Facing major cost overruns on a stretch of the Coastal Rail Trail and the risk of losing millions in state funding for the project, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley and District 1 County Supervisor Manu Koenig believe they have found a way to move the trail along faster while continuing work on a passenger rail service.
Regional Transportation Commission
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Carmageddon: To ease Murray Street Bridge closure, RTC pushes ahead with biking, walking path over harbor
Transit officials are proposing an 8-foot trail over the Santa Cruz Harbor rail bridge between Seabright Avenue and 7th Avenue that could be used by as many as 450 cyclists and pedestrians daily.
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Four takeaways from the RTC’s new passenger rail report
After years of studies, the RTC published its final report on a proposed passenger train this month ahead of a December meeting for the rail project. The plans largely stay the course, though some call for routing the train through the Beach Flats area to avoid the Boardwalk, with longer travel times and possibly higher costs.
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Carmageddon: Final train report, Capitola Ave. bridge nears reopening, next steps for Grand Ave. pathway
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission published its final passenger rail concept report, setting up a crucial December discussion; meanwhile, the Capitola Avenue bridge is set to reopen by year’s end, and an update on the crumbling Grand Avenue pathway on Depot Hill.
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Carmageddon: RTC commissioners push back on rail trail cost-cutting proposals, as some look to revive railbanking debate
Santa Cruz County transit officials clashed over how to fund cost overruns on a section of the Coastal Rail Trail, with some pushing to build the trail directly over existing tracks, a move voters rejected in 2022.
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RTC risks losing up to $80 million in grants in bid to tame rail trail costs, report says
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is set to hear a report that outlines ways to reduce costs and modify the project delivery of Coastal Rail Trail Segments 8 through 11 at its Thursday meeting.
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Street view: Santa Cruz County residents split on $4.3 billion train and trail
Lookout photojournalist Kevin Painchaud took to the streets to talk to residents about their perspectives on the planned passenger train and 32-mile coastal trail, whether they would regularly use either, and if they would support higher sales taxes to help pay for the ambitious projects.
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Rail trail cost overruns push RTC to revive railbanking debate
Faced with a $72 million shortfall for some sections of the Coastal Rail Trail, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission on Thursday resurrected a plan to remove railroad tracks despite voters rejecting the idea in 2022.
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Carmageddon: RTC still facing funding gap for passenger rail environmental work
As the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s passenger rail project continues to move forward, the agency still needs to find funding for the project’s environmental analysis. While it would prefer to secure a state or federal grant for the work, it could come down to a commission decision to allocate local funds.
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Carmageddon: As transit project costs soar, RTC mulls borrowing against Measure D tax revenue
Facing rising costs for projects like the Highway 1 expansion and the Coastal Rail Trail, transit officials in Santa Cruz County are eyeing bond financing against future Measure D transportation tax revenues. Some commissioners have raised concerns about the long-term cost to overall project budgets.