Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit expands to Windsor; local businesses say 'all aboard'

WINDSOR, Calif. (KGO) -- The long-awaited arrival of the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit commuter train is pulling into the town of Windsor.

The transit extension has locals and small business owners excited about what the train could mean for the local economy.

The 12:15 p.m. SMART train from Larkspur was arriving Friday in Windsor with lots of new riders on board.

Drew McDaniel and Parker Day rode the ferry from San Francisco, then jumped on the SMART train heading north for some bike riding through Sonoma Wine Country.

"It's possible to do a day trip here now and get home and not rent a car," McDaniel said.

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"I really want to go to the Russian River Brewery and have lunch. It's easy to make a day trip of it now," Day said.

SMART just completed the $75 million extension from the Sonoma County Airport after five years of construction.

The new station now connects commuters and visitors to Windsor Town Green, where there's lots of shopping and wine tasting.

Brenda Lynch believes the train will be great for her dog-friendly tasting room, Mutt Lynch Winery.

"When people think of wine country, they think about Sonoma or Healdsburg. When the end of the line is Windsor, they'll learn about restaurants and great tasting room here," Lynch said.

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"This is a huge deal. It's going to bring a lot of people," said Eddy Cumins, general manager of Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit. Cumins said ridership is on the rise.

"We're about 40% above pre-pandemic levels and continuing to grow. We've already carried 1 million riders this fiscal year -- a huge milestone for us," Cumins said.

At a time when BART and MUNI are struggling financially, this railroad is expanding.

CORNELL BARNARD: "How are you doing that?

EDDY CUMINS: "You know, working really hard, we've been successful bringing in grant dollars," Cumins said.

We wondered how long it would take driving the 52 mile stretch from Larkspur to Windsor, versus riding the train, so we did. Our drive was about 50 minutes. The train ride was about one hour and 20 mins with stops. But that experiment was done without commute traffic, which can make the drive much longer.

SMART continues to offer a car-free alternative, with plans to expand event further north.

"Our goal is to be in Healdsburg by end of 2028," Cumins said.