In a letter to the editor, an Aptos resident criticizes the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission.
rail trail opinion
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: 2022 Measure D vote is irrelevant now
In a letter to the editor, a Live Oak resident criticizes the writer of a previous op-ed for making his case for rail and trail based on a vote more than three years ago.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Trains, taxes and the Santa Cruz and Highway 1 traffic problem that still won’t be solved
The zero-emission passenger rail and trail project might cost billions without easing Santa Cruz County congestion, writes Kevin Maguire. Here, he takes a look at the logic and limitations of the rail trail and passenger rail, insisting the $4-$5 billion cost is too much for too little.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Let’s consider alternatives to rail
In a letter to the editor, a Santa Cruz resident advocates for personal rapid transit after seeing the price tag for county-spanning passenger rail.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Corrective commentary: Setting the record straight on RTC, mobile home parks in Live Oak and the June 30 deadline
Castle Mobile Home Estates resident Cami Corvin is pushing back against recent statements by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission regarding alleged encroachments along the rail corridor in Live Oak. Corvin says no agreements or negotiations have taken place between residents and the RTC, despite claims to the contrary. She believes the community is being unfairly targeted and urges the RTC to halt enforcement and have open dialogue with residents.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: The rail project doesn’t pencil out
In a letter to the editor, an Aptos resident worries about the money being spent on the Coastal Rail Trail.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
We need clarity on Measure L as Capitola debates
Measure L is causing a lot of consternation in Capitola, as city councilmembers look to vote Thursday on whether the bike trail will stay in the rail corridor or be rerouted onto Park Avenue. Here, local activist Peter Gibson reminds us of the language of L and the legal analysis the city has done on it. He believes Measure L, which passed by a narrow margin in 2018, should not prevent the city council from approving the realignment of the trail along Park Avenue and will provide a safer alternative for pedestrians and cyclists.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Stubborn facts derail the train in Santa Cruz County
Bud Colligan refutes a recent Lookout op-ed on the facts behind the rail-trail debate. Bottom line, Colligan says, the train is too costly and infeasible. “At some point, FORT and the RTC must take responsibility. It’s time to stop blaming others and look in the mirror,” he writes.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Capitola’s crisis over rail offers a warning that could affect us all – don’t representatives have to listen to voters?
Gayle Ortiz, owner of Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria for 47 years and a former Capitola city councilmember, worries that a plan backed by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission to divert sections of a trail from the historic rail corridor and onto public streets bypasses voters’ Measure L wishes. She sees this as a violation of trust that has repercussions for all voters. “This isn’t just a Capitola issue,” she writes. “If the RTC can pressure a city to violate its own voter-approved law, it sets a dangerous precedent for the entire county.”
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Let’s talk about funding the rail trail in Santa Cruz County
Greenway founder and rail trail opponent Bud Colligan made incorrect claims in a March op-ed, asserts Matt Farrell, board chair of Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail and Trail. Farrell explains how local taxpayers are expected to pay a small percentage of costs for passenger rail on the 32-mile rail line, thanks to federal and state funding. He also highlights the $1 billion cost for a 7-mile segment of Highway 1 widening. The public needs good information when it comes to the debate about rail and trail, Farrell says.