Hello hello! It’s Thursday, May 21, and it’ll be a summery day weatherwise for Santa Cruz County, with morning fog forecast to dissipate and a temperature spread from upper 60s near the water to upper 80s in the mountains.
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Dieter Holger is up first, crunching the numbers on the continued population decline for the city of Santa Cruz. The city lost around 1.3% of its population since 2024 and 3.7% since 2020. If the trend holds, Santa Cruz is on track to lose 1 in 20 people from its pre-pandemic population within the next year or two – with high housing costs and a scarcity of high-paying jobs among the factors.
You’ll find a pair of pieces below from Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section. In one, Mikey Cohen, board chair of Bike Santa Cruz County, and transportation activist Jack Brown call on county officials to do more to protect cyclists along Soquel Drive, a crucial cross-county corridor for car-free travel. Although the corridor was designed to provide a safer space for cyclists, that protection has steadily eroded, they write.
Meanwhile, the Lookout Editorial Board adds to its endorsements for the June 2 primary, writing that in the race to represent District 6 on the Santa Cruz City Council, Renee Golder offers experience, relationships and institutional knowledge crucial to the functioning of local government.
The Thursday headlines also include rail supporters rallying in Live Oak, supervisors clarifying how county staff should deal with federal immigration officials and awards for local volunteers. Onward.
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Santa Cruz’s population decline has widened. Low-wage jobs and high housing costs are reasons why.
The city of Santa Cruz has lost 1.3% of its population since 2024 and 3.7% since 2020, a Lookout analysis of the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau finds. The decline is part of a broader exodus from expensive places in California where people struggle to land high-paying jobs. Dieter Holger has the story.
OPINION: Bikers need real protection on Soquel Drive – the county and RTC must act
Soquel Drive is a critical bike corridor connecting Mid-County communities, but its protected bike lanes have deteriorated as safety bollards have been damaged and removed, write Mikey Cohen, board chair of Bike Santa Cruz County, and transportation activist Jack Brown. They say the current design no longer provides reliable protection and can even create hazards for cyclists and drivers. They call on Santa Cruz County leaders to invest in more durable bike lane barriers, traffic-calming measures and ongoing maintenance. They believe improving Soquel Drive would create a safer, more practical transportation corridor for riders of all ages and experience levels. Read their Community Voices op-ed here.
DAILY DIGEST
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There’s more on the way from Lookout as Thursday unspools, not least Weekender, your cheat sheet to going out and eating well around Santa Cruz County this coming long holiday weekend. Sign up here for that and all of our many other newsletters, plus breaking news alerts – all free. You can also get breaking news notifications on the Lookout Santa Cruz app, plus games and all of our award-winning local coverage, available for download from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Threads are where you’ll find Lookout on social media – do give us a follow to stay up to date there.
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Be good, and I’ll see you next time.
Will McCahill