The 32-mile Coastal Rail Trail project is in various stages of design and construction in 20 segments from Davenport to Watsonville. At a Feb. 11 Watsonville City Council meeting, Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission staff presented options for paved paths on Segment 18 of the rail trail from Ohlone Parkway to Walker Street in Watsonville.

• Option A would build a paved path alongside the rail line. 
• Option B would build a paved path on Beach Street and then alongside the rail line from Ohlone Parkway to Walker Street.
• Option C would build a paved path along Beach Street. 

Option A is a paved path along the rail line from Lee Road to Walker Road. (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission)

Option B is a paved path on Beach Street and then alongside the rail line from Ohlone Parkway to Walker Street. (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission)

Option C would put a paved path along Beach Street. (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission)

Grace Blakeslee, a senior transportation planner for the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, said a Beach Street path could be separated from traffic with a 16-foot-wide path or a 12-foot-wide path. The wider path would mean Beach Street would be narrowed to two vehicle lanes in some parts.

A 16-foot-wide bike path could be built on Beach Street. (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission)

A 12-foot-wide bike path could be built on Beach Street. (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission)

Transportation commission staff plan to return to the Watsonville City Council in the spring with a preferred option for the rail trail path. Environmental review would follow, then applications for state funding for final designs and construction. 

Separately, Blakeslee said two options remained for rail trail Segment 17 from Highway 1 to Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge. It could run along San Andreas Road as Segment 17B, or across wetlands as Segment 17A. 

Rail trail Segment 17B is proposed along San Andreas Road, while 17A would traverse some wetlands and require more environmental review and money. (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission)

Councilmember Eduardo Montesino said he preferred a path along San Andreas Road. 

“I’m a great advocate of expediency,” Montesino said. “There’s a lot of people and a lot of kids who haven’t been to the beach here, and they live here and we’re only a few miles away.” 

He added that he wanted to see a Beach Street bus route from Watsonville to the beach. 

“I also envision beach access,” said Watsonville City Councilmember Vanessa Quiroz-Carter. It would be great for students and seniors, she said.  

Councilmember Jimmy Dutra asked about a separate path proposed from Pajaro Valley High School along Lee Road to Highway 1.

That trail is not completely funded, Watsonville Principal Engineer Murray Fontes said at Tuesday’s meeting. It received $1 million from a congressional appropriation from U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta’s office and $770,000 from the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, Fontes said.

The red line is a proposed path from Pajaro Valley High School along Lee Road to Highway 1. (City of Watsonville)

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