Greenway trying to hoodwink voters

In recent weeks, I have decided to do a little investigative digging and wanted to settle the question that Greenway and Trail Now constantly peddle; Is a trail cheaper than repairing the train tracks? The short answer is absolutely not, and here is why.

According to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, it would cost between $55 million and $65 million to repair the tracks to reopen for freight traffic. The reason I bring this up is that commuter rail should be the second stage for the line reopening. Have the freight trains run with the tax dollars coming in and then use those profits to then build stations and enact the new commuter service. However, repairing the line for local freight and an expansion of tourist trains to Davenport or Capitola is more than possible. Now Greenway's website states that it would cost between $2 million to $3 million per mile to build a trail on top of the former tracks with the existing infrastructure. Assuming that the estimates are at the highest, the cost to repair the branch would be $65 million. In contrast, the cost to build a brand new trail on the trackbed would cost $96 million. Even if you were to lower the cost to build the trail and repair the tracks to $2 million and $55 million respectively, it would still cost $64 million for the trail and $55 million to repair the tracks.

Let me pose a question then; It is really worth it to spend more than $60 million to build a new trail when there are more than 150 more trails in this county for bikers and pedestrians to use? Why do we need 151?

But how was Greenway able to hoodwink, bamboozle and deceive so many in this county? The answer is simple; It is all about the wording. On Greenway's official website, they state. “The cost of greenway is much cheaper, projected at $2-$3 million per mile, as a greenway plan would use all the existing trestles and infrastructure.”In theory, this doesn't sound that bad. But if they stated that the cost would be $96 million in total, it would drive away support. They wouldn't say that. Why would they? They are trying to drum up support so they intentionally misdirect people with the way the math of the information is presented for the cost of the project.

Greenway and Trail Now have looked into the eyes of their supporters and the people of this county and have not presented an accurate picture. It comes down to the people in the county getting all the facts not fabrications.