Using services like Air BnB, tourists could find accommodations in greater portions of the county . Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple. Rail & Trail Candidate Survey. The rail corridor is owned by the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC). Put simply, "Rail Trail," or as it's sometimes called, "Rails to Trails," is a type of environmental conservation movement whose aim is to convert unused or underused rail corridors into . Supporters of the rail line are on the offensive sending letters and making their voices heard. In a 6-6 vote, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) on Thursday rejected a business plan for the design, construction and operation of a passenger rail line along the 32-mile stretch from Davenport to Pajaro, which could mean, at least for now, that the project will not move forward. find trail maps, reviews, photos & driving directions on traillink.com The trail portion of the project could be completed by 2030 at the soonest, and passenger trains aren't expected to begin operating if they ever do until 2031 or 2033. A large segment (Segment 7, connecting Natural Either way, it will be many more years before the much-talked-about Rail Trail becomes a daily reality for people of Santa Cruz County. This article originally appeared in the Spring 2015 issue of Landmarks, newsletter of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County. January has been a momentous month for the Coastal Rail Trail in Santa Cruz. Founded in 2002, Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail & Trail is an all volunteer non-profit organization that advocates for transforming the 32-mile Coastal Rail Corridor into a trail and rail transit system that increases choice, reduces environmental impact, and supports a vital economy. The Milan Subway and Khar Subway connect the two areas, passing under the rail line. Nathan Nguyen, City Engineer (831) 420-5188. January has been a momentous month for the Coastal Rail Trail in Santa Cruz. Adding rail transit would increase transportation choices, provide an alternative to congestion, and has . Press Banner: Real Change Takes Real Time. The project also includes improvements to three existing parking areas (Davenport Beach, Bonny Doon Beach . The city of Santa Cruz's Rail Trail segment 9, as well as the county's segment 10 and parts of 11, could also include interim trails, Preston said. Santa Cruz County planners envision 32 miles of trail alongside a passenger rail line on the currently unused freight right-of-way from Davenport to Watsonville. Letter | Voters were clear: They want rail and trail. A map shows 11 potential station locations in a commuter rail system on the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. The Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission purchased the Santa Cruz Branch Line from Union Pacific in 2012. Nov. 13, 2018 . Rail trail plans detailed from Santa Cruz to Aptos - Feb. 18, 2022; Explainer: Roaring Camp and freight rail in Santa Cruz County - Feb. 1, 2022; Editor's note: Additional information on proposed path widths have been added to image captions in this story. The North Coast, Santa Cruz to 17th, Watsonville segments can be open within 3-4 years. It has since reopened, but early reports are that the trail is "a mess.". Andy Schiffrin, who served for 40 years as an administrative analyst for the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, delivered these remarks during SCCRTC's Feb. 3 meeting, where the commission took up a proposal to close off Santa Cruz area rail lines to freight service.The meeting, which took place on Zoom, had more than 500 viewers, and RTC reports that it received around 6,000 emails on . But a new battle in the war over the rail trail has ventured into territory more obscure than ever. The Master Plan for the Rail Trail was developed through a three-year public process and adopted by the RTC in 2013. Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC) is the local government agency that acquired the rail property and is tasked with developing rail trail and rail uses. What is the status of freight rail service in Santa Cruz County? The Santa Cruz Coastal Rail Trail is a paved multi-use trail and it will eventually run 32 miles along California's Santa Cruz County coastline, from Davenport to Watsonville. The debate over how to use a coastal rail corridor, rail trail in popular parlance, has long been one of the more confusing and hotly contested topics in Santa Cruz County. . Plans for the rail trail are moving forward Consistent with the RTC's goal to expand transportation use of the corridor, on November 7, 2013, the RTC adopted a Master Plan for the Monterey Bay . Trail Now supporters want to build a world-class trail NOW along the Santa Cruz Coastal Corridor. RTC purchased the SCBRL land and assets from Union Pacific in 2012. The Santa Cruz County Coastal Rail Corridor: Its best use is a Rail With Trail Table of Contents. Contacts: Chris Schneiter, Assistant Public Works Director/City Engineer, (831) 420-5422. Transforming transportation Take Action Today We have an opportunity to make dramatic positive change for the future of Santa Cruz County. These elected officials, appointed to the Santa Cruz METRO Board and the Regional Transportation Commission, will make key decisions directly affecting our transportation . Run By the Sea is a project of Bike Santa Cruz County. This trail is being built now --. . Projects include auxiliary lane and bus on shoulder work-both improvements to existing lanes and establishment of news ones-along with development of Coastal Rail Trail segment 12 near Aptos. On April 1, RTC continued an . Santa Cruz County's Friends of the Rail and Trail is accomplishing big feats this week! The estimated construction cost is $11.4 million, funded by a $9 million Caltrans Active Transportation Program Cycle 5 grant. Segments 8 and 9: Santa Cruz to Live Oak. Together, we work to raise awareness and catalyze our . APTOS Wednesday morning, members of Friends of the Rail and Trail ]rallied along the rail corridor in Aptos Village to send a message that despite the tied 6-6 vote at the last Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission meeting, their advocacy isn't going anywhere. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions . There are two basic options: rail-with-trail, where the unused tracks are left in place or trail-only (also known as Greenway), where the tracks are removed or covered leaving the entire space available for paths. Today's Beach Train passengers can start their roundtrip journeys from either Roaring . Santa Cruz RTC to review rail trail and auxiliary lane projects. 