• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Aptos Community News

Sharing and caring about what happens in Aptos

  • Calendar
  • News
  • Parks & Rec
    • Beaches
    • Parks
    • Sports/Fitness
  • Shopping
  • Real Estate
    • Aptos Home Values
    • Aptos Homes for Sale
  • Eats
    • Bars
    • Cafe
    • Restaurants
    • Deli
  • Gems
  • Lifestyle
  • RSS
You are here: Home / Archives for Rail Trail

Rail Trail

Write to the RTC on the Rail Corridor

April 27, 2020 by Seb Frey

The Coastal Rail Trail
Tell the RTC Your Thoughts on the Future of our Rail Corridor

The Regional Transportation Commission will soon decide if the Santa Cruz Rail Corridor will be used for passenger rail, or some kind of bus service. They are working on a Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis – but they are only looking at two alternatives – fixed rail and bus.

This web site has frequently made the case that the best use of the corridor isn’t for passenger rail. Many (most!) Aptos residents are likely also opposed to any capital-intensive, low-use projects envisioned in the corridor. Please write to the RTC today at transitcorridoraa@sccrtc.org or info@sccrtc.org or via their Contact Us web page.

Read a good book lately?

The Sold Book
Get My Book Today!

If you have some room on your reading list, I invite you to read my book Get It Sold! Now in its Second Edition! It's an easy read (just 145 pages!) and it tells you everything you need to know about selling your home quickly, easily, and at absolute peak pricing. I'll send it to you for free - no shipping charge either!

OK Send me a Copy!

Suggested Talking Points for a Message to the RTC

I’m writing to let you know that I OPPOSE the rail transit options and the bus option on the rail corridor. The rail options however are far worse than bus, because…

  • Rail transit will not move more people faster nor for less money than bus transit.
  • Rail transit is more NOT accessible, less comfortable, and louder for riders and neighbors. It also does not go where people need to go.
  • Rail transit will operate in a corridor creating additional traffic congestion in residential neighborhoods, so provides the least reliable service: NEVER on time any time.
  • Rail transit CANNOT be implemented sooner than bus transit, it will have NO IMPACT to be able to travel car-free, it WILL NOT lower our emissions, it WILL NOT fight global warming, and will have NO IMPACT to escape traffic congestion sooner.
  • Rail banking WORKS and absolutely protects 100% of the existing 32 mile rail corridor from easement threats. The Great Redwood Trail in Northern California is using rail banking for a distance 10 times longer than the Santa Cruz Corridor with not easement threats. The only threat here is from the extremists at the Friend of the Rail Trail.

Choosing rail transit means construction of the Coastal Rail Trail is ALREADY delayed and WILL NOT be completed within 10 years. Plans for the rail trail are shoddy and ridiculously expensive.

Bus Rapid Transit/Bus on Shoulder along Highway 1 offers South County riders the same access to improved public transportation as North County riders, RAIL transit does not. It would also clearly show single occupant vehicle drivers that there isa faster way to Santa Cruz.

Rail transit WILL NEVER double the use of public transportation county-wide. Please use SMART as an excellent example of Rail Transit Failure. You cannot get an entire county to accept the burden of financing public tranportation for 2% of the population.

Rail transit is THE MOST expensive to operate and maintain so, over time, rail transit will BANKRUPT SANTA CRUZ METRO.

Funding to implement passenger rail service is NOT REALISTICALLY identified in the State Rail Plan. With COVID-19, we will also be taking a massive hit to revenue in the county, making paying for such capital intensive projects even less feasible.

Tearing up the existing tracks to replace them with a road for buses or commuter rail would create environmental trauma such as TOXIC CLEANUP FROM DECADES OF PESTICIDES, GREASES and OTHER WASTER along with demolition waste, grading, miles of new pavement, and digging for storm drainage systems. This is minimized by replacing the tracks with an active transportation trail and keeping mass transit on the Highway 1 corridor where it belongs.

Rail provides the LEAST easiest access and minimal amount of bike storage per vehicle (rail 20 or more, most buses can only carry around 3). WE DON’T WANT A PLACE TO STORE OUR BIKES, WE WANT A PLACE TO SAFELY RIDE OUR BIKES!

It doesn’t matter if rail provides the access for wheelchairs if it is difficult to get to the locations to ride the train and to get to a final destination as the centuries old rail line does not pass through any current day employment area, government center or higher learning campus. Rail on a signle track cannot accommodate more people with personal mobility devices.

STOP WASTING OUR TIME WITH THESE STUDIES! STOP THE MADNESS OF RAIL AND THEIR SPECIAL INTERESTS AND BUILD A TRAIL ON THE CORRIDOR NOW!

What's YOUR Aptos House Value?

Aptos Home Prices
Find YOUR Home's Value!

