Santa Cruz County residents have until March 25 to comment on the draft 200-page Active Transportation Plan, which will be used to identify needed investments and improvements in walking and bicycling infrastructure.
The Active Transportation Plan will represent the first comprehensive proposition for pedestrian facilities in unincorporated Santa Cruz County. It provides community-identified needs as well as recommendations to support and encourage walking and bicycling, including possible funding sources.
The goal is to support a healthy community, improve affordable transportation options for low-income and vulnerable residents, and help the County achieve statewide goals to address climate change by reducing vehicle miles traveled.
The plan rates projects on cost and complexity, safety, connectivity, equity and whether identified as a community need based on public comments.
The plan focuses on urbanized areas of unincorporated Santa Cruz County with the highest density of residents and destinations, including Davenport, Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Felton, Live Oak, Soquel, Aptos, Rio Del Mar, La Selva Beach, Corralitos, and Amesti.
Two of the top-scored projects in Aptos, each with 80 points, installing class II bike lanes on Spreckels Drive uphill and “sharrows” downhill and extending the curb on Spreckels drive and Seacliff Drive to slow traffic.
The plan does not cover Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, and Watsonville, which each have an Active Transportation plan of their own.
Comments received by March 25 will be reviewed and may be incorporated into the final draft document, which will be presented to the Board of Supervisors.