Carmageddon: Final train report, Capitola Ave. bridge nears reopening, next steps for Grand Ave. pathway

RTC publishes final concept report for ambitious passenger rail project

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) published the final project concept report for its major passenger rail project on Friday afternoon, about six weeks before the commission is expected to discuss and vote on whether to advance the project in December.

“This report represents an important step forward in understanding what zero-emission passenger rail could mean for Santa Cruz County. It provides our community and decision-makers with the facts needed to thoughtfully consider how this system might enhance mobility, sustainability, and access for all,” RTC executive director Sarah Christensen said in a media release.

The 323-page report echoes much of what is written in the draft version released in June, maintaining its $4.2 billion price tag. However, the final report does have some additions, including a more complete picture of funding options.

The report states that the RTC will need to find a mix of funding sources from the state and federal governments. At the federal level, that could be from Federal Railroad Administration programs, Federal Highway Administration programs and Department of Transportation multimodal programs. At the state level, options include state rail assistance, the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program that aims to modernize intercity, commuter and urban rail systems, and various Senate Bill 1 programs. Senate Bill 1 invests $5.2 billion annually to fix roads, freeways, and bridges, and puts more money toward transit.

The commission will discuss and vote on the report at its December meeting. It could either moving the project forward into environmental review, or put a pause on it.

Capitola Avenue bridge poised for year-end reopening

Capitola and Soquel residents and frequent visitors can get ready to put nearly two years of inconvenience behind them.

Drivers have had to be patient with their commutes since last March, when the Highway 1 overcrossing at Capitola Avenue was shut down for demolition and reconstruction. However, RTC spokesperson Shannon Munz said that, barring significant weather-related delays, the project is expected to be wrapped up by the end of December.

The bridge was initially scheduled for completion early this summer, and was then pushed back to November due to pre-construction work having taken longer than expected. Munz said the most recent delay can be attributed to various site challenges, including the relocation of a water line and the regrading of the slopes next to the bridge. Those issues are now resolved, and crews are to begin final paving shortly.

The bridge is part of the ongoing Highway 1 expansion project, which includes adding new lanes that give motorists more space to merge at exit and entrance ramps and also serve as dedicated bus-on-shoulder lanes in some places, allowing buses to bypass traffic. The expansion project also includes adding new bicycle and pedestrian overcrossings. The first two phases — which run from Soquel Avenue to 41st Avenue and Bay Avenue/Porter Street to State Park Drive, respectively — cost nearly $150 million when factoring in cost overruns.

Capitola dives into the details of reconstructing crumbling Grand Avenue path

At its Thursday meeting, the Capitola City Council directed city staff to begin the first steps of pre-construction work for the Grand Avenue pathway on Depot Hill between Oakland Avenue and Saxon Avenue, which partially crumbled into the ocean in February.

The city hired Pacific Crest Engineering to evaluate the collapse and recommend options. The firm suggested narrowing the path, moving it as far inland as possible, and installing a drainage system to keep water from pooling near the cliff edge and potentially speeding up erosion. Even so, the firm believes the path could still fail in a little over a decade unless the city pursues major work to support the entire cliff, which would take years and could cost tens of millions of dollars.

While the estimated cost of relocating the pathway is in the $400,000 to $700,000 range, staff and the city council will need a clearer picture of what exactly the project will entail. City Manager Jamie Goldstein said he estimates that it will cost about $20,000 to do a topographic study — a detailed study on the surrounding terrain — to get a better idea of the possibilities and entire scope of the project. He said that the city council would need to find a way to pull that $20,000 from the city’s existing budget, though. The council’s best options would be the contingency reserve, essentially a rainy day fund for unexpected issues that arise, or possibly reallocate funds from other projects.

“It could be a combination, but I think $20K is what we need to get to to get the council to the next step,” he said.

Staff will come back with a plan to find the $20,000 for the pre-construction work, with a plan for where the money will come from for council approval.

Latest news

Check out our Carmageddon road project list here. This week, pay particular attention to:

• Roadway improvements are shutting down one lane of Highway 9 between Willow Brook Drive and the northern junction of Highway 236 starting on Monday and lasting through May 20, 2026. Work hours are between 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays.

• Drainage and striping work and guardrail repair are shutting down the northbound and southbound Highway 17 offramps at Pasatiempo Drive and Mount Hermon Road overnight from Monday through Friday between 8:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. One lane of northbound and southbound Highway 17 from Glenwood Cutoff to West Vine Hill Road will be closed from Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

• Pavement, guardrail and erosion control work are shutting down about 1 mile of Upper East Zayante Road on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. through early November. The road will open up between noon and 12:30 p.m. each day to let traffic pass.

• Shoulder work is causing an overnight closure of one lane of northbound Highway 1 Buena Vista Drive and Rob Roy/Freedom Boulevard from Monday through Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.

• A full closure of the Murray Street Bridge is scheduled to run until February 2026. It is closed to vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. Vehicle traffic detours are along Soquel Avenue and Capitola Road via Seabright Avenue and 7th Avenue. Bicycles are being detoured across Arana Gulch and along Broadway via Seabright Avenue and 7th Avenue. Pedestrians are being detoured around the north harbor.

• The installation of the Newell Creek Pipeline on Graham Hill Road between Summit Avenue and Lockewood Lane is taking place on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and could cause delays of up to five minutes.

• Utility work and tree work is closing down sections of Highway 9 between Main Street and Fillmore Avenue, Stapp Road and Sylvan Avenue, Bear Creek Road and Kings Creek Road, and Kings Creek Road and the Camp Campbell entrance from Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

• Storm damage repair is shutting down sections of Eureka Canyon Road in Corralitos for several months. Work takes place on weekdays only from 7:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. and is scheduled to last through Friday, Oct. 31.

Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.