I lived a number of years in the N.Bay in the 1970's-80's. Attitudes haven't changed - if you don't build (x, y, z) only the rich folks that agree with us will come - and they won't drive wink wink. The working class - even the middle-upper income working class - who might be expected to support at least some transit (rail or bus) service is long gone south of Santa Rosa, and thin on the ground even there. Expect NCRA to be bankrupted by lawsuits. Wonder if any of the rail/transit lovers in the rest of the B.A. will join on NCRA's side?

In the olde days of robber barons, somebody presented with attitudes like Marin's would have said "fine! bypass 'em!" with suitable expletives and waving of cigar. How about using some of that gummint money to turn right at Lakeville Road and just head straight to Petaluma? Eliminates a couple of annoying bridges (cut 'm up and send the scrap to China for a couple of extra buck$)and lets Marin stew in its own traffic (sell the r/w to the Bridge District for trails or bus lanes, or better yet to some "affordable housing" developer hee hee). Run ferries from a spur terminal at Port Sonoma. Yes, you still have to get through Petaluma (probably will get as interesting as Novato if real operating trains start to look possible) and a few remnant ranches (for how much longer?), but there might be a *little* more support. And you could even call it historic restoration of service from Donahue's Landing to Petaluma. Oh yeah - and weekend specials to Sears Point for the races from Sonoma County and (via Cal Northern) from Amtrak and/or the Vallejo Ferry! Dreams, right? Right. Expect liquidation soon.