Santa Cruz County CA Light Rail LRT

Passenger rail construction expected in 2032 in Santa Cruz County

SANTA CRUZ >> More than 11 years after the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission took control of the aging Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line, commission leaders are seeking input on a passenger rail project that could start construction in 2032.

A conceptual plan for commuter rail is due in 2025 with potential station locations, travel times and cost estimates. Residents can chime in about what they want from a new commuter rail line online and at two open houses this month. Feedback is due March 4.
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Diversions and deceptions – in the rail-trail debate, Santa Cruz County is getting more rail and less trail


In the highly contentious Measure D campaign in 2022, the No Way Greenway, aka Coast Connect, aka Friends of the Rail and Trail, had a steady message: “We can have both a train and a trail.” Now, those same people state “… it has always been a rail project with a trail where possible.”

In June, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission provided a detailed conceptual design and the community can now see there simply is not room for a rail and a trail as has been promised by rail groups for over a decade.
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