SMART service to Windsor set to start May 31

The long-awaited SMART train service to Windsor is scheduled to begin Saturday, marking a significant milestone for the town and the regional transit system that has been expanding northward since its 2017 launch.

The final regulatory approval for the Windsor extension came Thursday afternoon, according to Eddy Cumins, general manager of Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit.

“We didn’t receive clearance on relief from that emergency order until yesterday afternoon,” Cumins said Friday. “As soon as they knew what our timeline was, we told them when we wanted to start, and we were able to get that done. It’s really just about coordination and collaboration with the FRA and making sure that paperwork is signed off.”

The Federal Railroad Administration had to formally lift Emergency Order 21, which was put in place in November 1998 when predecessor Northwestern Pacific Railroad was taken out of service. Despite the complete rebuilding of the rail section and station area, this formal regulatory process was the final hurdle before service could begin, Cumins said.

The announcement comes as SMART celebrates another milestone.

“We hit a million riders yesterday for the fiscal year,” Cumins said Friday. The fiscal year ends June 30. “That was a big stretch goal that we set for ourselves this year, and to hit that was amazing. I’m glad we did it right before Windsor opens.”

The Windsor station represents the northernmost extension of the SMART system to date. Future plans calling for continued expansion to Healdsburg (late 2028) and eventually Cloverdale, which would complete the full 70-mile vision for the rail corridor proposed nearly two decades ago.

Ridership expectations

SMART officials have high expectations for the Windsor station. Cumins predicts it could quickly become one of the system’s busiest stops, potentially supporting 400 to 500 riders daily.

Currently, the Petaluma downtown station leads the system with over 500 boardings daily, followed by Larkspur, San Rafael and Santa Rosa downtown.

“I think it’s going to be in that top 4,” Cumins said about Windsor.

What makes Windsor particularly interesting is the potential travel patterns of its riders.

“If you look at trip data, looking at cellphone data and things like that, and other studies that have been done, 75% of the trips that originate in Windsor terminate in Santa Rosa,” Cumins said. “We could see a lot of people getting on at Windsor and traveling to and from Santa Rosa downtown or Santa Rosa north.”

Some Windsor residents have already been using the system by boarding at the Sonoma County airport station, but having a local station is expected to significantly boost ridership from the town.

The rail agency has been coordinating with Windsor Unified School District to facilitate student ridership.

“They’re anticipating that there is going to be a fair amount of students who will be riding the train, coming from some of the southern communities in Sonoma County, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Santa Rosa, heading northbound to attend schools in Windsor,” said Julia Gonzalez, spokesperson for SMART.

District officials see potential benefits for student commuters — especially at the high school level.

While most students will continue to arrive by car, the train could be a “viable alternative” for transfer students, particularly those coming from Santa Rosa and south, according to spokesperson Heather Bailey.

The Windsor station is just a five-minute walk from Windsor High School, making it a practical option, she said in an email. The middle school poses more of a challenge due to its distance, though biking could make the commute feasible.

The train’s schedule appears to align well with Windsor High’s start and end times, with morning arrivals and afternoon departures fitting within the school’s hours and allowing flexibility for after-school activities, Bailey said.

“We’ll be monitoring usage and seeing what those numbers look like,” Bailey said. If interest builds, the district may consider a shuttle for Windsor Middle School, located 1.4 miles away.

Community reaction

The Windsor Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center, housed in the historic train depot building adjacent to the new SMART station, has been preparing for the influx of visitors the train service is expected to bring.

“We’ve been waiting for this for maybe upward of 20 years to get to this point of the line,” said Neysa Hinton, executive director of Windsor Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center. “We’re just excited that it’s finally happening.”

The announcement appears to have caught some local organizations by surprise. Hinton noted that the chamber only learned about the start date when she arrived at work Friday.