Mar. 23, 2026
Judge upholds SMART's fee title to rail corridor
A Sonoma County judge ruled SMART owns its rail corridor in fee and may operate a bike and pedestrian path as an ancillary use, rejecting neighboring landowners' claims.
A Sonoma County Superior Court judge ruled that the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District holds fee title to its railroad right of way, rejecting neighboring landowners' claims and dismissing quiet title challenges to a bike and pedestrian path within the corridor, in a decision with implications for transit agencies integrating recreational uses alongside active rail lines.
Judge René Auguste Chouteau, a retired jurist sitting by assignment, entered judgment for SMART and a...
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