(The following story by Tom Ragan appeared on the Santa Cruz Sentinel website on January 28.)
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Union Pacific security officers were nowhere to be seen, and no citations were issued.
Many of the protesters were members of People Power, a local group that endorses sustainable forms of transportation and supports turning the 32-mile railroad corridor from Davenport to Watsonville into a “rail-trail.” Union Pacific and the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission are in negotiations for the commission to buy the rail line from Union Pacific, then hire a short-line operator to handle the freight business, said Neal Coonerty, a Santa Cruz County supervisor who took part in the protest.
“This railroad line would be a great asset to Santa Cruz County, and we’ve got to cut a deal soon,” Coonerty said.
Though the commission in November 2004 agreed to purchase the corridor for $19 million, the deal has not been finalized and the purchase price is still in dispute, Coonerty said.
People Power’s Micah Posner said he believes Union Pacific’s announcement two weeks ago to start enforcing the right of way along the tracks is an attempt to remind residents that the property is not publicly owned despite the fact many bicyclists and walkers use the right of way to travel through neighborhoods.
While the tracks are used across the county, they are heavily traveled in specific areas such as Santa Cruz’s Seabright neighborhood, Live Oak, Capitola and near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Though there are signs that clearly state, “No trespassing” or “Keep away from the tracks,” people use them often due to the infrequent trips of the freight train.
The train passes through the county roughly three days a week, whether it’s en route to the cement plant in Davenport or it’s hauling the cement back to the Pajaro junction, where it is routed elsewhere.
Though the tracks may be used just a few times a week, that doesn’t mean the rail line is any less dangerous than a more-traveled stretch, said Zoe Richmond, a spokeswoman for Union Pacific in Sacramento.
She said the reason behind the stepped-up enforcement is because California leads the nation in trespassing fatalities. In 2006, she said, there were 87 deaths due to trespassing across the Golden State.
“The big disclaimer in all this is that fines can be up to $2,000,” she said. “Mostly they’re going to be between $300 and $400, except for repeat offenders or people who end up playing chicken with the train.”
Last fall, a Santa Cruz man lost his leg near Seascape Resort in Aptos after he was struck by a freight car. But for the most part, Santa Cruz County receives very few accident reports on the tracks, though the county Sheriff’s Office has fielded calls of people partying near the tracks, according to Fred Plageman, a spokesman for the office.
Will Scott, 19, a Cabrillo College student who was on hand for Sunday’s demonstration, said he loves to walk the tracks from Seabright to a friend’s house on the Westside.
“It’s shortcut. It’s the quickest way to get there,” said Scott, who doesn’t own a car. “Walking along the railroad tracks is the classic American pastime.”
Scott could barely contain his laughter at the thought of receiving a ticket and trying to pay it off. The joke lately among those who walk the tracks is that if enough people were to get together and get fined for trespassing, the money raised would be enough to help the Transportation Commission once purchase the corridor.
The commission is expected to take up the matter at its Thursday meeting, Coonerty said.