Ryan Meckel studies a map of potential passenger rail stations at a Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission workshop in Live Oak on Wednesday. (Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local)
Key takeaways
- The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is continuing a yearlong process of outreach and preliminary design for passenger rail from Santa Cruz to Pajaro, and is soliciting feedback on the project’s website.
- A paved trail next to the tracks could detour onto streets in several areas.
- RTC staff presented 11 potential station locations and floated ideas for more.
- Some county residents renewed concerns about the proposed passenger rail project related to noise, safety and funding.
LIVE OAK >> The rail-trail project could include an elevated track at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, more than 11 stations and a paved path that detours from the rail line in Live Oak, Capitola, Rio Del Mar and South County, authorities said this week.
Wednesday, Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission staff hosted about 70 attendees at the Live Oak Community Center and presented the latest possibilities for the rail-trail project through Santa Cruz County. The event was the latest step towards a comprehensive report on potential rail design and preliminary cost estimates due in early 2025.
After transportation commissioners review the staff report, they could vote to move forward with environmental review for passenger rail. Federal grants could cover up to 80% of the total construction cost, transportation commission staff have said.
Decisions about the rail’s path or design wouldn’t be finalized until after the environmental review process, which would likely last several years.
Rail and trail options
In several spots along the corridor, staff presented multiple design options for the rail and trail. Transportation commission staff did not recommend any of the options over alternatives.
The options presented at the meeting are preliminary, and will likely be refined, said Sarah Christensen, executive director of the transportation commission. The rail-trail design is “going to be an iterative process as the project is developed,” she said. “We’re just showing options to see what people think.”
The rail-project is separated into segments through Santa Cruz, Live Oak, Capitola and Aptos. (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission)
Staff floated ideas for:
- An elevated railroad track next to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. An elevated track would “allow for people to walk more freely” on a street-level trail beneath or beside it, and would preserve emergency vehicle access in front of the boardwalk.
- A re-routed railroad track near Cabrillo College. The new route would smooth out curves in the existing track, and could include a station near McGregor Drive and New Brighton Road close to Highway 1. The trail would run along the existing right-of-way.
- The passenger rail line could end on Natural Bridges Drive or at Depot Park near downtown Santa Cruz.
The trail could diverge from the right-of-way onto streets:
- Near the Capitola-Live Oak border. In June, transportation commission staff proposed a possible detour along Brommer and Jade streets. Another possible detour would route the trail along streets with less traffic, including Melton Street near 41st Avenue and Nova Drive in Capitola
- In Rio Del Mar, along part of Sumner Avenue.
- In South County, along San Andres Road and West Beach Street. The trail in this area could be designed and constructed separately, and more quickly, than the rail line, said Mark McLaren, a transportation commission consultant, during the Wednesday night workshop.
A rail-trail map presented earlier this year includes a proposed detour of the trail from 38th Avenue to 47th Avenue. Another possible detour presented this week would use streets south of the trail with less traffic, including Melton Street and Nova Drive. (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission)
Some trail advocates, including many who have advocated against passenger rail, have criticized the proposed diversions. Any trail routed along the road would include safety improvements to sidewalks, bike paths and intersections, “to make sure that we’re still delivering the type of trail facility that the community has the expectation for through this area,” McLaren said.
Parts of the trail already under construction in the city of Santa Cruz may need to be modified or rebuilt to accommodate passenger rail. While rail has been under consideration for years, it “wasn’t considered an approved project,” Christensen said in June. “You design and build your project according to the current use.”
If parts of the trail do need to be moved to accommodate passenger rail, they may still be able to stay in place for many years. Construction on the rail project, if approved, may not begin until 2032 or later.
About 70 people attended a rail-trail workshop at Live Oak Community Center on Wednesday. (Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local)
Noise concerns
Federal regulations require train conductors to blow a horn before all road or trail crossings. The rail line may be able to avoid those blasts through neighborhoods for an extra cost.
The Federal Railroad Administration allows train operators to establish “quiet zones” with no horns required if train crossings have extra safety features, like gates to block pedestrian traffic or bollards to block cars.
Privately-owned railroads often require neighborhood residents who want quiet zones to pay for these improvements out-of-pocket. Because the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line is a public project, public agencies would be on the hook, said Riley Gerbrandt, an associate transportation engineer. The transportation commission, Santa Cruz County, and the cities of Santa Cruz and Capitola could each pay or share the cost of quiet zones.
Where quiet zones would be, and how much they would cost, would likely be determined during the project’s environmental review, McLaren said.
Johanna Lighthill lives in Aptos near the rail line, and has long been worried that running a train next to the trail would make a walking path less safe and restrict pedestrian access.
“I can’t get to Aptos Village because there’s a freeway, there’s a railroad, and Soquel Drive — there’s no way for me to safely get there without driving,” she said. “I would love to be able to walk, and that’s why my interest is in the trail.” She said she’s also concerned about the potential cost and inefficacy of quiet zones. Trains are “not going to be quiet just because there’s no horns,” she said.
Potential stations
Eleven potential train station locations on the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line identified in 2021 remain under consideration. (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission)
Additional potential stations presented this week could include Ohlone Parkway, Manresa State Beach, Seascape Beach, Hidden Beach, Rio Del Mar, Seacliff, Seventh Avenue in Live Oak, and Almar Avenue in Santa Cruz. (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission)
A 2021 transportation commission report identified 11 potential station locations along the rail line. Those are set to be carried forward to the upcoming project concept report due in January. The line could include additional stations if there is community interest, including at Manresa State Beach, Seascape and Rio Del Mar, McLaren said. Some stations could be operated seasonally for beach access, he said.
Not all stations would include parking, said Gerbrandt. Some stations without room for parking lots could be accessed with street parking or by walking, biking or bus, he said.
Faina Segal, board member of rail-advocacy organization Friends of the Rail and Trail, said Westside Santa Cruz should have train access. “There’s so much housing being built there, there’s so many great businesses,” she said.
Next steps
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is set to hold a public hearing on the passenger rail stations and path Dec. 5.
Transportation commission staff plan to present much of the same information from the Tuesday workshop and invite public feedback. Staff do not plan to call for a decision from commissioners at the December meeting.
In January, staff are expected to publish a draft conceptual report for the rail and trail with more detailed information about the rail’s potential path, design, and cost. After the conceptual report, the commission could vote to move forward with environmental review for the project and decide what designs to study.
The final design would be chosen after environmental review if the transportation commission approves the project.
What do you think?
Read more
- As Live Oak rail-trail plans sharpen, mobile-home owners dig in — Nov. 1, 2024
- Proposed rail-trail route could divert on to streets across Live Oak-Capitola border — June 21, 2024
- Transportation Commission reaffirms support for rail trail — April 18, 2024
- Passenger rail construction expected in 2032 in Santa Cruz County — Feb. 9, 2024
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Jesse Kathan is a staff reporter for Santa Cruz Local through the California Local News Fellowship. They hold a master's degree in science communications from UC Santa Cruz.
