With New Funding Delay, What's Next for SMART?

What should SMART do now that the Bay Area’s primary governing body for transportation projects decided to hold off on a $33 million gift to get the  out of the gates?

According to a story in the , the Metropolitan Transportation Commission elected not to act on the proposed donation to the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit because of the revelation last week that it could cost $45 million more than expected to have the system up and running between Santa Rosa and San Rafael.

The additional costs came straight from SMART Interim Executive Director Farhad Mansourian, who has reassessed all finances since taking over two months ago.

The total bill for the initial rail line is expected to run $380 million, SMART said, but that is only for Santa Rosa to San Rafael, not Cloverdale to Larkspur as voters OK'd in 2008. That year, the majority of voters in Marin and Sonoma counties approved sales tax hikes to pay for the passenger rail system as well as a bikepath alongside the tracks. But in the past few months, the project has been  because of a lack of funding.

What are the odds that SMART — slated to run through eastern Sonoma County— will make up that $45 million difference before the commission votes again on its own $33 million handout?