SMART TOD Policies and Joint Development
Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART)
Sonoma and Marin Counties, California March 2003 to present
Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) is a commuter rail line that will serve Marin and Sonoma Counties
starting some time in 2009 pending a sales tax vote in November 2006. Although SMART is not yet an
operational transit agency, it has a fully functioning board of directors and is responsible for managing
considerable real estate assets. To help the SMART Board manage its real estate and work with the
communities where SMART stations will be located, Strategic Economics and Community Design + Architecture
– an urban design firm – assisted the Board in developing and adopting transit-oriented development goals and
policies for ensuring that future development both on SMART property and within the ˝ mile radius of the SMART
stations will be transit supportive. Strategic Economics also worked with the SMART Board to adopt joint
development goals and policies that will allow SMART to develop its property in a manner that protects SMART’s
interests, recognizes local priorities, and creates the clarity and certainty required by the development
community. Strategic Economics is now working with SMART to implement joint development on a prime parcel
in downtown Santa Rosa through a competitive RFP process.