Draft Highway 9/SLV Complete Streets Corridor Plan Available

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) recently released the draft Highway 9/San Lorenzo Valley Complete Streets Corridor Plan. The draft plan identifies, evaluates and prioritizes the most critical and cost-effective transportation improvements along the San Lorenzo Valley’s primary travel corridor.

Highway 9 is the economic center for the towns of Felton, Ben Lomond, Brookdale, and Boulder Creek, and serves as a main thoroughfare for pedestrians and bicyclists to access schools, libraries, parks, commercial areas and homes. It is also an interregional arterial connecting Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz. However, significant transportation deficiencies have been identified along the corridor, and this comprehensive plan was developed to prioritize transportation investments that address some of these issues.

Once finalized, the Complete Streets Corridor Plan will be used to guide and coordinate transportation investments along Highway 9. It will serve as a resource for Caltrans, County Public Works, County Planning, the RTC, San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, residents and businesses to use to improve this important transportation corridor.

Over 400 people provided input over the past two years on transportation priorities for the San Lorenzo Valley through an online survey, community meetings, and focus groups.

Community members are encouraged to now provide input on the draft plan. The RTC will hold an informational open house to get community input to prioritize implementation of a range of identified projects along the corridor. All members of the community are invited to attend.

• Wednesday, Feb. 6, 6-7:30 p.m., Boulder Creek Elementary School, Multi-Purpose Room, 400 W. Lomond St., Boulder Creek

Comments on the draft plan can also be submitted via an online comment form (www.sccrtc.org/slvplan), via email to slvplan@sccrtc.org, or mailed to the Regional Transportation Commission at 1523 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. All comments must be received by Feb. 15, 2019 for consideration during the development of the final corridor plan document.

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RTC staff will present the draft plan to the RTC Board during its meeting on Feb. 7, 2019, which begins at 9 a.m. at the City of Watsonville Council Chambers, 275 Main St., 4th floor. 

The draft plan is available on the RTC website at www.sccrtc.org/slvplan.