The North Bay's electric bikeshare isn't going away. Redwood Bikeshare, a two-year pilot that was set to end this month, will keep running for three more years and grow to reach every station on the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) line.
Who's paying
The Transportation Authority of Marin approved its $412,500 share on Sept. 24, and the Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authorities are contributing the same amount, the Marin Independent Journal reported. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is adding $498,250 and SMART $75,000, for a combined $1.39 million in local and regional money. State Sen. Mike McGuire separately secured a $1 million earmark in the state budget for an expansion.
A March 2026 update from the Sonoma County agency laid out the plan: about $1.8 million to continue the existing system, and another $1 million to add 140 e-bikes in Healdsburg, Windsor, the Sonoma County Airport area, Ross Valley and Corte Madera.
How it's been used
The program launched in October 2024 with 300 pedal-assist e-bikes serving Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Petaluma, San Rafael, Novato and Larkspur. McGuire's office says riders have taken 28,474 trips since then, and roughly 60% started or ended at a SMART station. It is operated by Drop Mobility and rents bikes by the minute, day or month, KTVU reported, with $5 monthly memberships for income-qualified riders, according to the county update.
Ridership is still modest compared with Bay Wheels in San Francisco, but county figures show Santa Rosa bikes averaging about 0.27 trips per bike per day in September 2025, above the system's 0.2 target in several cities. Supporters say the bikes help riders cover the first and last mile around less frequent train and bus schedules.