13 miles - 40% of the trail - has $40M in funding for design, engineering and construction. SANTA CRUZ >> In a 15-page report released March 2, Santa Cruz County staff tried to clarify how a June ballot measure would impact county government and a planned trail on the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line. We began construction of Segment 7 - Phase I on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The North Coast Rail Trail Project is a 7.5-mile multi-use bicycle and pedestrian trail proposed to extend along the railroad corridor from Wilder Ranch State Park in the south to Davenport in the north in unincorporated Santa Cruz County. PK Hattis 8/29/2022. As the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission continues its pursuit of the 32-mile Coastal Rail Trail, it . Locals aren't fighting so much over the future . Friends of the Rail & Trail shares candidate's responses on transportation issues so voters can make well informed choices at the ballot box. Coastal Rail Trail The Land Trust has committed $3.2 million, so far, as matching funds for grants to build up to six miles of this 32-mile trail. Write the RTC Commissioners. The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) has owned the property for a decade and their train & trail plan is preventing . . . Coastal Rail Santa Cruz supports public transit options for our citizens, including passenger rail service, light rail, streetcars, and Rail with Trail. Contacts: Janice Bisgaard, Community Relations Specialist, (831) 420-5166. Coastal Rail Trail Segments 8 and 9 Project is a 2.2-mile bicycle and pedestrian system that extends along the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line corridor, from the Beach Street/Pacific Avenue Roundabout on the west to the eastern side of 17th Avenue on the east. Construction is expected to be completed in . The Santa Cruz RTC's vision for the corridor is to provide passenger rail service alongside the Monterey Bay Scenic Sanctuary Trail (MBSST) - the "rail and trail" which is fervently pushed by both RTC staff and local supporters such as FORT, the Friends of Rail and Trail. There's an alternative vision for the corridor as a "trail . These segments have not yet been built. SANTA CRUZ Today the City of Santa Cruz was awarded a $9 million Active Transportation Program Cycle 5 grant from Caltrans for construction of the Coastal Rail Trail Segment 7/Phase II. In 2012, the commission purchased the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line, which runs from Davenport to Watsonville. Explore the best rated trails in Santa Cruz, CA. What are the advantages of . Think of the boon to business as well. Estimated construction costs of a 2.3-mile section of trail next to the existing railroad tracks in Santa Cruz would cost $15M more than its comparable trail-only counterpart, City of Santa Cruz, 2022; Many rail crossing points would be located close to one mile apart, causing large route detours between neighborhoods and beach access. With more than 57 trails covering 575 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. The new, smoothly paved trail is a wonderful place for the father-son duo to exercise, have fun, and explore the west side. Trail map of the Santa Cruz Coastal Rail Trail from Davenport to Watsonville. January has been a momentous month for the Coastal Rail Trail in Santa Cruz. There are 81 specific impacts assessed for the Rail Trail plan and three alternatives: a trail only approach, putting the trail on the inland (as opposed to the coastal) side of the tracks, and a "farmer's alternative" which also removes the tracks. Recently Milan flyover has been built which has improved connectivity between Santacruz East and West. SANTA CRUZ - A trail constructed is a trail that must also be maintained. (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission) The work also would cover trail plans for segments 13 to 17 of the Coastal Rail Trail from Rio del Mar to Lee Road in Watsonville. Updated Dec.12, 2018 . The project will create .8 miles of paved, multi-use path from Bay and California . SANTA CRUZ - Highway 1 congestion and multimodal projects to address it will be the center of focus at . Stay tuned to this page and our Facebook page for news about the 9th Annual Event in 2023! The . Looking for the best hiking trails in Santa Cruz? Santa Cruz resident Len Finocchio and his son Sandro, age 7, bike or walk on the Westside Rail Trail most days ever since it opened on December 10, 2020. CRSC advocates Blended Mobility, the combination of cycling and walking with public transit as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to create more livable communities. Unlike some rail-trail projects that replace tracks with a trail, the Santa Cruz Rail Trail project envisioned a passenger train from the outset. West of downtown Santa Cruz, 1.2 miles of the eventual 2-mile multi-use path are open to the public. Our 32-mile rail corridor Historical background . PHOTO: JACOB PIERCE. We began construction of Segment 7 - Phase I on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The ballot measure, spurred by local nonprofit Santa Cruz County Greenway Inc. and more than 12,000 valid signatures, would change the . Our Vision . The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is a planning agency that oversees improvements to county roads, railroads, bus lines and trail systems. Let your elected representatives know you support moving forward with both Rail & Trail. Virtually all of the 32-mile trail can be completed in ten years. Stretching from Natural Bridges Drive . Rail Trail Segment 8 'Trestle Trail Project' Awarded with Completion Slated for Spring 2019. The Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission purchased the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line with the vision of creating a corridor for passenger and freight rail line, with a path along the tracks for use by hikers, bikers, joggers, and wheelchairs. The Western express highway passes through Santacruz East. The current plan to build the trail next to the train tracks has resulted in the trail never being built. BSCC has worked since 1991 to promote the creation of a rail trail in Santa Cruz County. This 1.2 mile long bike/pedestrian path will run from Bay and California streets to Natural Bridges Drive. We won't find out until this . Roughly 40% of the rail-with-trail (or "rail trail") project, or close to 13 miles, is now underway (first final design/engineering and environmental clearance, then construction) in the north coast, west side of Santa Cruz, Live Oak, and Watsonville. A difference in keeping the momentum going funded by a $ 9 million Caltrans Active Transportation Cycle. Let your elected representatives know you support moving forward with both Rail amp. Stay tuned to this page and our Facebook page for news about the 9th Event. 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