SMART commuter train makes long-awaited arrival in town of Windsor

CBS News

2 days ago

This weekend marked the long-awaited arrival of the SMART commuter train to the town of Windsor. The original purpose was to transport people to work, but people in the North Bay are also looking at it as a way to play.
It's been eight years since the SMART train began operation, so when it finally arrived in Windsor, resident Maria Ledesma had to get over her skepticism.
"I know, I never thought it was actually going to happen," she said. "But now that it happened, it was like, OK, let's go."
She and her sister Maricella brought their entire families out to enjoy a day riding the rails.
"I'm just excited to ride it. It's my first time, so we'll see how it goes," Maria said. "We're going to go to Larkspur and then just hang out and eat over there. And just see whatever else comes up."
"It's just an easier way to move without traffic and have someone else do the driving," Maricella said. "And also have the kids get a chance to ride the train, which they're super excited about. First time, so they're really excited over that."
The excitement is a bit ironic, considering that the previous end-of-the-line was only five minutes away, at the Sonoma County Airport Station in Santa Rosa.
But Windsor resident Jennifer Granados said nothing beats having a station of your own to call home.
"Absolutely, because we're here in our hometown. We just drove down the street and get to ride from our own place, Windsor," she said. "Huge difference. It's our hometown."
SMART was envisioned as a commuter transit line, but then the pandemic hit and work patterns changed and the rail line has been struggling to find a niche. Now, the farther north you get from San Francisco, it's viewed as a way to connect the small cities, and that means it can be good for business.
"I was shocked when I got to work this morning, how many cars were here. It's poppin' down here," said Marie Esposti-Winter, who owns the Hush Up clothing boutique, right next to the train station.
She's survived a global pandemic, two wildfires and now President Trump's trade war tariffs. So, while she's optimistic about SMART, she's also a realist about what its impact might be.
"We have tons of cute little boutiques, restaurants. Realistically, I don't know how many Marin people are going to come up here and shop," said Esposti-Winter. "Although I've taken the train down to Petaluma and shopped down there. So, the hope is that everybody down south will come up north and enjoy the train and come check out Windsor."
The Airport Station, where SMART used to end, is a nondescript train yard with a parking lot. But now, ending at Windsor gives the rail line an actual destination.
The Town Green is a popular picnic area and the quaint shops, restaurants and wine tasting rooms may give people a reason to get on the train.
"Becoming much more of a place where people are coming, especially from out of town," said resident Scott Busby at the Baldassari wine tasting room. "It will bring people down here and help boost the local economy, which is pretty vibrant but, I mean, everything helps. We're all based on tourism here, so it's all very helpful."
Currently, as a way to boost ridership after the pandemic, kids under 18 and seniors 65 and older ride for free.
Devin Hoopes may be exactly the kind of rider Windsor is hoping for. On Sunday, the Santa Rosa resident was touring the downtown with his family. He's been using the train as a fun way to explore the small cities surrounding his hometown.
"I haven't made it down to Novato yet, to really explore that from the train," he said. "But that's on the list. I'm getting there."
The towns have always been there, easily accessible by automobile. But somehow, the experience of riding the train is causing people to venture out, and in the process, connecting them with their neighbors up and down the line.