Friends of the Rail & Trail Announce New Board Chair

Friends of the Rail & Trail today announced Sally Arnold as board chair succeeding past chair Mark Mesiti-Miller.

“With Sally Arnold at the helm, Friends of the Rail & Trail will become an even more effective advocate for the rail and trail,” says outgoing chair Mark Mesiti-Miller. “Sally’s deep ties in the community and commitment to a more just and environmentally sustainable future make her the perfect choice to carry the torch forward”.

Sally Arnold is an experienced organizer, activist and educator. A Santa Cruz Resident since 1976, she has been engaged in community improvement for decades. Her skills in facilitation, volunteer development, and event production will be leveraged to expand outreach, community engagement, and the effectiveness of Friends of the Rail & Trail.

“I am excited and honored to be trusted to guide Friends of the Rail & Trail for the next year with the continuing involvement of previous officers and volunteers,” says Sally. “The rail & trail is a once in a generation opportunity to transform Santa Cruz for the better. The 12 foot wide trail will be an asset everyone who wants to walk or bike safely and the high capacity public transit will open opportunities for us to connect with each other across the county without having to endure the gridlock on Highway 1. Building this carbon free infrastructure is an essential response to the threat of global climate change.”

While Friends of the Rail & Trail continues its advocacy for a comprehensive transportation future for the county, our leadership change represents the start of a new focus for completing the trail component of the project. This implementation effort builds on our recent progress milestones:

• Jan 10: A huge community groundbreaking celebration for commencing the first segment of the 32 mile Rail & Trail beginning with the widening of the trail component of the San Lorenzo Trestle Bridge.
• Jan 17: The Regional Transportation Commission unanimously votes to proceed with building the trail and keeping the rail for public transit.
• Mar 7: The Regional Transportation Commission unanimously approves the North Coast Rail & Trail from Wilder Ranch State Park to Davenport.

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Friends of the Rail & Trail exists to expedite development of a 32-mile biking/walking trail running the length of Santa Cruz County, while keeping the rail line for future transit. Rail and Trail together will support a variety of transportation modes meeting the needs of the greatest number of residents.

More information is available at www.railandtrail.org, or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.