The 32-mile Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line is a continuous transportation corridor offering tremendous potential for new mobility options for residents and visitors alike. The rail line is designated as active and spans the county from Davenport to Watsonville, running parallel to the Highway 1 corridor and the coast, and connecting into state and other regional rail lines in Pajaro. This important transportation corridor is within one mile of more than 90 parks, 40 schools and over half of the county’s population (per census blocks). Construction of the rail line from Santa Cruz to Watsonville was completed in 1876. In October 2012, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission took ownership of the line using voter-approved rail system expansion funding (California Proposition 116), bringing this transportation resource into public ownership to increase transportation options. More information on this rail corridor is available on the the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission website (web attachment).
On October 3, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission approved a contract with HDR to perform an Alternatives Analysis for high capacity public transit on the rail right of way. The Alternatives Analysis will evaluate public transit investment options that provide an integrated transit network for Santa Cruz County utilizing all or part of the length of the rail right-of-way between the Pajaro/Watsonville train Station and Shaffer Road as a dedicated transit facility, adjacent to the proposed Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail. A performance-based planning approach based on a triple bottom line sustainability framework will be utilized to assess various public transit options for the rail right of way. Transit alternatives will be compared to define a viable project that will provide the greatest benefit to the Santa Cruz County residents, businesses and visitors in terms of equity, environment and economy. Proposed future inter-county and inter-regional connections to the Bay Area, Monterey, Gilroy, and beyond will be considered. HDR's proposal for the alternatives analysis is available online (web attachment).