Quick Take
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will consider a draft of this year’s list of unmet transit and paratransit needs at its meeting Thursday, an annual occurrence informed by members of the community.
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation (RTC) will consider this year’s list of transit and paratransit needs at its meeting on Thursday.
Each year, the RTC works with its Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee to come up with a list of ideas to improve public transit and paratransit operations, a service for people with disabilities who might not be able to use standard public transportation throughout the county.
Much of the list is put together through public input via partner agencies, digital surveys, focus groups and other avenues.
This year, people said they would like to see increased transit frequency and reliability, express services between Santa Cruz and Watsonville, and a broader coverage area in general.
Some said they would like improved rider comfort and ease of use on public transit. Others seek more efficient bus loading and timing, and an expansion of bike-share programs to Watsonville and the San Lorenzo Valley, as well as more information about existing facilities and travel paths that are well maintained.
The RTC has in the past acted on several issues identified through this process. They include improving the Watsonville Transit Center, installing an automatic passenger counting system and an automated vehicle location system for performance tracking, audio and video surveillance on buses, and bringing in an accessible services coordinator to help older adults and disabled residents use Metro services.
According to a staff report, high-priority needs this year for safe travel paths and accessibility are: improving access for seniors, disabled residents and low-income individuals; and better coordination about construction projects. High-priority needs for older adults, disabled and low-income residents also include better transportation for the caregivers of seniors and disabled people.
For low-income families and vulnerable communities, the highest priorities are: support for welfare-to-work programs; providing transportation to government facilities and other critical services; and promoting affordable or free transit programs for seniors, youth, unhoused and low-income residents.
Improving access to information and outreach is another top priority, which could mean seeking funding for continuous communication to disadvantaged communities, providing regular updates to transportation service providers and better publicizing existing specialized transportation options.
Other high priorities include implementing a mobility management center, accessible vehicles for taxi and rideshare services, Americans with Disabilities Act paratransit service expansion and inter-county and regional paratransit connections.
The commission meeting begins Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Watsonville City Council chambers and is also accessible via Zoom.
Latest news
Here’s what’s happening this week on our roadways:
- Electrical work, tree work and utility work are shutting down one lane of Highway 9 between Graham Hill Road/Bennett Street and San Lorenzo Way, Fall Creek Road and San Lorenzo Valley High School, and Cascade Avenue and Irwin Way from Monday through Friday between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- Roadway excavation is shutting down the southbound Park Avenue on-ramp to Highway 1 in Capitola until Aug. 19 at 7 a.m.
- Bridge work is shutting down a section of Highway 9 from Riverdale Park to Monaco Lane for a year, from April 30 through the same date in 2027.
- There is a six-week closure of the southbound auxiliary lane on Highway 1 between Soquel Drive in Live Oak and 41st Avenue in Capitola due to guardrail work.
- Emergency sewer work in Soquel Village could occasionally block access to driveways, sidewalks, on-street parking and interrupt sewer service on weekdays until June 30, on Soquel Drive, Porter Street and Main Street. Work on Soquel Drive will be overnight from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Porter and Main streets. Other, shorter-duration potholing on Porter, Main and Center streets and Daubenbiss Avenue will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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