Greetings! It’s Friday, Aug. 8 – another day of typical summer Santa Cruz County weather, with morning fog and forecast highs ranging from upper 60s at the beach to lower 90s in toastier mountain spots.
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Pedestrians and cyclists will get access to the railway bridge that runs alongside the closed Murray Street Bridge, Max Chun reports, after the county’s transportation commission approved an urgent request by city and county officials looking to blunt the closure’s impact on surrounding businesses.
Thursday also saw the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s $4.3 billion passenger rail plan get its first public hearing, with Max on hand to hear a familiar mix of concern and support for the RTC’s vision, which faces its next hurdle in December when the commission could move it into the environmental review stage.
This year’s point-in-time tally of the county’s homeless population found the lowest total recorded so far, Tania Ortiz reports. But among the seemingly encouraging numbers were increases in unhoused older adults and people with disabilities, along with a rise in homeless populations in the cities of Capitola and Santa Cruz.
Wallace Baine previews a new music festival coming to downtown Santa Cruz – a gathering that will showcase the often-overlooked genre of jug band music. You’ll also find Wallace’s recommendations for things to do this weekend and other tidbits from local arts & entertainment as you read on below.
Let’s do it.
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Santa Cruz to open idle rail line to pedestrians, cyclists during Murray Street Bridge closure
Santa Cruz transportation officials agreed Thursday to explore using an existing railroad bridge next to the Murray Street Bridge as a temporary path for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the harbor during the extended bridge closure, though some fear the move could derail plans to use the tracks for a future passenger train. Max Chun has the latest.
Santa Cruz County homeless count shows uneven progress as budget cuts loom
Santa Cruz County’s annual homeless count hit record lows this year, but the numbers mask a troubling rise in older adults and people with disabilities living on the streets, along with increases in Santa Cruz and Capitola as federal aid dwindles. More here from Tania Ortiz.
DAILY DIGEST
A full plate of Friday morning news, and rest assured, there’s more on the Lookout menu as the day continues. Food & drink correspondent Lily Belli will be along presently with Eaters Digest, just one of the many newsletters and breaking news alerts I highly recommend you sign up for here. Stay current with our award-winning local coverage on your smartphone by downloading the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and mix us into your social media diet by connecting with Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.
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Thank you for reading – may your Friday be a smooth one, and here’s to a safe, relaxing weekend beyond.
Will McCahill