In Metro’s big pursuit of doubling ridership, the transit agency is improving service to the UC Santa Cruz campus. Last week, Metro secured 12 extra-long buses to carry more passengers per ride as it looks to keep wait times no longer than 15 minutes.
Civic Life
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Levee agreement marks a watershed moment for the people of Watsonville and Pajaro
A federal, state and local agreement signed last week officially greenlights the construction of a new Pajaro River levee, a project the community has been waiting for since the 1950s. Local officials say the moment has been a long time coming.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz doesn’t need taller buildings; it needs a vision for sustainable affordable housing
Longtime Santa Cruz resident Laura Lee believes the Santa Cruz downtown expansion plan “moves us in the wrong direction.” She thinks the boom will impair views, cause traffic congestion, overwhelm public services and detract from the small-town way of life she cherishes. The expansion plan, she writes, has caused “a substantial portion of city residents” to lose confidence in city leaders: “We see them placing corporate profits above resident priorities.”
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Sacramento court halts local syringe distribution program run by harm reduction coalition
The Sacramento Superior Court’s decision is the latest development in a years-long legal battle between a Santa Cruz neighborhood group and the Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County. The ruling is expected to reverberate beyond Santa Cruz County as other California communities face similar legal wrangling over private groups offering clean-needle programs.
Posted inAptos
Aptos library opening delayed until February
The opening of the Aptos branch of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries is delayed until mid-February. The reason is a noise-reduction sound-baffling system to be set up in the children’s area of the new library. The system was originally cut from the project’s budget, but was later restored.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter remains committed to community’s shared values, even in challenging times
The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is indeed experiencing a 50% rise in animals since two years ago and is overburdened, say shelter board members Jon Bush and Emily Chung. But that is mainly because the shelter won’t give up its open-door policy and refuses to turn needy pets and families away. It’s one of the few shelters in the region to hold these values and to practice socially conscious sheltering, they write: “Even in these difficult times, we will not waver from these values.” Shelter workers and volunteers wrote a Nov. 9 Lookout op-ed complaining about the conditions for animals and a shortage of staff. The board members say they have made four hires since 2020 and have hired a full-time veterinarian to start Nov. 28.
Posted inLatest News
Petition to limit building height in Santa Cruz officially qualifies for March ballot
City of Santa Cruz voters will likely get the chance to vote in March on whether they want a say before developers build taller than the city’s existing height limits. The citizen-led effort to put the question on the ballot has citywide implications, but is inspired by a city vision for a 1,600-unit downtown expansion to south of Laurel Street.
Posted inK-12 Education
Aptos High student Iman Moshari gets full-ride scholarship to any college for Bikes4All initiative
Iman Moshari, a senior at Aptos High School, found a way to provide bikes to people who can’t afford them, years after he himself struggled to afford a bike. His idea, Bikes4All, won him global recognition and a full-ride scholarship to any university of his choosing.
Posted inCoast Life
Carmageddon: This week’s delays and the latest on the rail trail
The ongoing road projects around Santa Cruz County seek to improve the biking and walking experience, too, with pedestrian crossings soon coming to Highway 1. And though it won’t affect traffic, 2024 will see more progress on the Coastal Rail Trail as well.
Posted inHousing & Development
Santa Cruz County’s state-mandated housing plan opens new doors to development
Last year, Santa Cruz County learned it would need to permit more than 4,600 new, state-mandated housing units by 2031 — an unprecedented boost in housing supply. Last week, the county approved its plan to make room for that new housing.