Roads and Water for the Holidays

By Manu Koenig, Supervisor, First District

Happy Holidays from the First District office!

As we enter the New Year, we reflect on the issues we have worked on together over the last year, and we look forward to the good work to come. The year 2021 wrapped up with some positive news for both water and roads.

Pure Water Soquel Breaks Ground

In December, the Pure Water Soquel project at Chanticleer and Soquel avenues broke ground. Soquel Creek Water District and their partner agency, the Santa Cruz Water Department, have done an incredible job evolving this project based on community feedback over the last decade.

It’s gone from a desal project to a recycled water project, changed locations, and become part of a larger portfolio of projects that includes conservation and water transfers between agencies. The project is stronger because of that community engagement.

The Pure Water Soquel recycled water project will protect our aquifer from seawater intrusion and provide our community a resilient water source during droughts. Pure Water Soquel will also be an educational facility, providing school children and community members alike with a first-hand look at advanced water treatment right here in mid-county. The project is planned for completion in 2023.

For more info visit www.soquelcreekwater.org/260/Informational-Materials.

Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane & Congestion Mitigation

Commuters looking to escape the congestion on Highway 1 often cut through on Soquel Drive. With operational improvements to Highway 1 in the works, the Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane & Congestion Mitigation Project is designed to provide improvements for 5.6 miles of the busiest segment of Soquel Ave/Drive from La Fonda Ave (Harbor High) to State Park Drive in Aptos.

The project aims to reduce congestion, enhance safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, and improve travel time reliability for bus riders and motorists.

This project has the potential to greatly improve both safety and congestion on this major County corridor. County Public Works will host two virtual community engagement workshops in January; join us on Thursday, Jan. 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., for a community meeting focused on the Live Oak and Soquel Village area improvements. Register: bit.ly/soquelzoom1

There will also be a workshop focused on the Aptos section on Wednesday, Jan. 12, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Register: bit.ly/soquelzoom2.

For more information about the Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane & Congestion Mitigation Project, visit www.soqueldrivebufferedproject.com/.

$6.5 Million for County Roads

In more good news for County roads, in December the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission approved my motion to increase funding for County roads from the current round of gas tax revenues.

Roads are one of the most universal investments we can make — they benefit car drivers, bus riders, cyclists and pedestrians. This $6.5 million will construct essential projects, including resurfacing and improved bike lanes on Soquel San Jose Road from Porter Street up to Laurel Glen Road.

The total list of County road projects from this funding is as follows:

• Emergency Routes Resurfacing: Alba & Jamison Creek roads: Approx. $1.8M
• Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lanes & Congestion Mitigation: Approx. $1M
• San Andreas Road Resurfacing: Approx. $1.6M
• Soquel San Jose Road/Porter Street, Road Resurfacing & Multimodal Improvements, 3.15 miles: Approx. $1.5M
• Holohan Road Resurfacing: $440K

Also exciting are some of the bike and pedestrian projects in the cities such as:

• Capitola: 41st Ave. intersection reconstruction at Capitola Road and Clares Street
• Santa Cruz: Ocean Street pavement rehab and bike/ped upgrades
• Scotts Valley: Granite Creek Road overcrossing, widened bike lanes, green treatment and repaving of sidewalks
• Watsonville: Complete Streets Downtown, pedestrian and bike improvements

To review a complete list of projects, visit: https://sccrtc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/RTIP-Approved-Projects.pdf.

Community Meetings

In 2022 we will host monthly in-person hybrid meetings at rotating locations throughout the First District on the second Thursday of every month.

Upcoming meetings include:

Thursday, Jan. 13: 6 – 7:30 pm.
In-person: Simpkins Swim Center Community Room, 979 17th Ave.
Hybrid Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/97980866000

Thursday, Feb. 10: 6 – 7:30 pm.
In-person: Loma Prieta Joint Union School District campus, the Forum Room, 23800 Summit Road.
Hybrid Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/98411667502

Visit our website for a full list of upcoming community meetings: www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/Government/BoardofSupervisors/District1.aspx

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We welcome you to reach out to us any time at (831) 454- 2200 or email us at  first.district@santacruzcounty.us. Hope to hear from you soon!