Interested to know what your Aptos house is worth in today's real estate market? Then head over to SellForSure.com for an instant, on-line evaluation of your Aptos home's value.

Filed Under: Lifestyle, News, Parks, Parks and Recreation, Real Estate, Sports/Fitness Tagged With: Rail Trail

Audio and Video from Aptos Greenway Presentation

February 24, 2018 by Seb Frey

On Thursday, February 22 2018, Santa Cruz Greenway held a public presentation of their vision for the Santa Cruz Branch Line Rail Corridor at the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz. The event was well-attended, with a number of people forced to stand as every chair was full. The presentation and questions and answers afterward lasted about an hour.

Santa Cruz Greenway’s vision for the rail corridor is that it should be used as a pedestrian and bicycle path only, and that the existing train tracks should be removed. This is a different vision from the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail (MBSST) plan currently being implemented by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC), which envisions a narrower trail running alongside the train tracks.

Segment 7 of the MBSST is already under construction in the city of Santa Cruz, with the railroad tracks kept in place and the trail being built off to the side.  As discussed in the presentation, construction has already hit a significant snag and the cost estimates are three times higher than what was initially forecast – and this is was seen as one of the easiest segments to build.

It is telling that the construction of the MBSST is on-going while the Unified Corridor Investment Study, which is supposed to determine the best use of the rail corridor, has yet to be completed.  It is perhaps not surprising that the SCCRTC is pressing forward with rail and trail before the study is finished.  As Greenway discussed in their presentation, the SCCRTC is funded by the California Transportation Commission, which is heavily pushing rail systems throughout the state.  This helps to explain why staff at the SCCRTC have promoted a pro-rail agenda in the face of widespread popular opposition to it.

The Imaginary Rail Trail Fence

An actual S.M.A.R.T. train fence in Sonoma

The Greenway presentation showed a picture used by the Friends of the Rail and Trail (FORT), which depicts people using the trail alongside a simple wooden fence separating them from the tracks.  Greenway called this “fake news,” because what’s being shown in the image is nothing like what the actual rail-with-trail will look like.  In the image, the fence is shown being only a foot or so from the edge of the tracks.  In reality, the the fence must be eight feet back from he center line of the track, which would put the fence right in the middle of the trail shown on their picture.  Additionally, the fence would not be a simple wooden fence – it would be a tall steel fence, such as the one used by the new SMART train system serving Marin and Sonoma.

The presentation was chock full of information that Aptos residents need to know about what’s being proposed for the rail corridor.  Please take the time to watch the video – or, if you don’t want to sit in front of an electronic device for an hour, please listen to the audio recording which has been posted to the Bay to Bay Podcast, and is provided here for your listening pleasure.

https://baytobaypodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/episode10-greenway-presentation-aptos-february-2018.mp3

Courtesy of the Bay to Bay Podcast

Read a good book lately?

The Sold Book
Get My Book Today!

If you have some room on your reading list, I invite you to read my book Get It Sold! Now in its Second Edition! It's an easy read (just 145 pages!) and it tells you everything you need to know about selling your home quickly, easily, and at absolute peak pricing. I'll send it to you for free - no shipping charge either!

OK Send me a Copy!

Filed Under: News Tagged With: greenway, Rail Trail

Santa Cruz Greenway Aptos Presentation

February 19, 2018 by Seb Frey

Santa Cruz County Grenway

By now, you’ve probably heard about the great controversy surrounding the future of the Santa Cruz Branch Line Rail Corridor. There are competing visions for the future use of the corridor, with a number of ideas being debated in the public space. One leading vision for the rail corridor is being championed by Santa Cruz Greenway: a “trail only” use, where the existing tracks are removed and replaced with a wide trail designed primarily for pedestrian and bicycle use.

Santa Cruz County Greenway has been making presentations around the county for some time, and now they’re doing a presentation in Aptos. Greenway is hosting a meeting to help the Aptos Community learn why a train won’t help Aptos, but a trail will. Their goal is to fill the room with newcomers to the conversation and people who want to better understand our options for the corridor.

A recent meeting in the Capitola City Council Chambers on the future of the rail corridor was standing room only, which shows the intense interest the community has in the future of this priceless asset. Please plan to attend if you want to learn more and/or help spread the word to friends and neighbors who are new to the conversation or undecided on the issue:

7-8 PM, Thursday, February 22nd 2018
at Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
7807 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003

Santa Cruz County Greenway will also be holding a short informational track walk!

10 AM, Saturday, February 24th 2018
meet at the railroad tracks by 790 Estates Dr. (off McGregor Dr.)

Both of these events are sure to be informative and enjoyable and it’s a great way to get out, meet some of your neighbors, and become more engaged in the future of our community. We hope to see you there!

