Quick Take
Matt Farrell, board chair of Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail and Trail, takes issue with a Feb. 4 op-ed questioning the feasibility of passenger rail in Santa Cruz County. Here, he explains why our community wants a rail system, revisits what voters have previously decided and provides an update on the segments of the trail already being built.
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On Feb. 4, William Mayall published an opinion piece questioning the feasibility of passenger rail service on the Santa Cruz Branch Rail line. Mr. Mayall described himself as a “lifelong train enthusiast” who “continues to ride and research trains.”
That may be true, but there’s more to the story.
It is disappointing that Mr. Mayall didn’t include his background as a founding member of Greenway, the group behind 2022’s Measure D, which was defeated by voters countywide by a historic margin.
I am proud to let you know who I represent and what I stand for. I am the board chair of Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail and Trail (FORT), a nonprofit organization founded in 2002. We advocate for transforming the 32-mile coastal rail corridor into a trail and rail transit system that increases choice, reduces environmental impact and supports a vital economy.
For years, rail opponents have used misdirection and delay as their primary tactic, often insisting on yet another study in hopes of killing this project.
With great irony (and a further lack of transparency), Mr. Mayall decries the very studies Greenway lobbied for and states, “past studies have failed to provide clear direction.” Yet these studies clearly indicate the benefits of adding rail to our local transportation options. When opponents complain about the time and money spent on rail studies, understand they have been a major driver of delay, expense and continued analysis, fueling the narrative they have created and continuously push.
Let’s revisit Greenway’s ballot measure for perspective. When all the analyses supported reinstating passenger service on our publicly owned rail corridor as the best use of this community asset, Greenway spent thousands of dollars to craft a rail-killing ballot measure for the June 2022 primary election ballot. Greenway spent over a half million dollars to pass the measure, yet suffered a crushing defeat: 73% voted against it. Since then, rail transit opponents refuse to accept the clear message sent by voters that rail should be part of the future for our community.
There is more irony on display with the Greenway-adjacent organization known as “Trail Now,” which claims the plan to build a trail next to the rail tracks “has resulted in the trail never being built.”
The irony is right there in their name.
There is, indeed, a trail being built right now. In fact, trail segments have already been built and are in use in both Santa Cruz and Watsonville. The North Coast Trail, connecting Wilder Ranch State Park and San Vicente Redwoods, is under construction. The trail segment connecting Santa Cruz’s Westside to the wharf will be open this spring. And the Watsonville City Council received a presentation on the proposed design for a new trail segment in their city in February.
Planners with the City of Santa Cruz, the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) and county staff are hard at work designing the segments that will connect the Seabright neighborhood in Santa Cruz to Seacliff in Mid-County. These trail segments were recently awarded a $19.5 million grant.
In the coming months, the RTC will receive the draft Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail (ZPERT) study. This study will include preliminary designs, alternative alignments, cost estimates and ridership forecasts.
Mr. Mayall wonders why our community continues to dream of rail service. The answer is this: Our community wants rail service for relief from gridlock. We want a zero-emissions transportation alternative. We want a way to bring in tourist dollars, while reducing the congestion tourists add to our traffic. We also need an alternative, reliable evacuation route for escape from future natural disasters. We want a transportation system that supports a sustainable future. The community has been crystal clear in its rejection of the failed no-rail vision.
It’s actually remarkably easy to keep the vision of rail service alive when you’re tired of reading headlines about the slow pace of progress to reduce the emissions that cause climate change or when you’re dreaming of a day when you can connect to California’s growing rail network without needing your car – or you’re once again sitting in your car on Highway 1 in traffic that just won’t move.
Matt Farrell serves as board chair of Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail and Trail. He has lived in Santa Cruz since 1976.