I encourage readers to e-mail me column options or tips about current civic or political objects that may in any other case fall beneath the radar.
I lately referenced the momentary northern terminal of the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District because the Sonoma County Airport station. That’s the depot’s formal identify.
A reader replied, “Today’s column continues to perpetuate the parable that SMART goes to the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport. It doesn’t.
“Several years in the past, an out-of-town buddy, a army plane fanatic, needed to go to the Pacific Coast Air Museum, which is true subsequent to the airport. We jumped on a SMART practice in San Rafael and received out on the airport SMART station solely to search out the airport was over a mile away and there wouldn’t be a bus alongside Airport Boulevard for over an hour. We walked.
“It was a nice day, and we didn’t mind. After we toured the museum and ate lunch at the airport cafe, I tried to get (rideshare service) to drive us back to the SMART station – no cell service. I talked to a cabbie who wanted $30 to drive us that mile-plus. We walked.”
He instructed “a shuttle bus between the two points, departing a few minutes after the train’s arrival.”
Sonoma’s airport sees greater than 50,000 month-to-month passengers. Given the congestion at airports in San Francisco and Oakland, Marinites may discover a SMART-Sonoma Airport connection is a positive various however provided that airport sure, luggage-carrying SMART passengers can simply transfer from practice to airplane.
First-year SMART General Manager Eddy Cumins has a acknowledged aim to extend the practice’s weekend and off-peak ridership. Cumins ought to meet with Sonoma Airport’s administration to discover a rail to airport shuttle.
Mill Valley Council departure
Mill Valley Councilmember Sashi Sabaratnam (formally McEntee) is resigning from the council efficient this week. She’s shifting to Santa Rosa to be nearer to her job.
Sabaratnam, one of many few girls of coloration in Marin elected workplace, was mayor instantly after the homicide of George Floyd. Some demanded town do extra to advertise larger range. They unfairly took Sabaratnam’s preliminary reply as dismissive. In these “defund the police” days, the ensuing outcry was troublesome for all involved.
Now she leaves on a excessive notice. The most essential job any metropolis council does is choosing a brand new metropolis supervisor. That particular person is their municipality’s chief govt officer.
Upon Mill Valley City Manager Alan Piombo’s retirement announcement, the council recruited and chosen a super substitute. Todd Cusimano, Corte Madera’s city supervisor and beforehand chief of the Central Marin Police Authority, is totally first charge. Sabaratnam departs with an consciousness that she was a part of a council that continued to put its municipal authorities on a observe aimed toward excellence.
SMART practice knowledge
Novato’s Mike Arnold recurrently sends knowledge on nationwide transit ridership. An estimate ready by McKinsey & Company for New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority signifies by the top of 2026 it’s ridership will solely be 73% of pre-pandemic weekdays. BART predicts simply 59% of 2019’s patronage will return by 2024.
The fiscal implication for Golden Gate Transit and SMART could possibly be greater fares and/or decreased service frequencies. It’s because of the post-pandemic pattern for data and finance trade staff to forgo the grueling commute to central metropolis workplace towers and as an alternative make money working from home at the least two days per week.
November election
Filing for cities and particular districts’ governing boards, together with the Marin Municipal and North Marin water businesses closes on Friday. If an incumbent doesn’t file for reelection, submitting for that workplace stays open till Aug. 17. For no matter purpose, some people take out papers however by no means return them. No potential candidacy must be taken critically till they full the method.