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You are here: Home / Archives for rail-trail

rail-trail

Initiative Requiring Voter Approval for Santa Cruz Passenger Rail

November 18, 2019 by Seb Frey

Ballot Initiative to give the people the power to best spend transportation dollars

Ever since the Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC, or just RTC) acquired the Santa Cruz Branch Line Rail Corridor, there’s been a lot of debate surrounding just what the future of the corridor would be.  The RTC is championing an extravagant vision of an active rail line built alongside a pedestrian and bicycle path, which a number of “feeder” trails leading into and out of different areas along the 32 mile length of the corridor.  This plan is known as the Monterey Bay Scenic Sanctuary Trail (MBSST), and it’s won accolades and plaudits from many corners.

As much as the MBSST plan has been praised, it has likewise been heavily criticized by a large contingent of the public who feels that passenger rail service is not economically viable for a relatively small population base.  There’s been a spirited debate online for a number of years between those seeking some kind of active rail transportation in the corridor, and those who prefer a “trail only” or “greenway”  – which would be essentially a linear park with a wide multi-modal trail that would accommodate walkers, runners, cyclists, skateboards, and other personal transportation devices which may not yet have been invented.

As the RTC continues to advocate and plan for a “rail and trail” dual use in the corridor, opponents of the rail are organizing an initiative to be put before Santa Cruz county voters on the November 2020 ballot.  The initiative will be titled “A MEASURE REQUIRING AN ELECTION TO APPROVE ANY CONTINUED OR FUTURE WORK FOR THE RAIL + TRAIL PROJECT.”  Notice of this initiative was recently published in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, a formal requirement to begin the official process for getting the measure on the ballot.

If approved by voters, the initiative would:

  1. Require a majority of voters (at least 51%) to approve the continuation of any work related to a “Rail + Trail” Project in a regular election;
  2. Prohibit the RTC from taking any action that would authorize or permit the construction, studies, and/or continuation of a “Rail + Trail” project, or incurring any related debt or bonds, unless such election is held;
  3. Suspend any work currently in progress or associated with the “Rail and Trail” project until such election is held;
  4. Permit a “Trail Only” or “Greenway” project to proceed without any additional voter approval;
  5. Supersede and override any and all other requirements under which the RTC is governed; and
  6. Apply retroactively from the date the measure was found to have qualified for placement on the ballot.

A copy of the initiative can be downloaded using this link.

Those interested in helping gather signatures for the initiative are encouraged to contact Bill Smallman, who can be found hanging out on the Facebook group Rail AND/OR Trail Vote Group which he created for the purpose of facilitating this effort.

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Related Posts On AptosCommunityNews

  • Write to the RTC on the Rail Corridor (April 27, 2020)
  • Unified Corridor Investment Study Released, Workshops Planned (September 29, 2018)
  • Audio and Video from Aptos Greenway Presentation (February 24, 2018)
  • Santa Cruz Greenway Aptos Presentation (February 19, 2018)
  • TrailNow Presentation Video (March 5, 2016)
  • Rail Trail Debate Rages on (November 16, 2015)
  • Passenger Rail Opponents Meet on Thursday (September 15, 2015)
  • Ellen Pirie Talks Aptos Village, Rail Corridor (May 8, 2015)
  • Alternatives to Passenger Rail Service in Santa Cruz (July 24, 2014)
  • The Trouble with Santa Cruz Passenger Rail (July 19, 2014)
  • RTC Passenger Rail Study Workshop July 17 (July 15, 2014)
  • Rail Trail Faces June 4 Deadline (May 30, 2014)

Filed Under: Developments, News, Real Estate Tagged With: passenger rail, rail corridor, rail-trail, rtc

Capitola City Council Considers Rail, Trail Options

January 14, 2018 by Seb Frey

The Capitola City Council held a public meeting on January 11, 2018 to discuss rail and trail options on the Santa Cruz Branch Line corridor. The rail corridor passes through the heart of Capitola, and the future use of the corridor is of great concern to many who live in or visit Capitola by the Sea.

The council heard from a proponent of “rail with trail” and also a “trail only” advocate. The invited guests were Mark Mesti-Miller, a leading advocate for “rail with trail” and Bud Colligan, local philanthropist, activist, and a founding and leading member of the Santa Cruz Greenway initiative. The council chambers were packed; it was standing room only, and people were invited to sit in the overflow room next adjacent to the council chambers.

