The bridge’s westbound lane into Santa Cruz is expected to be closed until January 2028. (Tyler Maldonado — Santa Cruz Local file)

Instead, staff recommended extending water taxi service hours and advocating for Santa Cruz Metro to re-establish bus service in lower Seabright during Tuesday’s Santa Cruz City Council meeting. 

Murray Street Bridge partially closed to traffic in March for repairs, and closed entirely on June 23. Construction is expected to finish in 2028.

Since the closures started, many Seabright business owners have shared their difficulties staying financially afloat. “We will go out of business if we don’t get help,” said Patrice Boyle, owner of restaurant La Posta during an Aug. 7 meeting of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission.

The transportation commission, which owns the rail corridor, gave the city permission to use the rail bridge for a walking and biking path during the Murray Street Bridge repairs. Although the rails have long been out of service, the city would also need the permission of the rail operator, Progressive Rail, to open the bridge to pedestrians.

In an Aug. 18 letter to the transportation commission, Progressive Rail CEO Andrea Dobbelmann wrote that a path on the rail bridge would open Progressive Rail to legal risk. The city would need to submit detailed reports on engineering, safety and regulatory requirements before the rail operator could decide whether to grant permission.

The city staff report also cites legal risks, along with an environmental review and an estimated $1.7 million price tag as additional barriers. Although the Murray Street Bridge project has a $4.5 million set-aside for unexpected costs, dipping into it so early could mean there won’t be enough for future costs, staff wrote. 

Instead, staff recommend extending water taxi service and expanding Santa Cruz Metro bus routes. 

The harbor’s water taxi usually runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, and Thursday evenings during beach barbecues at The Crow’s Nest restaurant. Following the Murray Street Bridge closure, the water taxi added a Friday service from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. The taxi typically ends after Labor Day, Sept. 1. 

City staff recommended paying to extend water taxi service through September, and possibly through October. The $500 per day cost could be covered by the city’s public works budget, according to the report.

Since the bridge closure, Santa Cruz Metro has rerouted the bus line that once ran through lower Seabright. But city staff have requested Metro to study the potential cost of a new route to the neighborhood. If Metro expands service, city staff suggests closing parking spaces during afternoon commute hours on parts of Seabright and Soquel avenues. 

Two other options were proposed, but not ultimately recommended: a rail shuttle and bus shuttle.

A temporary rail trolley similar to the 2021 Coast Futura demonstration project could carry passengers across the bridge, from Jade Street Park in Capitola to Depot Park in Santa Cruz. The city could work with the transportation commission to try to pay for the trolley without city money. But the staff report states creating the trolley service would take at least six months and could require building new boarding stations.

The Santa Cruzer electric bus shuttle, which runs between Downtown and the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, could also be used for a loop between the harbor area and Seabright, with costs totaling about $65,000 monthly. 

Read more

• Santa Cruz harbor rail bridge could open for biking, walking — Aug 7, 2025
• Map: Rail trail updates in Santa Cruz County

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