Related Posts On AptosCommunityNews

  • Write to the RTC on the Rail Corridor (April 27, 2020)
  • Initiative Requiring Voter Approval for Santa Cruz Passenger Rail (November 18, 2019)
  • Audio and Video from Aptos Greenway Presentation (February 24, 2018)
  • Capitola City Council Considers Rail, Trail Options (January 14, 2018)
  • Zach Friend Interview: Passenger Train and Rail Trail (March 31, 2016)
  • 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)
  • Sanctuary Trail Plan (November 17, 2013)

Read a good book lately?

The Sold Book
Get My Book Today!

If you have some room on your reading list, I invite you to read my book Get It Sold! Now in its Second Edition! It's an easy read (just 145 pages!) and it tells you everything you need to know about selling your home quickly, easily, and at absolute peak pricing. I'll send it to you for free - no shipping charge either!

OK Send me a Copy!

Filed Under: Events, News Tagged With: greenway, rail corridor, Rail Trail

TrailNow Presentation Video

March 5, 2016 by Seb Frey

TrailNow
Check out the TrailNow.org Web Site

Many in the community are aware of plans by the Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) to establish some form of passenger rail service alongside a trail which will form the backbone of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network. A lot of folks in the community feel that passenger rail service is neither feasible nor a desirable project, especially given the multi-hundred-million dollar cost to establish rail service when existing transportation systems are already badly under-funded.

TrailNow is a local grassroots political action committee whose goal is to establish a “world class” pedestrian and bicycle trail in the Santa Cruz Branch Line rail corridor in the next several years. Their goal is to have the tracks removed entirely to make way for a broad dual-mode (pedestrian, wheeled vehicles) path through the key 12-mile stretch of the corridor from the city of Santa Cruz to Manresa Beach.  One of the founders of TrailNow, Brian Peoples, recently made a presentation detailing the organization’s objections to the RTC’s vision for rail service in Santa Cruz county.

Watch the TrailNow Presentation Video

There are of course fierce advocates for passenger rail service in Santa Cruz county, many of whom have disputed some of the information in the TrailNow presentation above and in fact have created a web site highlighting what they consider to be the inaccuracies.  For a broader context, please see below for additional articles we’ve posted over time about the rail corridor, especially our interview with former supervisor Ellen Pirie.

Related Posts On AptosCommunityNews

  • Initiative Requiring Voter Approval for Santa Cruz Passenger Rail (November 18, 2019)
  • Capitola City Council Considers Rail, Trail Options (January 14, 2018)
  • Zach Friend Interview: Passenger Train and Rail Trail (March 31, 2016)
  • Sanctuary Trail Plan (November 17, 2013)

Filed Under: Developments, News Tagged With: Rail Trail, trailnow

Rail Trail Debate Rages on

November 16, 2015 by Seb Frey

The Coastal Rail Trail
The Coastal Rail Trail

The Rail Trail Debate Rages on! TRAILNOW.ORG is continuing the neighborhood meeting outreach effort to educate the public on the facts on the train, trail, highway 1 and other transportation issues across Santa Cruz County.

The next meeting is to be held Tuesday, November 17th at 7 PM at the Best Western Seacliff Inn. If you can’t make that meeting, there’s another meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 1st at Garfield Park Community Church, at 111 Errett Circle in Santa Cruz.

TRAILNOW.ORG VIDEOS

TRAILNOW.ORG is working on a video series showing the issues surrounding building a trail with the rail line. Two of the videos have already been published and are embedded here for your enjoyment. They are quite eye-opening and educational:

Video Segment #1

Video Segment #2

2016 TRANSPORTATION TAX MEASURE

Thursday, November 19th from 9 am to Noon will be the RTC Transportation Workshop to discuss the 2016 Transportation Tax Measure. The meeting will be held at the Veterans Memorial Building, located at 846 Front Street, Santa Cruz.

RTC is proposing a 1/2% Sales Tax over 30 years to support various forms of transportation. If you are able to attend, please do. Here is a link to the meeting’s agenda.

Filed Under: Events, News Tagged With: rail line, Rail Trail, video

Passenger Rail Opponents Meet on Thursday

September 15, 2015 by Seb Frey

Public Meeting
Public Meeting

Are you concerned about the Regional Transportation Commission’s plans to bring some form of passenger rail service to Aptos and Santa Cruz county? If so, you’re not alone, and a group of like-minded people will be gathering on Thursday, September 17th at the Rio Sands Hotel in Aptos (near Rio del Mar Beach) from 6:00 to 8:30 PM.

