For Aptos residents, it’s the biggest Christmas surprise ever: On Dec. 7, the California Transportation Commission approved $103.3 million in grant funds for 6.5 miles of the Coastal Rail Trail, a bike and pedestrian path next to the railroad tracks from Beach Street in Santa Cruz to 17th Avenue in Live Oak, then to State Park Drive in Seacliff.
This means more than 18 miles of the Coastal Rail Trail from Davenport to Aptos are now fully funded. These sections of Rail Trail are expected to be completed by 2025.
An old render of the proposed trail.
The funds come from the state’s Active Transportation Program.
“This is a big win for Santa Cruz County,” said Regional Transportation Commission Executive Director Guy Preston. “The Coastal Rail Trail projects are going to transform the way people travel through our county and will benefit generations of bicyclists and pedestrians. This is a great example of how voter-approved local funding can leverage larger state and federal grants.”
Santa Cruz County’s 2016 voter-approved Measure D sales tax provided a match to leverage the funding.
The trail is a multi-jurisdictional project, and the County of Santa Cruz was awarded $67.6 million for 4.5 miles of trail known as Segments 10-11.
This is the largest active transportation grant the state has ever awarded.
The project, rated 95 out of 100, is in the environmental phase with final design expected to begin in 2024.
Game Changer
“The Coastal Rail Trail is a game-changer for the County’s residents, bringing them new recreational and commuting options while helping us reduce greenhouse gasses and improving the health and safety of the community,” said Santa Cruz County Parks planner Robert Tidmore. “This will be remembered as an important day in building Santa Cruz County’s transportation future.”
The City of Santa Cruz was awarded $35.7 million to deliver segments 8 & 9 of the trail, rated 90 out of 100. Environmental, design and right-of-way work for this 2.2-mile trail is underway.
“We are so excited to secure funding to advance constructing the Coastal Rail Trail. This is an important project for our community,” said Santa Cruz City Manager Matt Huffaker. “Families, children, and visitors will be able to safely walk and bike in Santa Cruz to all of our amazing amenities.”
Segments of the Rail Trail in Santa Cruz from the Wharf to the Westside are completed or under construction.
Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail & Trail, which in June successfully fought Measure D, Greenway’s vision to drop passenger rail service from the county general plan and use the rail corridor for an interim multi-use trail, congratulated the staff at the City of Santa Cruz, County of Santa Cruz and RTC who applied for the money.
“The CTC’s decision to approve these grant applications and fund the construction of the Rail Trail alongside the existing railroad tracks confirms that Rail With Trail can be built and is being built in Santa Cruz County,” said FORT Board Chair Faina Segal.
Segal said all 32 miles of trail are now in construction or design phases, and planning for electric passenger rail service from Santa Cruz to Pajaro has started.
“On a personal level, as a resident of Live Oak, I am particularly excited for the brand-new direct route between Santa Cruz and Live Oak for bikes and pedestrians,” she added.
The Coastal Rail Trail plan includes a wide, flat, multi-use trail as well as future electric passenger train service. The goal is to improve walkability and bike safety for people living near the Branch Rail Line. It is hoped the electric train will offer a real alternative to people stuck in Highway 1 traffic jams and give South County residents a commuting solution.
Measure D Oversight
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is accepting applications for the Measure D Taxpayer Oversight Committee for representatives from Districts 1, Santa Cruz, & 2, Aptos. The deadline is Jan. 13.
This committee is tasked with reviewing how the funds generated by the transportation tax are being spent. Responsibilities include:
- Reviewing expenditures annually to ensure they conform
- Reviewing the annual audit prepared by an independent auditor, describing how funds were spent
- Producing a publicly available Annual Report of Oversight Activities
The committee shall include at least one person with an accounting or fiscal management background. Applications are at https://sccrtc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/OvrSghtCommApp-2022_final.pdf
Smaller Projects
The state also awarded $12.3 million for smaller “active transportation” projects in Santa Cruz County. They are:
- City of Watsonville, $6.9 million for Safe Routes to Downtown Watsonville, pedestrian and bicycle improvements at schools
- Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency, $1.8 million for Safe Routes for Watsonville School Families and Community, education for pedestrian and bicycle safety
- City of Santa Cruz, $2.9 million to construct a multiuse path on Swanton Boulevard and sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and intersection improvements on Delaware Avenue
- UC Santa Cruz, $0.7 million for the culturally inclusive “SlugBikeLife” Bike Safety and Education Program Phase 2
Statewide, the California Transportation Commission programmed $1.02 billion for 93 active transportation projects.
About 13% of the funding was awarded to Santa Cruz County, one of the smallest counties.
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To see the ratings of the funded projects, see https://catc.ca.gov/-/media/ctc-media/documents/ctc-meetings/2022/2022-05/18-4-6-a11y.pdf