Before the presentations, the mayor of Capitola, Mike Termini, asked for a show of hands as to who was in favor of having a train, and who was in favor of a trail only. It seemed that perhaps twice as many hands were raised in favor of a trail only.

Get the Audio-Only Version

You can listen to an audio-only version of this meeting! Check out the Bay to Bay Podcast and listen to it in your car, during a walk, at the gym, or wherever!

Each speaker was given twelve minutes for his presentation. Mr. Mesti-Miller spoke first, after which Mr. Colligan spoke for an equal length of time. After their presentations, each was given a three minute follow up presentation where they could rebut claims made in the other’s initial discourse.

Members of the community were also invited to make comments. Dozens of people rose to speak.  It seemed as if the speakers were evenly divided between those who wanted to see passenger rail service and those who were in favor of a “trail only.” A number of people urged the council members to make a public recommendation in favor of one scenario or the other before the completion of the Unified Corridor Investment Study (UCS), slated for fall 2018.

The city council of Scotts Valley did recently endorse Greenway’s vision, and the Greenway folks were hoping that the city of Capitola would do like wise at this meeting. However, towards the end of the evening, the city council decided that they would indeed wait for the UCS study to be completed before making any public proclamation one way or another.  Notably, three of the four council members did say that they were at this point favoring the Greenway’s “trail only” proposition. The fourth council member did not say which outcome he favored.  If this meeting held at the city of Capitola is any indication of public sentiment regarding the future use of the rail corridor, it seems that the trail-only solution will win out.

Related Posts On AptosCommunityNews

  • Write to the RTC on the Rail Corridor (April 27, 2020)
  • Audio and Video from Aptos Greenway Presentation (February 24, 2018)
  • Santa Cruz Greenway Aptos Presentation (February 19, 2018)
  • TrailNow Presentation Video (March 5, 2016)
  • Rail Trail Debate Rages on (November 16, 2015)
  • Passenger Rail Opponents Meet on Thursday (September 15, 2015)
  • Ellen Pirie Talks Aptos Village, Rail Corridor (May 8, 2015)
  • Alternatives to Passenger Rail Service in Santa Cruz (July 24, 2014)
  • RTC Passenger Rail Study Workshop July 17 (July 15, 2014)
  • Rail Trail Faces June 4 Deadline (May 30, 2014)

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Filed Under: Developments, News Tagged With: capitola, rail-trail

Zach Friend Interview: Passenger Train and Rail Trail

March 31, 2016 by Seb Frey

In the fifth segment of our interview with Supervisor Zach Friend, we discuss Santa Cruz Passenger Train service and the Santa Cruz Rail Trail. This is one of the longest segments in our interview, clocking in at over seven minutes. It’s a fairly wide ranging discussion in which the Supervisor talks about the hurdles to establishing passenger rail service, or removing the rails and proceeding with a trail-only solution as some in the community have advocated for. Whether you’re pro-train, anti-rail, or still haven’t made up your mind, you will find this segment very interesting to watch.

Watch the Video Now

In the sixth segment of the interview, Supervisor Friend talks about the Sustainable Santa Cruz plan, and the overall economic vitality plan for the county.

Related Posts On AptosCommunityNews

  • Zach Friend Interview: Aptos Village (May 25, 2016)
  • Zach Friend Interview: Housing Affordability (May 17, 2016)
  • Zach Friend Interview: Fiber Optic Broadband Internet (May 3, 2016)
  • Zach Friend Interview: Sustainable Santa Cruz (April 18, 2016)
  • Zach Friend Interview: Transportation (March 27, 2016)
  • Zach Friend Interview: Second Term Goals (March 10, 2016)
  • Zach Friend Interview: First Term Accomplishments (March 7, 2016)
  • Zach Friend Interview: Introduction (March 1, 2016)

Filed Under: Lifestyle, News Tagged With: rail-trail, video, zach friend, zach-friend-interview-series

Sanctuary Trail Plan

November 17, 2013 by Seb Frey

Santa Cruz county transportation officials have given the green light to a 50-mile, $126.7 million countywide network of trials, primarily following the 31 mile Branch Rail line.

Read More

Filed Under: News Tagged With: rail-trail

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