If you can’t make it in person, you’re welcome to attend online via GoTo Meeting, https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/30522503 – for audio, call (872) 240-3311 and use Access Code 305-225-037

The purpose of the meeting is to:

  • Discuss why rail + trail is not feasible
  • Discuss how the proposed train would degrade our quality of life
  • Create enthusiasm for Trail Only option by educating attendees how it would benefit them and community
  • Recruit attendees to participate in activities needed to achieve goals
  • Develop action plans

There is an event created on Facebook which you can share with your friends who are likewise interested in learning more, and there’s also a Facebook page for the Aptos Rail Trail advocating a trail without rail.

Filed Under: Events, News Tagged With: public meeting, Rail Trail

Ellen Pirie Talks Aptos Village, Rail Corridor

May 8, 2015 by Seb Frey

Ellen Pirie
Ellen Pirie, 2nd District Supervisor, 2001-2013

Former Santa Cruz County 2nd District Supervisor Ellen Pirie generously agreed to a conversation with Seb Frey (editor of Aptos Community News), to share her recollections and insights into the development of the new Aptos Village plan, as well as the Santa Cruz Rail Corridor.

The conversation was recorded via Skype, and is available here for you to listen to and enjoy. The conversation was lengthy and covered a lot of ground, touching on a number of topics, which are detailed here in this article. The first portion of the audio discusses the Aptos Village plan, and the portion about the rail corridor beings at about the 17:50 mark.

Listen to the Conversation

//siliconhomebroker.com/podcastgen/media/ellen-pirie-talks-aptos-village-rail-trail-2015-05-06.m4a

Download audio file…

Aptos Village Discussion

Old Aptos Village Plan
Aptos Village as Envisioned in 2003

 

According to Pirie, the original Aptos Village plan was adopted around 1977. The vacant portion of the Village is oddly configured, and the 8-acre site was owned by several different parties. One of the challenges in getting it redeveloped was that nobody wanted to be stuck with the cost of putting in the infrastructure.

Ellen recalled that in 2001, an out-of-area developer approached the county with the idea to build a Costco-like building on the vacant land, which according to the developer, would comply with then-existing Aptos Village plan. Ellen says that turned out not to be true, but it opened her eyes and spurred her to review the plan and take a fresh look at it, so we wouldn’t end up with anything like a Costco in that space.

She proposed to the county Board of Supervisors that we take another look at the Aptos Village plan. They authorized spending some money to do a public “visioning process” where the community could come together in a number of meetings and draw out what they wanted to see there.

Ellen remembers that a lot of the community got involved, with around 50-75 people at each meeting. There were “a ton of people” working on it, she said, and it was “very much a public process”. This process was run by consultants that the county hired to put what folks in the community envisioned down on paper. They started with the prior plan, and asked the public what they’d like to see in a new Village.

Community Participation

Community Meeting
Aptos Village Community Meeting on April 22, 2015

Today, there is a great deal of controversy about the work that went into designing and planning the new Aptos Village. Some members of the community today have alleged that the process was not public, and few meetings were held. According to Pirie, there were “way more than 20” meetings, that these went on “almost constantly” for about 10 years. There were meetings “all the time” – and all were public, although she mentioned that some groups would have smaller meetings to discuss, for example, how the rail line would be incorporated, or what the buildings would look like. These meetings, however, were also open to the public. Meetings were held at the fire station, Valencia school, some were at the Seacliff Inn, and in other venues as well.

Traffic

One concern area residents have today is, of course, the traffic impacts of a much denser use of the Village space. According to Pirie, traffic was then too a big concern, and an important issue for people. They had third party traffic studies (performed by paid, outside consultants, not county staff) done as part of this process – but she noted that early in her term, she was very skeptical of traffic studies. Over time, she grew to have more confidence in what the traffic engineers were saying. According to the studies which were performed, Aptos Village traffic will actually be better with the improvements. Of course, it will never be good at certain times of day, but at the least, should not be any worse that it is presently.

Water

California Drought
Is More Housing Wise in a Drought?

Water has been an important issue for a long time but while the plan was being worked on we weren’t in a drought that has now put it in the forefront of the public’s mind. Nevertheless, the County required pervious surfaces and stormwater retention onsite to increase groundwater percolation. The County and Soquel Creek Water District also required low flow water fixtures and water offsets. Ellen’s understanding is that Barry Swenson Builder, the project developer, started getting their water offsets 10 years ago.

Alternative Uses

Some in the community today would prefer that Aptos Village today remain largely unchanged – a quiet, open space. Ellen discussed the possibility of alternative uses for the property, for example, parkland. She noted that the problem with that is that the land was all privately owned. There was no public money to just buy the land and change the zoning to build a park. Consequently, creating a park wasn’t really on the radar. Rather, she recalled that there was strongest interest in restoring the Village as a commercial and residential center, the heart of Aptos.

