The Scotts Valley City Council on Sept. 18 plans to consider four proposed designs to upgrade parts of Scotts Valley Drive. (Marcello Hutchinson-Trujillo — Santa Cruz Local file)

SCOTTS VALLEY >> At its Sept. 18 meeting, the Scotts Valley City Council plans to consider potential bicycle and pedestrian upgrades on Scotts Valley Drive.

Improvements could be made from Civic Center to Glenwood drives. 

On that 1.2-mile stretch of Scotts Valley Drive, drivers collided with cyclists nine times and collided with pedestrians four times from 2013 to 2023, according to data from UC Berkeley’s Transportation Injury Mapping System. Part of the goal is to limit how quickly cars can drive without negatively affecting the flow of traffic, according to a consultant’s report. 

Improvements could include a painted bike lane with plastic barriers, the removal of two car lanes, widened sidewalks, widened bike lanes and added trees, according to the report. The city council expects to consider four possible designs for further study and residents’ input.

Public outreach and a final decision is due this winter. The project could be completed by spring 2029 depending on funding and other factors, the report stated.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission awarded the city $500,000 for the project. City leaders have also allocated money from Measure D and SB 1. The improvements are part of an active transportation plan that Scotts Valley leaders adopted in 2021.

Scotts Valley Drive improvements could include wider sidewalks, wider bike lanes and landscaping. (City of Scotts Valley)

Drivers have collided with cyclists on Scotts Valley Drive near Granite Creek Road and other areas from 2013-2023. (City of Scotts Valley)

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