By Jon Chown
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors took an initial step on Phase 2 of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz Corridor Program by approving a request for proposals to hire a project manager for the Soquel Drive portion of the project, between State Park Drive and Freedom Boulevard.
The board also accepted $3.8 million in funding from the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission to cover most up-to-construction costs.
Phase 2 is part of the larger Watsonville–Santa Cruz Multimodal Corridor Program Cycle 4 Project, which aims to reduce congestion, and improve travel times and air quality by providing better public transportation options, and less congested roadways. It’s plans contain three mostly parallel routes: Highway 1, Soquel Drive, and the Coastal Rail Trail. All three will converge in the central business district of Aptos.
The Soquel Drive portion will include 3.2 miles of buffered and protected bike lanes, along with the reconstruction of 4,745 feet of sidewalks. Bus service will be improved along the corridor in a variety of ways, including intersection enhancements and giving buses signal priority.
The project will be funded partly by a $21.3 million construction grant from the state’s Solutions for Congested Corridors Program, which was awarded in June 2025. The local share of the costs are estimated at $10.9 million. The $3.8 million SCCRTC grant approved by the supervisors will fund the majority of up-to-construction costs, excluding department overhead. According to staff documents, the total direct cost for Phase 2 has grown to $31.3 million over time, with more precise numbers to be determined during design and environmental review.
According to county records, the project management consultant is needed to ensure the project is ready to list for construction bids within two years, as required by the state grant. The consultant may also continue into the construction phase if necessary.
Phase 2 follows the nearly complete Phase 1 improvements on Soquel Drive between the city of Santa Cruz and State Park Drive, which included similar upgrades.
TOP PHOTO: Bus service along Soquel Drive is targeted for improvement during Phase 2 of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz Corridor Program.