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Santa Cruz County Transportation Articles



Image caption: Vision Zero aims to implement steps that would make roads safer, and stop traffic death entirely.
Vision Zero: Cities Struggle With Goal of Ending Traffic Deaths

The Vision Zero program sets a goal for California cities to eliminate traffic fatalities, but almost a decade into the effort, the goal remains distant, and horrific tragedies on the road continue to stack up.

Image caption: Action Heroes: EA promotes alternative transportation year round, not just during Bike Month.
Ecology Action’s Plan for a Greener Future

For half a century, this group has reduced waste, reimagined local transportation and redesigned buildings. It’s all part of Ecology Action’s quest for sustainability.

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Highway 1 widening project advances in Santa Cruz County

Boulder Creek sidewalk plan also in the works

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State Must Kick-Start Funding for Electric Bus Fleet Programs

Putting more electric trucks and buses on California roads will improve air quality and grow local jobs. But for many fleets, the transition to electric will require innovative policy and finance solutions to get the job done on pace with …

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Money approved for passenger rail planning

Early engineering, environmental work ahead

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Boulder Creek Could Get $3.5M In Upgrades

Boulder Creek is now in line for $3.5 million that could be coming from more than 2,800 miles away—Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C.—for a couple key improvements to the historic lumber town’s infrastructure. On July 7, Congressional Representative Anna Eshoo …

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Rail-trail construction to restart in Santa Cruz

Path to be paved from Bay Street to wharf

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Watsonville’s downtown plan includes ‘road diet,’ around 4,000 new homes

WATSONVILLE—The addition of around 4,000 new housing units over the course of 25 years. Two-way traffic on Lake and Beach streets. A completely reimagined industrial district on Walker Street. A network of pedestrian “paseos” that provides safe walking paths. The …

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Measure D Opponents Celebrate on Election Night

Early results suggest staggering defeat for controversial ‘Greenway Initiative’

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Measure D-railed

Voters choose a future with trail—and rail

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Measure D Fails

By Mary Andersen The hotly debated Measure D Greenway Initiative sits at 8580 "yes" votes and 21,021 "no" this morning. Votes will continue to be counted throughout the week with a final certification in early July. But these early results …

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Measure D early election results in Santa Cruz County

Rail-trail ballot measure appears short of majority in early returns

Image caption: A railroad bridge on the Santa Cruz Branch Line as seen from Manresa State Beach in South Santa Cruz County.
Why I Oppose the Greenway Initiative

Three California transportation leaders explain why Measure D will ultimately kill much-needed rail service and slow progress on the Santa Cruz Rail Trail.

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Opinion: A Call for Civil Discourse on D

No matter your opinion on the ballot measure, there’s a bigger picture

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What Both Sides are Saying About Measure D

Supporters and opponents explain their positions on the controversial ballot measure

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Who Really Controls Railbanking?

Whether Measure D passes or fails, here are all the parties who really control the railbanking decision

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What Does Measure D Really Say?

There’s a lot of speculation about the ballot measure, but here’s what it would really do

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Supervisors approve Active Transportation Plan

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved the 2022 Active Transportation Plan, a 200-page document that outlines dozens of projects which aim to increase the county’s system of bicycle and walking paths. “The vision is …

Image caption: Different representations of traffic stress.
Building a Better Bike Map

Recent discussions in social media revealed a lack of maps of safe local bike routes. So we connected with local bike experts to start a crowdsourced project to create some.

Image caption: Local tech entrepreneur and confessed “bike nerd” explains his support of Measure D.
Lloyd Tabb: Yes on Measure D

The founder of local tech company Looker explains why he supports Measure D, the Greenway Initiative.

Featured

A map of the Santa Cruz County stretch of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail, known commonly as the Coastal Rail Trail, or the Santa Cruz Rail Trail.
The Santa Cruz Rail Trail
Information about the Santa Cruz Rail Trail project, including updated news and Explainers.
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
The heated controversy over what to do with abandoned railroad tracks
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 earliest stagecoach to today’s car culture.