As the long-planned Highway 1 expansion project moves forward and the future form of the major artery slowly becomes a reality, some might find it difficult to imagine a Santa Cruz Metro bus on the highway at all. In fact, it’s possible that you’ve lived here for many years and can’t recall ever seeing a […]
Santa Cruz Metro
Posted inGuides
A driver’s guide to Santa Cruz County road delays to come
Major road work is coming in 2024, and three major east-west arteries — Murray Street, Highway 1 and Soquel Drive — will all see delays and potential closures over the next few years, which could make an already crowded commute even more time-consuming. Now, Carmageddon keeps you updated weekly on the projects that might slow your drive.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Why is Santa Cruz County so bullish on hydrogen-powered public transit?
Santa Cruz Metro recently made the largest single purchase of hydrogen buses in the country. Electric battery power dominates the zero-emission transportation sector, but the county opted for hydrogen in part to tackle the challenges posed by the region’s hilly terrain. The decision comes with its fair share of risks and barriers, most significantly the high cost of hydrogen.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Metro aims to offer rides every 15 minutes on major routes, to UCSC and Cabrillo in bid to double ridership
Santa Cruz Metro is in the early stages of making major changes to the county’s bus services, including providing much more frequent service in high-demand areas and improving service along major corridors. With a shortage of housing spreading students across the county, the Reimagine Metro effort also focuses on speeding them to and from campus.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Here’s some good news: The Santa Cruz bus system is aiming for zero carbon by 2036
The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District is expecting $66.7 million dollars in state and federal grants and Volkswagen settlement money that will allow the district to move more quickly to a completely carbon-free transportation solution. This is the largest purchase of hydrogen cell buses in the nation’s history. Lookout columnist Mike Rotkin, who is a member of the Regional Transportation Commission, breaks down the numbers and explains the significance.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Metro’s harassment safeguards, Santa Cruz’s ‘creep problem’ and the need for outreach: A veteran bus driver’s view
Rhiannon Axton, who has been driving buses for Santa Cruz Metro since 2005, responds to a recent op-ed by a Lookout intern about harassment on her commute from Watsonville to Santa Cruz. Axton outlines the safeguards Metro has in place to protect riders, says she’s had plenty of experience with the county’s “creep problem” and laments missed opportunities.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I’m 16 and got sexually harassed on the Santa Cruz Metro — why aren’t there safeguards to protect me?
Izabella León, 16, was sexually harassed on a Santa Cruz Metro bus during her regular commute between Watsonville and Santa Cruz. No one stepped in to help her, and she is frustrated by the lack of safety measures in place for youth and women. “Metro wants more youths like me to ride the bus,” she writes. “It has even put in ‘Youth Cruz Free,’ which lets us ride for free. But it has little in place to make sure we are safe — and to protect us when we are not.”
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Why do other communities have better transportation options than Santa Cruz?
An equitable transportation system is a matter of political will; other communities have better transit and safer streets, writes Rick Longinotti of the Campaign for Sustainable Transportation. In a Community Voices opinion piece, he outlines how the likes of Boulder and San Francisco have succeeded and invites Santa Cruz County residents to the Transportation Justice Conference on Aug. 26 in Aptos.
Posted inLatest News
Metro gets $20 million in federal funds for Watsonville buses as part of largest zero-emission transit purchase in the U.S.
Santa Cruz Metro received more than $20 million in federal grant funding on Monday to further the organization’s efforts to convert its bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles. Metro plans to purchase 54 hydrogen fuel cell-powered buses with this money combined with funding secured in April.
Posted inLatest News
As Santa Cruz plots an electric future, U.S. energy officials tour city with offer of federal funds
Ariel Marshall, a senior official from the U.S. Department of Energy visited Santa Cruz city leaders on Wednesday to learn about progress made on all-electric housing and other developments. Marshall’s message was loud and clear: there’s federal money for more of the city’s climate-friendly projects.