The Capitola Park Avenue Rail Trail Saga

Both Options A & B propose that the Rail Trail be a separated path between the railroad tracks and Park Ave, similar to the path pictured.

In 2022, Coastal Rail Trail Segments 10 & 11 received a $67.6 million state grant, the largest Active Transportation Grant ever awarded by California. This grant funds 4.5-miles of bicycle and pedestrian trail, including the trail alongside Park Ave in Capitola. It was a huge accomplishment for the Santa Cruz County and city staff who worked on the grant proposal.

At the February 13 Capitola City Council meeting, County and RTC staff presented their proposal for the trail segment that will run alongside Park Ave from Depot Hill to New Brighton State Beach. Staff has redesigned this project from earlier drafts to better protect monarch butterfly habitat, provide users with ocean views, and provide easy access between the neighborhoods and the trail. The project includes a 12-foot wide trail with a minimum 5-foot buffer zone between the trail and Park Avenue. The trail and buffer zone will be protected by a raised curb, similar to a sidewalk. Most importantly, with the 2022 construction grant, the trail is fully funded and ready to build. The project also includes $80,500 of street-safety improvements on Park Ave itself.

The County has offered Capitola a choice of Option A and B. The main difference is that in addition to the Rail Trail, option B also has a bike lane on the inland side of Park Ave.

Options A & B. They largely differ in whether or not they preserve the inland bike lane.

Falsehoods Generate Confusion in Capitola

In early February of 2025, Friends of the Rail & Trail heard that the Capitola Rail Trail along Park Avenue was in need of support. We sent out an action alert and more than 80 Rail & Trail supporters sent positive emails. At the February 13 Capitola City Council meeting, staff from the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) and the County of Santa Cruz presented their proposal for the trail.

Rail & Trail supporters came to that meeting and urged the Capitola Council to approve the project. Opposition was there as well. They erroneously claimed the trail would be mixing with car traffic on Park Avenue, and they brought up unrelated issues like the Capitola trestle and mobile homes elsewhere on the rail line.

The Rail Trail near Park Ave would have a significant buffer from car traffic, including being raised similar to sidewalks.

On February 13, the Capitola Council chose not to approve the Park Avenue trail, asking the County to first provide more information about all of these issues. We sent an action alert to generate more Park Ave Rail Trail support in time for the March 13 Capitola Council meeting. The call was answered with over a hundred positive emails.

On March 4, the RTC hosted an open house in Capitola and answered questions about all the projects affecting the rail corridor in Capitola. Over 200 people turned out, including lots of Rail & Trail supporters who showed their appreciation to the staff.

On April 2, the City of Capitola hosted a Town Hall meeting where again about 200 members of the community came out. At this meeting, the county and RTC staff were asked to present on 9 different topics, including the proposed trail between Park Ave and the tracks. At this meeting a key concern raised during the meeting was the potential impact on this $67 million grant. Should the city not approve the project, it would result in a significant gap in the trail. A missing section of the trail, the Park Avenue portion of segment 11, would make the overall segments 10 and 11 trail less valuable to the community. These projects extend from 17th Avenue in Live Oak, through Capitola, and end at State Park Drive in the Seacliff neighborhood. If the County is not able to build that 0.7 mile of trail, the granting agency, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) , would likely require the return of some of the funds from the $67.6 M grant our community recently earned. How much they will require to be returned is to be determined, but it could be a large amount because a .7 mile gap in a multi-community trail reduces the value of the whole project.

On April 17, the Capitola City Council will once again hear from RTC and County staff.

You might wonder why there was even a question about which way the vote will go. After all, this project is a legacy gift to the city: it will improve safety and quality of life for everyone who enjoys being outdoors in Capitola's beauty. Nonetheless, there has been enough noise and chaos from trail opponents to divide the Council on whether or not to approve the project.

We hope you’ll be there to encourage them to vote yes this time and accept this needed safety infrastructure for their town. The April 17 vote will decide whether or not there will be a section of the Rail Trail from Depot Hill to New Brighton Beach in Capitola. It could also determine whether Santa Cruz County will have to repay the $67.6 million grant for all of the segments 10 and 11 Rail Trail. The decisions made in Capitola will have repercussions for all of us county-wide.