TRAIL FUNDED! $103M Awarded for Rail Trail Construction
We’re so excited to announce that the latest Coastal Rail Trail grant applications have been a huge success. Both the City of Santa Cruz...
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Dec 1, 20222 min read
RTC Approves Electric Rail Next Step!
Moving Forward with Rail Planning Thanks to community support for expanding our transportation system to include both a trail AND...
Jul 31, 20223 min read
Where’s my Stop? Planning the Next Step for Electric Rail!
A quick guide to the rail design process that Santa Cruz County will take over the next few years.
Jul 10, 20224 min read
NO on D Election Landslide: Next Steps for Rail & Trail
On June 7 2022, the Santa Cruz County electorate came together with an outpouring of support for keeping the current plan to have both...
Apr 27, 20226 min read
20 Years of Progress Blocked by Anti-Transit Organization Greenway
In 2002, over 20 years ago, the Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail & Trail was established with the mission of manifesting a paved...
Mar 15, 20222 min read
History of the Rail & Trail Project: Progress VS Obstruction
Last Updated: 9/5/2022 The Vision In 2002, a small group of citizen activists recognized the potential for the Santa Cruz Branch Rail...
Mar 13, 20229 min read
Bay Area Transit Org Issues Scathing Greenway Statement
TRANSDEF: County Analysis Fails to Address Greenway Harms The Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund, known as TRANSDEF, is...
Feb 12, 20225 min read
RTC Meeting Shocker
The February 3 Regional Transportation Commission meeting turned into a proxy battle surrounding the June “trail only” Greenway ballot...
Feb 11, 20222 min read
Rail Transit is Feasible
Some recent press coverage has stated that rail transit is unfeasible. The data shows otherwise. All of the past studies conducted by...
Feb 10, 20222 min read
Santa Cruz City Council Opposes Abandoning Freight Lines
Good Times By Aiyana Moya The Santa Cruz City Council unanimously voted to oppose the potential abandoning of freight service on the...
Feb 10, 20227 min read
The ‘Rail Trail’ Movement, Explained—and What it Means For Rail in Santa Cruz County
California Local By Jonathan Vankin Sometime in 1865, 15 years after Santa Cruz became one of California’s original 27 counties, a group...
Feb 10, 20223 min read
Railbanking Sleight of Hand
Guest Post by Paul Schoellhamer Railbanking is a real thing, but some of the claims being made about it here in Santa Cruz County have...
Feb 9, 20226 min read
Schiffrin: Freight Abandonment Could Kill Rail for Good
Transcript by California Local Andy Schiffrin, who served for 40 years as an administrative analyst for the Santa Cruz County Board of...
Jan 26, 20222 min read
SLV Fire Officials Respond to RTC: Oppose Forced Abandonment of the Felton Branch Line
Dear Supervisor McPherson and members of the SCCRTC: We write you today to urge you not to proceed with any efforts to abandon freight...
Jan 24, 20224 min read
Roaring Camp’s Future in Question: Transportation Commission Considers Forced Abandonment
SLV Post By Jayme Ackemann In January, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that thanks to surplus budget revenues and a massive federal...
Jan 22, 20222 min read
"Adverse Abandonment": Felton Branch
Last week during the January RTC meeting, it became clear that the rumors we had heard about the RTC seeking “adverse abandonment” were...
Nov 18, 20211 min read
Speak For Change With Thomas Sage Pedersen
Ep.113: Faina Segal | Why Santa Cruz County Needs a Rail & Trail ICYMI: Here’s a download of what’s going on with the Rail & Trail...
Nov 12, 20213 min read
Clean energy Coast Futura rail demo met with excitement, hope for the future
Spanning two weekends — one each in Watsonville and Santa Cruz — the clean-energy, all-electric light rail vehicle gave the community a ...
Oct 31, 20213 min read
Accusations Abound as Electric Streetcar Demo Rolls Out
San Lorenzo Valley Post By Jayme Ackemann A private excursion train operator is hosting a demonstration project for one vision of rail...
Aug 3, 20218 min read
Case Against Greenway in Santa Cruz. Or… DO NOT SUPPORT THE GREENWAY FRAUD!
Jim Weller, expert land title consultant, sent the following report about Rail and Trail and Greenway to a few outlets including...
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