Marin County Grand Jury • 2024-2025

Smart First Mile/Last Mile Options Report Date: April 25, 2019 Public Release Date: May 9, 2019 Marin County Civil

18 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 7 findings

F1
An important key to the success of SMART will be the availability of economical, fast and convenient transit connectivity to and from the stations since many passengers do not live or work in areas close to these stops.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Transportation Authority of Marin and Marin Transit should conduct surveys and pertinent research, using the criteria of convenience, cost, and accessibility to determine optimal “first mile - last mile” connections to SMART stations.
F2
There are numerous transportation modes to connect with SMART stations. These include: walking, biking, electric bikes and scooters, cars, ride sharing, Lyft, Uber, traditional taxis, group vans, standard sized as well as smaller buses, including shuttles such as Marin Connect, which can be called as needed. In the future, autonomous shuttles and other vehicles will be an option.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
Marin Transit should expand the usage of Marin Connect beyond northern San Rafael no later than the first quarter of 2020.
F3
Transportation Authority of Marin in conjunction with Marin Transit, are the agencies charged with fostering public transit connectivity with SMART in Marin.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
SMART should complete and publish its feasibility study by July 2019 on the east-west track connecting to an Amtrak station in the East Bay.
F4
Comprehensive surveys of customer riding patterns are extremely useful to the determination of which modes to focus on and put resources into, but the ultimate determination will be driven by customer preferences over the next few years.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
Upon completion of the SMART station in Larkspur, there needs to be a free passenger shuttle between the station and the Larkspur ferry terminal.
F5
The distance between the SMART Larkspur terminal and the ferry terminal may act as a barrier that could adversely impact SMART ridership since currently there are no known plans for public transit between the two terminals.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
SMART, Transportation Authority of Marin and Marin Transit should prepare a joint feasibility study for the possible implementation of an autonomous shuttle for connection from the Larkspur SMART station to the Larkspur Ferry.
F6
The SMART plan calls for limited parking for passengers at the Larkspur station. This could be an obstacle to SMART ridership northbound.
No recommendations for this finding
F7
There are railroad tracks owned by SMART going east out of southern Novato currently used only for freight. An engineering study is currently underway, due late spring of 2019, to determine the feasibility of extending SMART to Amtrak in the East Bay. COMMENDATION In its first year, SMART and the other transit agencies have done a commendable job in developing first and last mile connections to SMART stations. This report attempts to provide a comprehensive guide to the various connection options. To further encourage ridership on SMART, it also makes recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the connections.
No recommendations for this finding

Commendations 1