Quick Take
Soquel resident Peter Gibson is tired of hearing about all the problems of building a zero-emissions passenger train in Santa Cruz County and wonders why we aren’t focusing on the benefits. The train would deliver clean transit, reduce traffic and cut thousands of tons of carbon emissions, he writes. And it would spark housing, jobs and business growth near stations. Gibson urges us to look beyond costs and see rail as a once-in-a-generation investment in equity and climate resilience.
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Santa Cruz County stands at a critical crossroads.
The Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line (SCBRL) is a publicly owned, 32-mile corridor on which the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) wants to build a rail and a trail.
Many object to the cost and feasibility of this dream and lately, all I’m hearing about are the problems instead of the benefits.
So, please sit down, take a deep breath, let’s remember what we would gain if we developed the Zero Emission Passenger Rail Transit (ZEPRT), and what we would lose if we don’t go forward with ZEPRT.
The SCBRL corridor offers two future development options: trail only or rail and trail.
The trail-only solution (interim trail) would cost $85-150 million, depending on final alignment, materials and mitigation requirements. This figure does not include the separate, long-term capital cost of nearly $1 billion to replace or repair 28 of the corridor’s 33 bridges and trestles, as outlined in the July 2025 ZEPRT Draft Project Concept Report. The interim trail also includes these structures, and while full replacement might not be required for trail use, substantial repairs will still be needed for safe access. To me, this makes the rail-trail a more strategic investment.
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The rail-trail estimates for the trail portion are $150-250 million, depending on final design choices, right-of-way constraints and environmental mitigation requirements. Current estimates for the rail-trail are $4.28 billion. While the trail-only solution might appear simpler and less expensive, it risks locking the region into a short-sighted path that sacrifices mobility, equity, climate goals and future resilience.
ZEPRT offers more than transit – it unlocks opportunity through strategic infrastructure investment.
The trail-only access excludes thousands of Santa Cruz County residents — older adults, students, people with disabilities and low-income workers — who need reliable transportation options that don’t require physical exertion or car ownership. ZEPRT is fully Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible, serving a projected 6,000 riders daily by 2045, with ridership expected to grow steadily over time. From 2019 (the first full year of service) to 2025, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) annual ridership grew by 56.7 % from 716,847 to 1,123,685, according to SMART’s official ridership reports.
ZEPRT is more than a transportation upgrade – it’s a cornerstone of Santa Cruz County’s climate strategy.
Fully electric from the first day of operation, the system’s direct greenhouse gas emissions during service would be essentially zero. And based on the RTC’s 2045 ridership forecast of about 1.4 million annual boardings, ZEPRT could replace over 12 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) each year, preventing an estimated 4,000–4,800 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. That’s comparable to removing more than 2,500 cars’ worth of weekday travel from the Highway 1 corridor.
A trail-only system doesn’t come close to these metrics. Without ZEPRT, new housing along the corridor will only intensify traffic and emissions.
Metro buses and bikes have their place – but they can’t absorb the projected growth or ensure inclusive access. Rail must be the backbone.
Santa Cruz County is actively developing affordable housing – especially in Watsonville and Live Oak – which is essential to economic justice. But without high-capacity transit, this growth risks becoming a traffic liability. Every new household adds trips to streets and highways. ZEPRT enables sustainable development by absorbing commute demand, providing fast, predictable travel and connecting residents to jobs, education and services across the county.
Far from compounding congestion, ZEPRT makes growth possible without as much gridlock.
Rail systems do more than move people – they attract investment. ZEPRT stations will become hubs for retail services and community activity, supporting local entrepreneurship. Developers can boost property values by building near ZEPRT stations, reduce commercial vacancies and bring life to underserved areas.
Integrating ZEPRT along the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line unlocks substantial economic potential. Stations become anchors for mixed-use growth, supporting local businesses, retail clusters and housing near transit.
For example, since the Tacoma Link system in Washington state began service in 2003, the light rail corridor has attracted steady transit‑oriented development, averaging more than two new projects per year within walking distance of its stations. These projects – a mix of market‑rate and affordable housing – have added thousands of residential units to the city’s core, with additional capacity for tens of thousands more under current zoning. The pace of construction has accelerated in recent years alongside planned extensions, reflecting the corridor’s growing role as a catalyst for compact, walkable neighborhoods.
ZEPRT could deliver similar economic benefits here, especially in Live Oak and Watsonville, fostering equity-focused economic stimulus and reducing commercial reliance on automobile access. Business clusters near stations tend to benefit from both commuter patronage and lowered delivery costs via transit integration.
Additionally, ZEPRT qualifies for federal and state funding streams that trail-only projects cannot access. The $4.28 billion cost unlocks transformative federal, state and regional funding streams – many of which specifically target high-capacity zero-emission transit systems. If matched 50–80% by outside funds, the county’s share could be just a fraction of that number. Again, the interim trail solution forfeits this opportunity and delays needed investment.
The trail-only solution offers a pleasant path for a few hundred recreational users each day, depending on the weather. ZEPRT offers equitable access, regional connectivity, environmental benefits and an economic uplift for tens of thousands of residents. As population and housing density grow along the corridor, rail becomes not only viable – it becomes essential.
The decision before the county isn’t only about cost. It’s about vision.
Do we build an infrastructure that many people with different needs could use, or limit ourselves to an infrastructure that, while less costly, serves the needs of only a few? With ZEPRT, Santa Cruz can lead – not follow – in building a climate-ready, people-first transit system.
Let’s build a future that moves everyone forward. ZEPRT is how we get there.
Peter Gibson is a retired software engineer who lives in Soquel.