Barry Swenson Builder

In recent public meetings, it has been alleged by some that Barry Swenson Builder has been shown special favor by the Board of Supervisors and the Santa Cruz County planning department. Pirie said flatly that the developer was not allowed to cut corners or given special exemptions. According to Pirie, it has been an “extremely difficult process” for Barry Swenson Builder – one that was very time consuming and expensive. Regarding these allegations, Pirie said, “that’s just not the case” that they got off easy, and, “the county has tortured them just like they torture everyone else.”

In a subsequent discussion, Ellen also noted how cool it would be to have a bike and pedestrian trail running through Aptos Village, connecting the greater community to the Village and to Nisene Marks park.

Santa Cruz Rail Corridor Discussion

Santa Cruz Coastal Rail
A scenic ride along the Santa Cruz Rail Corridor

Pirie also shared her perspective on the Santa Cruz rail corridor. She recounts that talk about redeveloping the rail line had been going on a long time. From the start of her term, Ellen was very enthusiastic about the prospect of acquiring the rail line and putting it to better use. She recalls that it was a very long, difficult process, and that Union Pacific was a difficult negotiating partner. It “probably was almost 20 years” from the time someone first got the idea to acquire the corridor, but the serious negotiations went on 10 years.

Early Support for the Project

There were a lot of early supporters, with a lot of interest in Santa Cruz in particular. Some supporters were “the train people” some were “the bike people,” but everyone shared the idea that it was an incredible asset for the county. There was a feeling that we can’t lose it, that if it were in private ownership, it could be sold or divided up. When they started negotiating the deal with Union Pacific, there were still trains running up to the Davenport cement plant. When the plant shut down it made a deal easier to negotiate, but more urgent to get it done.

Ellen stated that she believes that train service isn’t practical, and she favors removing the tracks and building a pedestrian and bicycle trail. She points out that trains are very expensive and difficult to operate, and you need a dense population for successful passenger rail service. There are other obstacles too, like the weight of rails and the geometry of the track. But the biggest problem, according to Pirie, is that trains are expensive and that big cities struggle to maintain them – and that for a small town, it’s virtually impossible.

When the deal was negotiated, Ellen thought the most important thing was to first secure the rail line, and then we could argue about how to use it afterwards. Everyone was together at the beginning, and were content with putting off the discussion about what we do with it until later.

Proposition 116

Part of the money to buy the corridor was California Proposition 116 money, but some of it was obtained from grants. Proposition 116 does specify that any funds obtained must be used for passenger rail service.  However, Pirie was careful to note that recipients of Proposition 116 funds are not required run passenger rail if it is not economically feasible.

Santa Cruz RTC Officials
RTC & Iowa Pacific Celebrate the Acquisition

The Santa Cruz RTC (Regional Transportation Commission) had performed a passenger rail feasibility study in late 1990’s which determined that every passenger would have to be underwritten by 60-70 dollars of public money, which “obviously wouldn’t work.” However, the definition of passenger rail is broad. The Train to Christmastown qualifies as passenger rail service, for example.

Rail Banking

If, however, the operators of the Train to Christmastown decide they want to cease operation, and there isn’t any other economically viable train proposal out there, the line can be “rail banked.” This is a Federal process, which allows communities to decide that while they can’t support a train today, they may want to in the future, and can save the corridor for that purpose. By “rail banking” the line, the easements and rights-of-way are protected and preserved. Much of the corridor land owned by the Santa Cruz RTC, but much is only an easement for transportation. With rail banking, we could remove the rail and keep the space, as well as the easements and right of way.

If at some point we decide passenger rail service is not feasible, that is, if the new the study currently being done by the RTC says it is not, we can bank those rails, build out a trial, and use it for however long. Then, when and if train service becomes a more viable option, we can build the track again. Pirie noted that we would have to replace the current rails anyway for any usable passenger service.

In the event we do decide to put the rails in the bank, there is no obligation to repay the proposition 116 funds to the CTC (California Transportation Commission). While those funds are to be used to purchase rail lines for passenger rail, the state of California is not going to require communities such as Santa Cruz to do anything that does not make economic sense. The RTC has to act in good faith in making these decisions.

Passenger Rail Feasibility Studies

Regarding the previous feasibility study, Pirie notes that it was done before her time on the board, but thinks that the study was done under the assumption that the rail was locally owned, without having to pay Union Pacific for its use. As to why the current study might yield a different result than the past study, Ellen wasn’t aware of what might be different this time around, but speculated that rail service might be easier or cheaper to run now compared to then.

