The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit Board of Directors has approved a $190.5 million contract to build a rail extension from Windsor to Healdsburg, moving the project into a major construction phase.
The board approved the contract Wednesday with Stacy and Witbeck/Herzog, a joint venture. The contract covers about 4.75 miles of rail infrastructure between the existing Windsor station and Front Street in Healdsburg.
The work includes new railroad tracks, train control and safety systems, roadway crossings and a bicycle and pedestrian pathway. Crews will also build two major railroad bridges, including one spanning the Russian River, SMART said in a statement.
The approval follows the California Transportation Commission’s allocation last week of $162 million in state grants for the extension. SMART said state grants account for about 73% of the project’s secured funding.
The Healdsburg Extension is part of SMART’s long-term plan to connect North Bay communities through passenger rail service and a bicycle and pedestrian pathway. The extension will expand service north from Windsor and improve connections to jobs, schools, businesses and recreational destinations.
The project is moving forward as ridership on the existing system grows. SMART reported an average of 5,754 weekday riders in September, up 23% from the same month last year. During the fiscal year that ended June 30, the agency’s trains carried nearly 1.5 million passengers who traveled a combined 32 million miles by train, transit officials said.
SMART’s pathway also saw more than 1.3 million bicycle and pedestrian trips during the fiscal year, covering an estimated nearly 4 million miles, according to the agency.
SMART held a community meeting Thursday at Healdsburg High School to discuss where the proposed station should be located. According to transit officials, the two locations being considered are Depot/Hudson or Vine/West Plaza/Downtown.