The Routing Company (TRC) celebrated Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) as it cut the ribbon on its brand new on-demand SMART Connect service, powered by TRC’s Ride Pingo.

The event marks the launch of a five-year contract originally announced by TRC in March 2023.

TRC participated in the ribbon cutting at SMART’s Sonoma County Airport station alongside California Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire, SMART Board Chair Eric Lucan, SMART Board Vice Chair Melanie Bagby, SMART General Manager Eddy Cumins, and Sonoma County Airport Manager Jon Stout.

What is SMART?

SMART is the North Bay’s passenger rail serving Marin and Sonoma counties.

Its current 45-mile system is responsible for nearly 500,000 passenger trips annually and  includes stations in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Petaluma, Novato, San Rafael, and Larkspur. 

TRC partnered with SMART to offer accessible on-demand service and transit connections through SMART Connect – ultimately providing first-and-last-mile solutions for North Bay residents.

The service is beginning with the Sonoma County Airport Station with the potential to expand to remaining stations.

TRC's Full Pingo Suite

SMART’s deployment uses TRC’s full Pingo suite including the Ride Pingo app for riders, the Drive Pingo app for drivers, and the cloud-based Pingo Dashboard for fleet operators.

Features include Transit Connect, which uses real-time data to guarantee transit connections for riders, and Pingo Journey.

“We are excited to welcome passengers on board SMART Connect and look forward to providing a seamless and efficient train-to-airport connection. Additionally, this innovative microtransit service will reduce car trips and support local employers by helping people get to and from this busy business corridor,” said Eric Lucan, chair, SMART Board of Directors.