Public comments open for Santa Cruz Rail Trail Segment 12 Draft EIR
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) will hold a public hearing to solicit community input on the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment (DEIR/EA) for the proposed Coastal Rail Trail Segment 12 Project and Highway 1 Auxiliary Lane/Bus-on-Shoulder project.
The proposed project includes construction of northbound and southbound auxiliary lanes between the State Park Drive and Freedom Boulevard interchanges on Highway 1, extends the bus-on-shoulder facility by 2.5 miles, widens the Highway 1 bridge over Aptos Creek and Spreckles Drive, reconstructs the north Aptos and south Aptos railroad underpasses, and constructs drainage facilities, retaining walls, and sound walls. The project also includes the construction of an approximate 1.25-mile-long segment of the Coastal Rail Trail (Segment 12) along the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line between State Park Drive and Rio del Mar Boulevard.
The DEIR/EA identifies the project’s potential impacts and potential avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures. A public hearing will be held to provide the public with the opportunity to learn more about the project’s environmental process and submit comments for consideration in the Final EIR/EA.
View the DEIR/EA documents online at the SCCRTC project website; at the RTC office at 1101 Pacific Ave., Ste. 250, Santa Cruz (located upstairs from my favorite ice cream shop in Santa Cruz); and at the Capitola, Live Oak, and Watsonville public libraries.
The hearing takes place during the Santa Cruz County board meeting at 9:30 AM, Thursday June 1, 2023, at the County Board of Supervisors Chambers, 701 Ocean St., Rm 525, Santa Cruz, CA. During this meeting, the RTC commission will also receive information about a proposed GO Santa Cruz County Bicycle Incentives program that was discussed during the Santa Cruz bike committee meeting earlier this month.
If you cannot make the hearing, written comments may also be submitted by mail to Lara Bertaina, Department of Transportation, 50 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, or by email to lara.bertaina@dot.ca.gov. All comments must be received by 5 p.m. on June 2, 2023.