State awards $115 million for transportation projects
Transportation planners in Santa Cruz County have been hard at work and statewide authorities have taken notice in a big way.
The California Transportation Commission approved more than $115 million in grant funding through its Active Transportation Program for six transportation projects throughout the county, according to a release from the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission.
The lion's share of that funding — an estimated $105 million — will go to constructing almost 7 miles of the Coastal Rail Trail. The four segments will stretch through “the heart of Santa Cruz County” from the city of Santa Cruz to the Seacliff neighborhood.
“This is a big win for Santa Cruz County,” Commission Executive Director Guy Preston said in the release. “The Coastal Rail Trail projects are going to transform the way people travel through our county and will benefit generations of bicyclists and pedestrians. This is a great example of how voter-approved local funding can leverage larger state and federal grants.”
According to the release, funds from the county's 2016 Measure D sales tax were used to provide a local match to leverage the state's funding program.
The grant means that Rail Trail segments 8, 9, 10 and 11 are now fully funded and progress will continue on the dedicated, multiuse bicycle and pedestrian track along the commission's 32-mile Branch Rail Line connecting both ends of the county.
All four segments are currently in environmental and design phases.
In addition to the Rail Trail segments, the city of Watsonville received $6.9 million for its Safe Routes to Downtown Watsonville project and the city of Santa Cruz was awarded $2.9 million for the construction of a multi-use path on the city's westside.
The county's Health and Human Services Agency received $1.8 million for its Safe Routes for Watsonville School Families and Community program and UC Santa Cruz was provided $700,000 for Phase 2 of its “SlugBikeLife” bike safety and Education Program Phase 2 to develop a robust, culturally inclusive and safe bicycle program surrounding its campus.
The $115 million in awards received by Santa Cruz County through the state commission's grant program represents 13% of the $1.02 billion in total funding provided to 93 active transportation projects this cycle.