Santa Cruz County Local News: Transportation


All Local Transportation News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: California transportation history runs from railroads to today’s car culture.
California’s History of Transportation: From Railroads to Highways

The history of transportation in California has shaped the state, from the railroads to today’s highways, making the need for planning increasingly urgent. Here’s how it all happened, and where we stand today.

Image caption: Over two weekends last October, residents of Santa Cruz and Watsonville  participated in demonstration rides aboard an electric streetcar on rails.
The ‘Rail Trail’ Movement, Explained

Thousands of miles of railroad track, including some in Santa Cruz County, now sit idle. The fate of those largely abandoned tracks has become a burning controversy.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

07/17/2024
An update on repairs to the Cabrillo College pedestrian bridge over Soquel Drive which was damaged and closed in January.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/15/2024
Public chargers must be built at an unprecedented pace to meet the target in less than 7 years, and then doubled to 2 million in 2035. The high cost — $120,000 or more for one fast charger— is just one obstacle.

The Pajaronian logo From The Pajaronian...

07/11/2024
Image for display with article titled Paving Project to Close Lanes in Hwy 152

Starting Monday, Aug. 15, motorists will encounter multiple lane closures in Watsonville on Main Street and East Lake Avenue (Highway 152). The work is a multi-tiered project.

Press Banner logo From Press Banner...

07/11/2024
Image for display with article titled Solo-Vehicle Crash Into Power Pole on Highway 9 Causes Outage and Closure

Traffic on state Highway 9, north of Boulder Creek, in Santa Cruz County, was reopened to one-way traffic on July 4 after the highway was briefly closed because of a traffic collision that set a power pole ablaze, causing a nearby power outage for hundreds of PG&E customers. 

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

07/06/2024
A recap of a June 27 meeting attended by residents of Mountain Charlie Road and officials from the Santa Cruz County Department of Public Works.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

07/05/2024
Image for display with article titled Explainer: Santa Cruz County’s Road Problems

A deep dive into the "deplorable" condition of county roads, how things got to be that way, and efforts to improve.

Good Times logo From Good Times...

07/03/2024
Image for display with article titled Santa Cruz County Grand Jury Raises Concerns on Deferred Road Repairs

The deteriorating state of road conditions in Santa Cruz County’s unincorporated areas is cited as being one of the “five most significant problems facing the County,” according to a Grand Jury Road Report published on June 5.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

06/27/2024
Image for display with article titled Roads, Power, Disaster Prep Are Top Priorities for San Lorenzo Valley Voters

San Lorenzo Valley voters want a county supervisor who will fix roads, help prepare for disasters, increase power reliability and improve communications between the county and residents, according to a recent straw poll. 

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

06/26/2024
There are few answers and no solution yet for the slow moving landslide on Mountain Charlie Road isolating a Santa Cruz mountain neighborhood.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

06/21/2024
Image for display with article titled Proposed Rail-Trail Route Could Divert Onto Streets Across Live Oak-Capitola Border

Santa Cruz County’s rail trail could divert from the train tracks onto neighboring streets to bypass narrow stretches of the rail corridor and wetlands, according to a draft route released this month.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

06/20/2024
The groundbreaking for the north coast segment of the Santa Cruz Rail Trail was held a Wilder Ranch State Park on June 20.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo From San Lorenzo Valley Post...

06/19/2024
Image for display with article titled Local Officials Request Caltrans to Lower Speed Limits on Highway 9

At its May 2 meeting the RTC passed a resolution unanimously requesting Caltrans to lower the speed limits on Highway 9 in downtown Ben Lomond, Brookdale, and the southern portion of Felton to 25 mph.

Good Times logo From Good Times...

06/18/2024
Image for display with article titled One Decade of Onewheel

The magic moment for one of Santa Cruz’s most innovative companies came when its founder rolled the dice and bet big at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics trade show.

Hilltromper Santa Cruz logo From Hilltromper Santa Cruz...

06/18/2024
Image for display with article titled Breaking Ground on the North Coast Rail Trail

Segment 5 of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network (aka Coastal Rail Trail) will connect Wilder Ranch to the town of Davenport.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

06/10/2024
The Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury released a report on the state of the 586 miles of county-maintained roads, finding them inadequately funded and maintained.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

06/06/2024
Image for display with article titled Less Money for Road Maintenance in Approved Santa Cruz County Budget

Santa Cruz County supervisors on Tuesday approved a budget that was 10.5% smaller than the prior fiscal year and had 16% less money for road maintenance.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

06/06/2024
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission approved an additional $3 million for the Highway 1 expansion project to cover cost overruns.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

06/03/2024
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation is getting an early look at three potential passenger rail vehicles for the rail trail, with public open houses scheduled for June 25 and 26.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/31/2024
A Bay Area transit funding bill is delayed so supporters can seek consensus on how the money will be raised and distributed.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

05/28/2024
Santa Cruz Metro has observed a 23% increase in ridership following service changes in late 2023.
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