Last updated: September 2025
Santa Cruz County has reported high rates of cyclist and pedestrian injuries, but there are existing programs to make biking and walking safer and easier.
Speak up
- Report road hazards that make walking or biking unsafe, including trash in bike lanes or damaged sidewalks, to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC). Or print a report to fill out and mail in.
- Attend or join an advisory committee to give input on road redesigns and other safety efforts.
- City of Santa Cruz Transportation Commission.
- Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission Bicycle Advisory Committee and an Elderly and Disabled Advisory Committee.
- Community Traffic Safety Coalition of Santa Cruz County and Watsonville Vision Zero Committee.
- The city of Santa Cruz offers free yard signs with safety messages for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.
Bike safety
- Before riding, do an “ABC” safety check: air in the tires, breaks that work and a chain that’s lubricated and clean. More details from Modo here.
- Always wear a helmet that fits snugly. You shouldn’t have more than two fingers of space between your eyebrows and your helmet. The straps around your ears should meet at your earlobe.
- Use a bike headlight and rear light, especially when riding at night.
- When walking or biking at night, wear bright or reflective clothing, or use reflective material on your bike.
- See more bike and pedestrian safety info from Cruz511 and the city of Santa Cruz.
Find a route
- Modo’s safe routes for cycling in Santa Cruz County and low-stress bikeway in the city of Santa Cruz.
- Biking route maps for Santa Cruz and Watsonville from the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission.
- Safe routes to school in the city of Santa Cruz.
- Bike Santa Cruz County has a calendar of community group rides.
- Santa Cruz Bike Party holds monthly rides in the city of Santa Cruz.
Get the gear
- The Bike Church at the nonprofit Hub for Sustainable Living at 703 Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruz sells used bikes, used and new parts, and free bike helmets. They also offer sliding-scale space and assistance to repair your own bike.
- The Santa Cruz Teen Center works with nonprofits to give free bikes to kids and teens 18 and younger in the city of Santa Cruz. Send an email or call (831) 420-5337 for more information.
- Community Bike Collective in Watsonville organizes group rides and provides free bikes and helmets.
- BCycle has ebike rental stations in the city of Santa Cruz, Live Oak and Capitola. UC Santa Cruz students are eligible for a discount rate.
- BikeLink offers bike locker rentals in the city of Santa Cruz and on the UCSC campus. Payment cards can be ordered at BikeLink.org or by phone at (888) 540-0546. Buy them in person at Spokesman Bicycles at 31 Cathcart St., or the Downtown Parking Office at 124 Locust St.
Rebates and Perks
- Go Santa Cruz County offers rebates for bikes, ebikes and BCycle memberships for people working in Santa Cruz County. A wait list is open for the rebate.
- Go Santa Cruz Downtown offers a separate rebate for people who work in downtown Santa Cruz. Applications for that rebate are closed, but may reopen in 2026.
- MyCruz511 has an incentive program for people who work in downtown Santa Cruz. Each commute by bike, walking, carpool or bus earns points towards Downtown Dollars for use in downtown businesses. Participants are also eligible for a free annual Santa Cruz Metro bus pass and other perks.
- California has offered $2,000 towards e-bike purchases for low-income adults. Applications are currently closed; sign up for a mailing list for updates.
Other resources
- How to load your bike on Santa Cruz Metro buses.
- Cruz 511 bike resources, including bike registration info.
- Modo bike resources, including local bike shops and bike sizing guides.
- UC Santa Cruz bike resources, including events, bike shuttles and free showers for bike commuters.
If there’s a question we didn’t answer or a resource we should add, email us at [email protected].
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