Rail vs. Trail

Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network
Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic
Trail Network

Many in the community point out that the current plan for the corridor (the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network) includes rail and trail, and we don’t have to make a choice: we can have it all. However, the reality is that old trestles rarely have room for both train service and a bike and pedestrian trail. Pirie pointed out that there are something like 33 trestles on the whole line, and they are a problem. Everywhere you have a trestle, we cannot also have a trail there. Of course, we could build something next to it, perhaps cantilever something off an existing trestle. There are a variety of things that can be done, but they are expensive. She suggests we could also be saving up for that as time goes by; if we can’t do train now, we can save up to do it at some time in the future.

The Way Forward

Pirie was asked how we might build out the trail if the new RTC study also concludes that passenger train service is not viable. To that, she responded that the RTC has a contract with Iowa Pacific (operators of the Train to Christmastown), and as long as that company wants to provide service on that line, we’d be hard pressed to cancel the contract given the restrictions on the proposition 116 funds.

If, for whatever reason, Iowa Pacific does decide to close up shop and abandon the contract, the RTC would then have to decide if the trail is the way to go. Other questions would then arise: how would the trail be funded? What would it look like, and how would it be maintained? These decisions will rest with the RTC, however, the RTC board is composed of elected officials who will, she said, be heavily influenced by pubic opinion.

What’s Next for Ellen Pirie

So what’s next for Ellen Pirie? Since she and her husband had to leave Peace Corps Ethiopia early, one possibility is to serve another year or two as a Peace Corps volunteer somewhere else in the world. Shorter term, she and her husband bought a camper and are planning to go camping and traveling around for a while. They’re really enjoying retired life: they’re “on a roll” and really enjoying themselves. They still have a house in La Selva Beach, and think they will be coming back to live here. She concludes by noting that it’s great to be back, and Santa Cruz county is a wonderful place.

Filed Under: Developments, News Tagged With: Aptos Village, barry swenson builder, board of supervisors, ellen pirie, iowa pacific, planning, Rail Trail, traffic, union pacific, zoning

Alternatives to Passenger Rail Service in Santa Cruz

July 24, 2014 by Seb Frey

Last week, I posted about the trouble with passenger rail service in Santa Cruz. This week, I’m going to talk about a few alternatives to passenger rail service in Santa Cruz which would be more cost effective and achieve better results for the county.

Much to their credit, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has bigger plans for the rail corridor than merely passenger rail. The grand vision for the project includes building out the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail, using the rail corridor as a backbone. A pedestrian and bicycle path is to be built along the train tracks, and the corridor will be the spine of the network, which will ultimately comprise some 50 miles. A trail such as this would surely be a boon to the community, allowing for residents and visitors alike to travel over a large portion of the county, and a lot of the county’s main business centers and tourist draws, on foot or on bicycle.

Santa Cruz Coastal Rail
A scenic ride along the Santa Cruz Rail Corridor

As mentioned in my previous posting about Santa Cruz passenger rail service, the RTC is currently working on a study of the feasibility of passenger rail service. If the study determines that passenger rail service is not feasible for Santa Cruz county, they will at that time begin looking into alternative uses for the corridor. A key question is, why wait until another 12-18 months have gone by to look into alternative uses for the rail corridor? Why not begin looking into alternatives now, so we don’t have to wait an additional 12-18 months for another study to be completed?

After all, this is not the first time that the RTC has done a passenger rail feasibility study. The RTC conducted a study in 2003 and determined that passenger rail service was not feasible. What has changed in 11 years? The biggest change, obviously, is that the county now owns the rail corridor, and that may change the economics of the project somewhat. And that is undoubtedly true, but not likely near enough to make the project feasible today, or for the foreseeable future.

Abandoned Train
The Santa Cruz Rail Project will probably be abandoned

It seems likely that the ongoing feasibility study will conclude that passenger rail service is not feasible today, and probably not until far in the future. So why not abandon the study, the result of which is almost a foregone conclusion? The RTC points out that the Proposition 116 funds which were used to purchase the corridor requires that the corridor be used for train service, and that if the corridor is not to be used that way, the funds must be returned to the state. However, as I understand it, if can be shown that such a service is not viable, the county can convert the corridor to other uses and will not need to repay the state.

So if not a train, what else can be done to alleviate our congested roads and highways, and cut down on greenhouse gasses? There are, in fact, a number of alternatives, which will likely both be more cost effective, quicker to implement, and will have much better outcomes for county residents and visitors. In the longer term, there are a number of emerging technologies which have better promise for our community as well.

There are a number of people who say the best thing to do is to just rip out the tracks and convert the the rail to trail for use by pedestrians and bicycles. To me, this is an outstanding idea. The train tracks follow a virtually level path for miles – no steep grades. Comparatively few street crossings. It passes by some awesome scenery along its route. Imagine if you could hop on your bike in Aptos Village and ride the trail down to Capitola Village, Seabright Beach, the Boardwalk, and downtown Santa Cruz? Or down to Manresa Beach for the afternoon? It’s likely that taking your bike on this path would take considerably less time on the trail than making the same trip in a car along those congested routes.

