Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission Government News Digest

The next phase of the $94.2M project to add lanes and bike/pedestrian overpasses on the three mile span of Highway 1 between the three mile Bay Avenue/Porter Street has commenced.

Supporters of the rail trail rallied in front of the Santa Cruz County building on April 3 to advocate for approval of segments 10 and 11.

A recent split vote by Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors stalling approval of two rail trail segments is jeopardizing future state funding for the project.

Supervisor Zach Friend recuses, and Supervisors McPherson and Koenig voted against moving forward with segments 10 and 11 of the Coastal Rail Trail between 17th Avenue in Live Oak and State Park Drive in Aptos.

Suit claims deficiencies in Environmental Impact Report for Highway 1 widening and Coastal Rail Trail Segment 12 construction.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will kick off its first meeting of 2024 by delving into one of its most high-profile projects.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission seeks applicants to serve on a committee that keeps tabs on one of the county’s most important transportation funding sources.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has found a new leader: former California Transportation Commission Executive Director Mitch Weiss will temporarily takes over for Guy Preston while it continues its search for a permanent replacement.

A three-year pilot transportation project local leaders say could bring “transformational change” to the county is fully funded thanks to approval by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission.

The concept report will provide an early analysis that includes placement of stations, frequency of service and a closer look at especially challenging areas such as Beach Street in Santa Cruz and near Harkins Slough in Watsonville.

“I have decided on Dec. 1 I will pack up my empty coffee thermos, jump on my bike and ride home from (the) RTC office for the last time,” said 34-year veteran Executive Director Guy Preston.

Federal law requires the plan be updated every four years and designed to use effective public outreach methods to “create and maintain a regional transportation network that prioritizes equitable decision-making and transparency."

After the property was posted for sale at $1.19 million, the commission instructed staff to explore an acquisition to help facilitate right of way needs.

A $115 million grant from the California Transportation Commission’s Active Transportation Program covers the funding gap for nearly 7 miles of the Coastal Rail Trail. Construction can begin as soon as 2025.

An upcoming vote by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission would put millions toward planning light rail service between Santa Cruz and Watsonville.

At its Oct. 6 meeting, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will analyze costs and funding strategies for continued construction and maintenance on 32-mile Coastal Rail Trail.

Through Nov. 4, the public can review and comment on a Draft Environmental Impact Report for two more segments of the Coastal Rail Trail. Segments 8 and 9 stretch from Beach Street/Pacific Avenue in the city of Santa Cruz to the eastern side of 17th Avenue in Live Oak.

Redevelopment of a Capitola home will move forward after the Capitola City Council approved the design permit and an appeal from the Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission was withdrawn after the property owner modified the design with its concerns in mind.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission and Caltrans will pause plans for an HOV lane after a recent court ruling ordered Caltrans to revise a report completed more than three years ago. The challenge came from the Campaign for Sustainable Transportation and the Sierra Club.

At the first meeting of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission board after the definitive “no” vote on Measure D, the question remained: Where do we go from here?

Four Measure D proponents write in Lookout Santa Cruz’s Community Voices section: “Those against Measure D say they started the work to acquire the corridor and build a trail in 1987—35 years ago!”

Peggy Dolgenos of Cruzio writes that her walk from downtown to the Westside recently improved. “I get to walk on the newly built rail trail! Lots of people use the trail, biking, walking, in wheelchairs, pushing strollers. And next to the trail, there’s room for a train. I hope to ride that train someday.”

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County has supported the Rail Trail project since 2015. A piece on the group’s stance on Measure D explains, “Another long public planning and vetting process would be repeated with the passage of the 2022 Measure D, further delaying the trail’s completion.”

Elaborating on its opposition to Measure D, Ecology Action explains that public planning processes aim to include diverse voices in local decision-making, whereas voter referendums sidestep planning and minimize a complex issue into a simple “yes” or “no” vote.

What’s wrong with the rail trail debate is what’s wrong with American democracy in 2022, Wallace Baine writes. Why isn’t “Maybe,” or “It’s Complicated,” or “This Is Not My Field,” or “Whatever, Dude” one of the answers to a profound question of how we live our lives, recreate and commute in Santa Cruz County?

Writing for Lookout Santa Cruz’s Community Voices, 3rd District Supervisor Ryan Coonerty says the intensity of debate around Measure D is pointless given one stark political reality: No matter how the vote goes, without compromises, Santa Cruz County won’t build anything for decades.

After a presentation from RTC staff and an extended period of public comment, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Committee voted to adopt an “alternative” programming resolution that stated no preference for either of the two possible Highway 1 and Coast Rail Trail project scenarios.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission wants public input on two agenda items: the 2022 Unmet Transit and Paratransit Needs List and the allocation of funds raised from the 2016 voter-approved Measure D.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has approved the final draft of the 2045 Regional Transportation Plan. In June, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments will review the plan along with others drafted by Monterey and San Benito counties.

In this newsletter, Supervisor Koenig addresses community concerns around the issue of freight on the Santa Cruz Branch Line.