WATSONVILLE, Calif. — The agency examining a transit plan, including commuter rail, for Santa Cruz County has deferred its decision until January.
At a Nov. 15 meeting, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission voted unanimously to wait until its Jan. 17 meeting to decide whether to adopt a $950-million plan that includes a $340 commuter rail component. The decision had originally been scheduled for Dec. 6, but several members of the commission pleaded for more time, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reports.
The rail plan involves the 32-mile Santa Cruz Branch Rail line, which runs parallel to State Route 1 from Watsonville to the coastal community of Davenport, north of Santa Cruz. The rail route, which runs within a mile of about half of the 275,000 residents of Santa Cruz County, would share its right-of-way with a pedestrian and bicycle trail. The commission bought the rail line from Union Pacific in 2010 for $14.2 million, with $11 million coming from the state because of the commuter plan. If the commission decides against commuter rail, it will have to repay the state money.
The Sentinel reports that speakers at the Nov. 15 meeting were evenly split for and against the rail project, with many opponents concerned with cost while proponents are seeking an alternative to gridlock-plagued commutes.