Aptos Rail Trail Map
Aptos Rail Trail Map

Think of the boon to business as well. Local businesses in Aptos Village, Seacliff center, Seascape Village and the Seascape Resort could be easily accessed by visitors from further afield in Capitola, Live Oak, and Santa Cruz. Such a trail would be a huge draw for tourists. Using services like Air BnB, tourists could find accommodations in greater portions of the county – like Aptos – and park their cars and hop on the trail to quickly and easily access many of our area’s most popular attractions. Tourists wouldn’t need to worry about bicycles – Santa Cruz county could have its own bike sharing system like in San Francisco, or leave this as an opportunity for small business to fill the gap.

The cost to build such a trail would not be insignificant – I don’t have any estimates, but I hear it costs $1 million per mile to pave a road. 32 miles, that’s $32 million. Let’s add some more money to that, so we can make other improvements, like adding lighting, benches, a few mini-parks along the path, and maybe create a paracourse for exercise such as runs under portions of the BART tracks in the East Bay. So let’s call it $2 million per mile: $64 million to build out out. Seems like a lot of money, except of course it’s a small fraction of what a rail system would cost to build out, and would surely require far lower subsidies on a per-user basis.

But hey, why stop there? Let’s think a bit outside the box: what more can be done with the corridor to get people off the roads? How about alleviating the need to get on the road at all? Most of the high-income workers in our county don’t actually work for business physically located in Santa Cruz county. They work in Silicon Valley, tele-commute to jobs in the Valley, or work in some kind of on-line capacity. Why don’t we make it easier for those workers, today and in the future, to stay in their homes and become distance-workers?

Fiber Optic Cable:  the future of tele-commuting
Fiber Optic Cable: the future of tele-commuting

Santa Cruz county is already working with Sunesys on a plan to bring fiber-optic cable to the county. The proposed route of the cable is still in the planning stages, but I have heard that it will largely follow Soquel Avenue and Soquel Drive. That’s all very well and good – but why not install it down the rail corridor when the new path is being built? The more the merrier I say: install it along Soquel and the trail corridor, for superior bandwidth and an easier build-out to actually get to people’s doors.

And not just to the doors of people: how about to the doors of business? A few weeks ago there was a story in the Santa Cruz Sentinel about Looker, a growing, successful Internet start-up company which is moving into the top floor of the Rittenhouse building in downtown Santa Cruz. They’re relocating from the Cruzio building, and the relocation is only possible because Cruzio is going to run a new fiber optic line a couple of blocks from their current building. Think of the possibilities for Aptos, and the rest of Santa Cruz county for that matter, if we had abundant fiber optic cable to start a whole new wave of domestic, high-tech start ups throughout the county?

Not everyone, of course, is going to be working in a high-tech startup company. How is everyone else going to get around the county in the future, if not on a train? In my previous article, I indicated how the current Metro system isn’t exactly a wild success: metro busses roll throughout the county, almost completely empty, most of the time.

But why is that? For me, personally, it’s because there are comparatively few of them. They don’t run frequently, and they don’t go where I want to go, when I want to go. Also, they’re slow. What could be done to improve Metro service?

Bus Rapid Transit
Bus Rapid Transit

They’ve probably done studies on that as well, but I can think of a few things. Currently, vehicular traffic is oriented around Highway 1 and Highway 17. Long term, why don’t we create a dedicated, high-speed bus lane, to enable bus rapid transit? This idea is growing in popularity in many cities which are growing, too. It’s comparatively economical, and provides a great example of what could be done to make bus service more attractive to residents and dramatically increase usage.

Smart Highways: the Next Big Thing?
Smart Highways: the Next Big Thing?

The future, though, holds even more possibilities. Ever heard of Uber? Check it out. On-demand ride sharing services like Uber can help alleviate congestion and lessen the need for people to own their own vehicles. Autonomous cars? Smart highways? As we go forward into the future, there are many possibilities for personal transportation that will make train systems such as are currently being contemplated for Santa Cruz effectively obsolete. Trains will probably be used in the future for inter-city transport, for example from San Jose to Los Angeles, and other systems such as Uber, bus rapid transit, autonomous vehicles and the like will get travelers “the last mile” which is usually the hardest piece of the puzzle to solve.

The Santa Cruz rail corridor represents a huge, untapped resource for Santa Cruz county. Making smart choices about its future will be a lasting benefit for our community, for our children, and our children’s children. Let’s not get distracted by shiny objects like a train system we can’t afford and will likely be outmoded before it is even built, which probably won’t ever happen. Let’s get to work on something practical which will pay dividends for our health, welfare, and lifestyle for decades to come. Let’s start working on alternatives today, instead of 12-18 months from now when the RTC finishes its latest feasibility study. We already waste enough time sitting in traffic. Let’s get moving on our future today.

