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.
transportation
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz Metro service expansion back on track after delays, but future funding uncertain
After a winter setback, Santa Cruz Metro’s plan to boost service and double ridership is fully underway, with some new hydrogen fuel-cell buses hitting the road. Now, the transit agency will have to find money to sustain it in future years – likely in the form of a sales tax ballot measure in 2026.
Posted inLatest News
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.
Posted inLatest News
Carmageddon: County’s first Week Without Driving kicks off next Monday
Santa Cruz County is asking residents to go car-free for a week and try out new bike paths, bridge crossings and public transit improvements, complete with community events and giveaways to encourage more carpooling and active transportation.
Posted inLatest News
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.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Watsonville’s Green Valley Road gets $10 million safety upgrade for cyclists and pedestrians
Santa Cruz County hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday for the Green Valley Road redevelopment project that began last summer. More Watsonville road improvements are on the way, with Freedom Boulevard slated for a swath of upgrades beginning in 2026.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Why Soquel Drive is worth the investment for bikers – and why it matters to all of us
Matt Machado, Santa Cruz County’s director of community development and infrastructure and an avid cyclist, knows Soquel Drive; here, he explains improvements the county is making to ensure a 5.6-mile stretch of the road is safer for bikers, pedestrians and drivers.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
The SMART way: What Sonoma/Marin’s experience with passenger rail means for Santa Cruz County
Wallace Baine took a trip to the North Bay, to experience the train ride, to get a sense of its possibilities and problems, and to anticipate what lessons the SMART train system can provide for potential rail passengers in Santa Cruz County.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz to open idle rail line to pedestrians, cyclists during Murray Street Bridge closure
Santa Cruz transportation officials agreed Thursday to explore using an existing railroad bridge next to the Murray Street Bridge as a temporary path for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the harbor during the extended bridge closure, though some fear the move could derail plans to use the tracks for a future passenger train.
Posted inCapitola & Soquel
After another pedestrian hit on Capitola’s Bay Avenue, residents demand faster safety fixes
After six pedestrian accidents since 2017, some Capitola residents are demanding immediate safety fixes on Bay Avenue as city officials work toward a $5 million plan to build roundabouts.