What Three Independent Reviews of the ZEPRT Study Found Friends of the Rail & Trail reviewed the RTC's Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail study carefully. Then, to make sure we were reading it correctly, we reviewed the analysis of two independent expert teams as well. All three reviews reached the same conclusion: the ZEPRT cost estimates are not a reflection of what passenger rail in Santa Cruz County actually costs. They are a reflection of what the RTC leadership dire

by Friends of the Rail and Trail Local Transportation Agency Putting Both Rail and Trail at Risk After years of advancing a Rail & Trail project that would preserve the rail corridor while building a continuous trail, in December of 2026 the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) shifted toward pursuing a trail-only approach for the Mid-County corridor. That change has created new legal and regulatory questions that could ultimately delay the trail and jeo

The Grand Jury asked the right questions, but not all of them The 2026 Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury report on the Rail & Trail project raises important concerns about how the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) has managed the project over the years. Its focus on accountability, project management, and financial transparency is welcome. Residents deserve confidence that major public investments are being planned responsibly. But while the report a

While construction continues on the North Coast Trail, the future of the Mid-County Trail has become far less certain.

The hybrid trail-with-rail model is truly a win-win-win because it protects the vital trail grant funds, stays true to the will of the voters and strongly positions our community for future funding to support rail transit.

Two civil engineers, both registered Professional Engineers (P.E.) with the State of California, review an Excel spreadsheet of capital costs created for SCCRTC

Rail and transit advocates gathered near the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line tracks in Live Oak on Wednesday to rally in support of passenger rail, and to urge the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission not to remove any of the existing tracks as planners work to develop designs for 8 miles of trail between the San Lorenzo River trestle bridge and State Park Drive in Aptos.

LIVE OAK — Dozens of local transit advocates gathered in Live Oak Wednesday to kick off what they called a “summer of action to save the tracks” along the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line.

Meet the Friends of the Rail and Trail and learn about the May 20th Rally!

Friends of the Rail & Trail supports improving our public transit infrastructure and we support the efforts of Friends of Metro to put a funding measure on the November ballot to support our local bus service.

Hybrid Rail-With-Trail design is feasible, affordable, and delivers the full trail length in the grants within the required timeline.

Santa Cruz County Rail & Trail Election Guide - Candidate Survey

Santa Cruz County has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to move forward with rail transit now, using tools that already exist and funding pathways that are already in motion.

Compare per-mile costs for SMART’s and SBCTA’s operating passenger rail services to the projected per-mile cost of ZEPRT.

Update from December 4th RTC Meeting. What decisions were made and what's next.

The Santa Cruz–Watsonville rail segment is part of the Central Coast Corridor, which was selected for Federal Corridor ID status in 2023. This program gives our Rail project state and federal sponsorship and access to non-competitive grant funding.

Sally Arnold describes Friends of Rail & Trail, recent opening of new trail serving the Westside, actions yet to come on Santa Cruz Voice's Community Matters podcast.

Community members, local leaders, and hundreds of Bay View Elementary students packed into La Barranca Park on Bay Street in Santa Cruz Wednesday morning for the official opening ceremony for the Segment 7, Phase II portion of the Coastal Rail Trail.

Stay updated with the latest Rail Trail construction updates. More than 14 additional miles of the rail trail are expected to be...

Much is being made of the recent estimate that bridge replacements along the community-owned Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line could cost $980,000 each, or close to $1 billion. In the context of our daily lives, $1 billion certainly does sound like a lot. But in terms of transportation projects, it’s not an unusual amount.