(The Santa Cruz Sentinel posted the following article by Ramona Turner on its website on April 4.)
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Alternative transportation supporters in the county have been lobbying for it. Now, they are one baby step closer to getting it.
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission gave the thumbs up to drawing up a draft application for Proposition 116 Clean Air and Transportation Improvement Act money to help buy the Union Pacific rail line between Davenport and Watsonville.
About $11 million is available from the voter-approved proposition for the agency to buy the rail line and perhaps run a recreation trolley between Capitola-Aptos. The commission has $10 million saved. While negotiations with Union Pacific continue, as they have since the early-1990s, the approximate asking price is $22 million.
Several community members urged the commission to adopt the resolution and move the long-awaited project forward.
“This is a great opportunity,” said Cliff Walters of Roaring Camp Railroad, noting that the commission should explore having the trolley run along the entire length of the line. “We can provide rail services as we have been for 40 years in Santa Cruz.”
Another speaker, who identified himself only as Greg, noted that train tracks are within walking distance of every tourist attraction in the county and having a recreational rail system built on them would be a great way to get visitors, as well as locals, out of their cars.
With that, the commission voted to study the possibility of running a trolley the entire length of the line and negotiating points brought up by Commissioner Tony Campos at their Transportation Policy Workshop on April 17.
A public hearing will be held May 1 to look over the draft application. The location and time of that hearing have yet to be announced.
For information, call 460-3200 or go online to www.sccrtc.org.