Santa Cruz County got an early holiday gift on Dec. 7 when the California Transportation Commission approved $115.8 million in grants for transportation projects in the county—including enough to fund almost seven miles of the Coastal Rail Trail from the Santa Cruz Harbor to the Seacliff neighborhood in Aptos. The grant puts an exclamation point at the end of a tumultuous year for the Rail Trail, during which a measure on its very existence was put before the county’s voters—who said yes to both rail and trail.
For local politicians, the past week brought opportunities for some early renditions of “Auld Lang Syne,” as longtime officeholders on the Watsonville City Council and the county Board of Supervisors made their goodbyes. But on the Santa Cruz City Council it was time for to say hello to a new era—one in which city residents voted for their own district rep and also for a mayor who will represent the whole city.
New Beginning
To mark the start of this new era in Santa Cruz politics, Eric Johnson talks to Fred Keeley, who was sworn in as mayor on Dec. 14. The veteran local pol talks about how district representation will change the council and what changes he hopes to bring to city governance. And he also gives a shout out to an old acquaintance—the man who inspired him to become a politician.
Full Steam Ahead
But back to that $115 million gift to Santa Cruz County … Eric Johnson talked to Kirsten Liske of Ecology Action, the Santa Cruz nonprofit that has been leading the community on bicycle transportation issues for decades. Liske explains how significant the grant award is, and what a major impact it will have on the county’s transportation infrastructure. (For more information on the Rail Trail, check out California Local’s Rail Trail tracker.)
Big Win for Santa Cruz Rail Trail
The California Transportation Commission has granted $115 million to the county to implement bike-transportation projects, including the Santa Cruz Rail Trail.
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A sign along Segment 8 from California Local’s Rail Trail tracker.
