty for more effective bus transportation, less a threat from freeway TOD vulture developers and safety for endangered species living near sections of the track. Your bad karma just came and bit you in the rear tire.

Note. The only way Marin County Bicycle Coalition going to make there fanaticism happen as far as bicycle path by the railroad tracks they will need to get by The City of San Rafael, Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife and the Audubon Society. And how much money have they kick in to make his happen?