The Watsonville City Council on Feb. 11 will hear an update on the city’s Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
Watsonville City Council meeting
- 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 275 Main St., Watsonville.
- Comment ahead of the meeting at [email protected].
WATSONVILLE >> The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday will hear updates on the Coastal Rail Trail project in Watsonville and plans for traffic calming upgrades through the city’s Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan.
A paved path at the rail trail near Ohlone Parkway finished construction in 2021. Two more phases of Segment 18 are being planned with the Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail. A conceptual report for the project is expected early this year.
Grace Blakeslee, a senior transportation planner for the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, is expected to discuss updates on the plan at Tuesday’s city council meeting.
A paved path at Segment 18 Phase 1 of the rail trail in Watsonville opened in 2021. (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission)
Traffic projects
Separately on Tuesday, the city council is expected to hear a presentation Tuesday on the Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan.
Approved in late 2023, the plan explains city processes, traffic calming upgrades and a petition template for neighbors to gather signatures for traffic calming improvements. The council is not expected to vote on any projects at Tuesday’s meeting.
- There were 56 requests for street improvements in 2024, and 28 work orders were created for those improvements, according to a city staff report.
- 108 school crosswalks were repainted in 2024.
- Six crosswalks with pedestrian-activated flashing lights are due this spring, including two on Harkins Slough Road and one on Airport Boulevard near Safeway.
New lights at crosswalks are due this spring at six Watsonville intersections. (City of Watsonville)
Highway 129 at Main Street is due for upgrades this year, including two left-turn lanes from Main Street to Highway 129, new street paint and signs.
Traffic enforcement is also changing. Since Jan. 1, it has been illegal to park within 20 feet of a crosswalk under state law AB 413. The “daylighting” law is meant to increase visibility of pedestrians at crosswalks, city staff wrote.
Watsonville police expect to issue warnings through June and parking tickets thereafter.
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Stephen Baxter is a co-founder and editor of Santa Cruz Local. He covers Santa Cruz County government.
