Santa Cruz County Transportation Digest

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

On May 20, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on the now-cleared site of the former downtown Santa Cruz Metro station to celebrate the beginning of construction of a new transit hub and 128-unit affordable apartment complex.

The Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission has informed some residents of two mobile home parks in Live Oak of a need to move their units 1 to 4 feet due to encroachment over lot boundaries.

The California Coastal Commission granted a two-year extension to the controversial City of Santa Cruz ban on overnight RV street parking.

The California Coastal Commission is set to consider an appeal of the City of Santa Cruz ban on overnight parking mandated by the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance.

Central Coast Representatives Lofgren and Pannetta jointly announced $1 million in federal funding for studies about expansion of rail service in the region.

In a unanimous vote, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved the plan to proceed with segments 10 and 11 of the Coastal Rail Trail.

Repairs to roads damaged in recent storms, including the slow-moving slide on Mountain Charlie Road, depend on state and federal funding and could take years to complete.

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will reconsider their vote against approving segments 10 and 11 of the Coastal Rail Trail in their April 30 meeting.

Following his recent vote against approval of two segments of the Rail Trail, Supervisor Manu Koenig explains his decision.

The City of Santa Cruz is set to begin a pilot program of neighborhood street sweeping, including a provision to tow vehicles not complying with posted parking limits.

All fixed-route rides on Santa Cruz METRO are free on Earth Day, April 22.

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.

The Downtown Streets Program is growing to 8 teams in the County with the start of a new 6 month pilot program in Boulder Creek on the Highway 9 commercial corridor.

Witnesses allege Santa Cruz police used excessive force arresting a Black man for a bike infraction on April 10 at the intersection of Bay Street and West Cliff.

Initiated in March 2023, the Santa Cruz METRO Youth Cruz Free program providing free rides to K-12 youth has resulted in a 536% increase of youth riding the bus.

A proposed ordinance limiting use of e-bikes on sidewalks and walkways in unincorporated parts of the county was delayed by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors until its May 14 meeting following feedback from residents.

A program that allows solo drivers of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to use carpool lanes on freeways and bridges in California may be removed for good next year.

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.

Highway 1 is closed indefinitely from Palo Colorado Road to Rocky Creek Bridge, the California Department of Transportation said on social media after a new landslide eroded part of the roadway.

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.

CalTrans reports two miles of Highway 9 outside of Saratoga is closed because of debris from a mudslide.