Oct 12, 2008 5:08 pm US/Pacific
Marin & Sonoma Co. To Vote On Rail System Measure
SONOMA CO. (CBS 5 / KCBS) ―
Come November residents of Marin and Sonoma Counties will vote on a possible tax increase to fund a new rail system connecting the two counties.
Measure Q asks voters to approve a quarter-cent sales tax increase for 20 years to fund a two-way passenger rail service provided by the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District.
Marin and Sonoma County currently have 70 miles of existing railways, owned by the public, which is not in use.
"Businesses here are very challenged to get employees to and from work because of the long commutes and high gas prices." States Cynthia Murray, Co-Chair of the North Bay Transportation Alliance "Yes On Q" campaign. Murray believes a good transit system is imperative for a strong local economy.
Opponents of Measure Q say demand for such a rail system does not exist.
"The basic problem with the idea is that it is just a train that goes from Sonoma to Marin; neither of which have populations to sustain commute train," believes Former Sonoma County Supervisor Ernie Carpenter.
If funding is approved the smart train would run between Larkspur and Cloverdale with 14 roundtrip trains on weekdays and four roundtrips on Saturdays and Sundays.
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