The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) Windsor Extension project, designed by STV, has earned an Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC California) in its 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards. The project now advances as a finalist for the organization’s Golden Bear Award, the highest recognition for engineering achievement in the state.
The honor celebrates STV’s role in helping expand transit access for California’s North Bay communities through the 3.2-mile extension of SMART’s regional commuter rail system. The Windsor Extension extends service north from the Sonoma County Airport Station into downtown Windsor, introducing a new multimodal station, five rebuilt rail bridges, two pedestrian bridges, a pedestrian underpass and a 2.6-mile non-motorized pathway connecting Windsor residents to SMART’s broader active transportation network.
“We are proud to be recognized for an initiative that opens up new transit opportunities for North Bay communities and that reflects how STV is driven to deliver infrastructure solutions that truly better the communities we serve,” said Sissel Bernsten-Herber, PE, PMP, vice president and transportation infrastructure leader in STV’s Transportation West practice.
STV served as SMART’s multidisciplinary design partner for the extension, providing civil, structural and rail engineering; station architecture; roadway and grade-crossing design; drainage and site systems; and full ADA-compliant access and safety enhancements.
The project builds on STV’s long-standing partnership with SMART – having designed approximately 45 of the 48 miles currently in service – supporting the agency’s mission to reactivate a 70-mile corridor for modern passenger rail and active transportation throughout Sonoma and Marin counties.
