Santa Cruz Works agreed to publish this article because we believe the development of our corridor will increase our community’s green tech solutions, economic vitality, and entrepreneurship. We are not, however, siding with any particular organization. If and when opposing organizations provide us with data and financial transparency, we will gladly post their data.

WITH OVER 16,000 SIGNATURES, VOTERS DEMAND THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD ON THE USE OF THE UNUSED RAIL CORRIDOR

Santa Cruz County, CA—December 14, 2021—YES GREENWAY today delivered over 16,000 petition signatures for the Greenway Initiative to the Santa Cruz County Clerk. This represents the largest number of signatures for a voter generated initiative in the history of Santa Cruz County. The County Clerk has 30 business days to certify the signatures.

“We are confident that we have collected sufficient signatures to qualify the Greenway Initiative for the June 7, 2022 ballot,” said Ellen Martinez, one of the original signatories to the Notice of Intent to Circulate Petition filed in July, 2021. “Over 170 volunteers for YES Greenway gathered signatures in all five Supervisorial Districts. The reception from voters was overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic.”

The Greenway Initiative offers voters the opportunity to amend Santa Cruz County’s General Plan to support building a safe, continuous, and beautiful interim trail (“Greenway”) down the center of the railbed of the unused rail corridor from the San Lorenzo Bridge in Santa Cruz to Lee Road in Watsonville. The Greenway will be used for commuting, active transportation, and recreation by pedestrians, bicycles, wheelchairs, e-bikes, skateboards, and personal e-mobility. It will include two lanes for wheeled traffic on a paved path and an adjacent walkway for pedestrians.

Future use of the corridor for rail would be preserved through railbanking, a Federal program that allows an existing rail corridor to be used as a trail and leaves certain infrastructure, including bridges and trestles, for future rail use. The current Roaring Camp railroad from Felton to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk will be protected and preserved, as will the current freight service in Watsonville.

There are existing funds available through Measure D, the sales tax dedicated to county transportation passed by voters in 2016, for development of the Greenway in the corridor. No new taxes are required.

“It’s time to give voters the opportunity to state their opinion on what to build on the unused rail corridor,” said Rowland Rebele, a resident of Dominican Oaks. “Having collected signatures myself, I know that the majority of voters want a resolution of this issue and prefer that the corridor be used now for active transportation.”

The Greenway will be part of an integrated transportation system in Santa Cruz County, one long advocated by Greenway proponents and detailed on the Santa Cruz County Greenway website: https://sccgreenway.org/transportation-position. The plan outlines extensive public transit through improved Metro, ParaCruz and Lift Line, active transportation and investments in long-neglected bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, bus-on-shoulder on Hwy 1, and active signal control on Soquel Drive to improve the movement of people throughout the county. These investments are all funded through existing Measure D funds and require no new taxes.

“We have an existing bus system that has suffered in ridership due to the pandemic, route cuts and budget issues,” said Buzz Anderson, 4th generation Santa Cruz County resident who lives in Live Oak. “We need to invest in Metro, ParaCruz and Lift Line. We need to improve Hwy 1. And we need to build the most beautiful and safe active transportation corridor in the world. That’s a vision worth getting behind!”

The Santa Cruz County Counsel’s impartial Title and Summary of the Greenway Initiative and the full text of the proposed Amendment to the General Plan are available on the YES GREENWAY website:
https://www.yes-greenway.org/

For press inquiries, contact: Jack Brown, 831-219-8775

ABOUT YES GREENWAY

YES GREENWAY is the committee formed to gather signatures and pass the Greenway Initiative, FPPC # 1439610.