Quick Take:
Santa Cruz officials unveiled plans for a $4.3 billion passenger rail system spanning nine stations along 22 miles, promising frequent service but facing questions about cost and feasibility.
Passenger train service between Santa Cruz and Pajaro could cost $4.28 billion to build and up to $41 million annually to operate, according to a new report detailing the vision for a 22-mile rail network through Santa Cruz County.
The Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission plans to present its vision at two meetings next week, following Friday’s release of a 19-page draft executive summary report that offers the first high-level overview of costs, station locations, and ridership projections for the ambitious and divisive transit project.
The plan envisions trains running every half hour from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, costing between $34 million and $41 million annually to operate. An alternative hourly service could reduce operating costs to between $17 million and $21 million per year.
Passengers could board at nine stations spanning the county, from Natural Bridges Drive in Santa Cruz to Pajaro, completing the journey in about 40 to 45 minutes. The line would include stops at the Natural Bridges Drive, Santa Cruz Boardwalk, Seabright, 17th Avenue, Capitola, Cabrillo College, Aptos, downtown Watsonville and Pajaro.
By 2045, the system could carry between 3,500 and 6,000 riders on weekdays, with lower weekend ridership, the report said. These projections account for Watsonville’s downtown redevelopment plans but exclude potential growth from the City of Santa Cruz’s recently approved Downtown Plan Expansion.
While the $4.28 billion cost estimate assumes ground-level tracks throughout the rail corridor, planners are studying a costlier option to elevate the rail line along Beach Street near the Boardwalk, where heavy pedestrian traffic poses a host of safety issues and other challenges.
Transit officials based their cost estimates on a system that operates with 10 Stadler FLIRT trains, similar to those used in San Bernardino’s Metrolink service. Each train could accommodate 116 seated passengers and 118 standing riders.
The plans also call for a maintenance facility in Watsonville and 12 miles of new Coastal Rail Trail. Planners also included the cost of repairing or replacing 28 of the line’s 33 bridges, most with separate spans for the train and the trail, though some locations may need shared crossings.
Transportation officials still need to complete a concept report this fall and secure billions in funding. Officials said they intend to explore state and federal grants, but were also considering the possibility of public-private partnerships.