See also: Santa Cruz can’t afford the train, the Trouble with Trestle Upgrades

Filed Under: Developments, Lifestyle Tagged With: air bnb, bus rapid transit, fiber optic, Rail Trail, santa cruz metro, seacliff center, seascape, sunesys, train, uber

RTC Passenger Rail Study Workshop July 17

July 15, 2014 by Seb Frey

Are you looking forward to the day when you’ll be able to hop on a train in Aptos and travel quickly, smoothly, and cheaply into Capitola or downtown Santa Cruz? Or do you fear that such a train project would be a $300 million boondoggle, be snarled up for years by lawsuits and environmental impact reports, require heavy subsidies for ongoing operation, suck up transportation system dollars that could be much better spent elsewhere, and shatter the peace and quiet of the Aptos neighborhoods through which the train would travel?

Whatever your position on Santa Cruz passenger rail, the time for you to make that position known is now. The Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) is holding the first of several workshops regarding their ongoing passenger rail study, this July 17th @ 6:30 PM at the Live Oak Senior Center (1777 Capitola Road near 17th Ave, Santa Cruz).

If you are unable to attend the meeting, there is an on-line survey which the RTC has put together so that residents can still make their opinions known.

The future of the Santa Cruz rail corridor is very important to Aptos, as it will shape the character and shape of our area going forward. If you can’t attend the meeting on July 17th, please at least take some time out of your day to respond to the online survey and give your input to the RTC.

Santa Cruz Passenger Rail Stations
Proposed Santa Cruz Passenger Rail Stations

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Rail Trail

Rail Trail Faces June 4 Deadline

May 30, 2014 by Seb Frey

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC) is set to vote on June 5th to approve the continued use through 2021 of the Santa Cruz county rail line by the Train to Christmas Town. While many families have enjoyed the seasonal attraction, granting an operational license through 2021 would effectively destroy the possibility of progress on transforming the rail corridor into a pedestrian and bicycle friendly path until 2022 at the earliest. The debate on the future of the rail corridor is far from settled, but granting a license of this duration may effectively mean that the future has been decided for us by the SCCRTC.

Anyone who is interested in converting the rail line into a pedestrian-and-bicycle path is urged to contact the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission and let them know you oppose granting a license to the Train to Christmas Town through 2021. You can email them at info@sccrtc.org. The deadline for submission of comments is June 4.

Concerned citizens are also encouraged to contact their County Supervisor. The supervisor for the Aptos area is Zach Friend. His office phone number is (831) 454-2200 and his fax number is (831) 454-3262. Supervisor Friend does sit on the board of the SCCRTC, and he can also be emailed at zach.friend@co.santa-cruz.ca.us. Members of the public are also invited to attend the SCCRTC meeting on Thursday, June 5 at 9 AM in the Watsonville City Council chambers.

See also:

  • SCCRTC June 5 meeting info
  • SCCRTC June 5 Meeting Agenda
  • Train to Christmas Town

Train to Christmas Town
Train to Christmas Town

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Rail Trail

Primary Sidebar

Brought to you by

Sebastian "Seb" Frey
Sebastian "Seb" Frey
This site is developed, maintained, and edited by Sebastian "Seb" Frey, Aptos Realtor® and author of Get It Sold!. If you'd like to have your business, event, or issue featured here, please contact me at (831) 704-6873.

Seen SebFrey.TV?

As Seen on SebFrey.TV

Aptos Home Search






Search Aptos Community News

Pages

  • Aptos on NextDoor
  • Aptos Points of Interest
  • Aptos Videos on YouTube
  • Neighborhoods of Aptos, California
    • Day Valley
    • Mar Vista Neighborhood of Aptos
    • Rio del Mar
    • Seacliff Neighborhood of Aptos
    • Seascape in Aptos
    • Seascape Uplands
    • Vienna Woods
  • Projects
    • Aptos Village Redevelopment
    • Aptos Water Supply Improvement
    • Highway 1 Widening
    • Mar Vista Bridge
    • Par 3 Golf Course in Aptos
    • Rancho del Mar Redevelopment
    • Santa Cruz Rail Trail in Aptos
    • Seacliff Village Redevelopment

Latest Places

January 2021 Aptos Real Estate Update

If you ask around, you’ll find very few people who are sad to see 2020 in the rearview mirror. In so many respects, it was an absolutely awful year, for our community and the country as a whole. At the time of this writing, the nation records its 400,000th death attributed to COVID – with […]

University of Hawaii Hilo Performing Arts Center

Copyright © 2023 Sebastian "Seb" Frey. Please see my Privacy Policy. and browse the HTML Site Map
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.