The following paragraphs deal with my personal proposal for a Light Rail system for Santa Cruz County. Below you can access a map of my proposal. I will repeat that this is my personal proposal and is not official nor endorced by anyone remotely connected to California or Santa Cruz County government.
The idea of constructing a light rail system to meet the needs of Santa Cruz County residents has been floated around by Santa Cruz city councilmembers for many years, with little fanfare, action, or concrete proposals. Not until recently would the process for such a system begin to take shape. In the Santa Cruz County Major Transportation Investment Study (MTIS) of 1998, the possible option of using the existing Union Pacific rail corridor for cross-county travel was exlored but rejected due to excessive cost.
As a result of this recent spike in interest for a light rail system, I tried to come up with my own light rail system, one that I feel might attract more people than the ones explored in the MTIS. My belief is that no rail system of any type will work along the existing Union Pacific rail right of way, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the existing line is only one track--a viable light rail line must be two-way. Second, it can't attract many San Jose commuters because it does not connect up with the Highway 17 Express bus. This was proven by the MTIS, which found that the vast majority of riders on the studied rail systems would board between Capitola and Santa Cruz, but not Aptos, where many Highway 17 commuters live. Third, there are few places between Watsonville and Santa Cruz where there is enough room near the tracks to build a station or a park & ride lot, which limits the oportunity for people in between those cities to board the line. And finally, some of the most vocal oposition to the light rail line has come from Seascape residents whose homes were allowed to be built right next to the rail line by the County planners. They complain of noise from increased use of the line, and also their home's proximity to the rail line makes putting the necessary parallel track impossible.
Because of all the problems with the existing rail corridor, I explored other alignments for a light rail line that did not have any of those problems, as well as being attractive to all of the many groups of people I mentioned previously in the two previous section who must become riders of such a system in order to make it economically viable. I even one posted an earlier version of this light rail system from my Santa Cruz Streets page. After some more though and optimization, I came up with the system depicted to the right. (Click on it to see a larger version.) This system, combined with Highway 1 and other road improvements, and improved and optimized bus service, could be the best and most comprehensive way to improve county transportation. Could be.
But, as in all things in life, there were some problems that went along with the good. To explain ths better, I present a table listing the pros and cons of such a light rail system as I have proposed, from my point of view:
| Pro | Con |
|---|---|
| 1. Fuel efficent | 1. Expensive to build and operate and maintain |
| 2. Faster than bus service | 2. May make further widening of Hwy. 1 impossible |
| 3. More bike friendly than bus service | 3. Requires complete rebuild of Fishhook to fit light rail in |
| 4. More passenger eficent than bus service | 4. May not get enough ridership to be economically viable |
| 5. Better "atmosphere" in light rail car than bus | |
| 6. More people would be attracted to light rail than bus service along same route |
As you can see, light rail has many benefits over bus service, but has many major problems not preset with bus service. Light rail is more fuel efficient than busses as it uses electricity instead of gasolene or desiel. Light rail is also faster than bus service because light rail cars are in a dedicated right of way. (Bus systems can be set up in this manner, but usually run in the same lanes as regular traffic, and must exit the freeway to pick up passengers.) Light rail is also more bike friendly, as light rail cars can be modified to hold more bicycles than busses. (An example is the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency system, where light rail cars can handle up to 4 bikes per car, but busses can only hold two. Santa Cruz Metro busses can also only hold 2 bikes.) Light rail cars also have a better "atmosphere" than busses--they are generally cleaner, more open, less cramped, have wider aisles, less jerky when stopping, and are overall simply a more pleasant ride and experience than a similar ride in a bus. All of these benefits will increase the appeal and ridership of a light rail system versus a bus system, and will be more attractive to current drivers and even tourists.
But, alas, there are major problems with a light rail implementation in Santa Cruz County. I feel that the best way to attract and keep ridership to a light rail system is to align it down Highway 1, with stops and park & rides at major intersections, such as in my previous bus system. This is the best way to attract and give access to the largest percentage of new and existing riders, and also to make the system as fast and efficient as possible. However, it also creates major problems. First, light rail systems are very expensive to build and operate and maintain, a major concern for our county. Second, there it no or little possibility of fitting both a light rail line and widening of Highway 1 into the existing right of way. It might be possible in some areas to do both, but it would require many new retaining walls, sound walls, retrofitting of all over and underpasses along the highway, and demolition of homes and businesses that sit too close to the freeway. As I have mentioned before, no alternative transportation system, not even my light rail system, can take away enough cars from the freeway to competely eliminate the need for a widened Highway 1 in either the short or long term. In addition, a new light rail system would requre major and possilby compete rebuilding of the Fishhook interchange. If the interchange is not competely rebuilt, flyover ramps for the light rail line that are at least as high as those rejected in previous Fishhook proposals would be required. If the Fishhook is eventually rebuilt after construction of the light rail line, the rail line would have to be rebuilt to avoid new flyover ramps that would have to go above the light rail flyover ramps. Plus, to make the system more direct, the two main light rail lines I propose must connect to each other to avoid unnecessary transfers for people who are commuting from Mid and South County to the County Government Center and Downtown Santa Cruz, which would be nearly impossible with large flyover ramps and the existing Fishhook intersection alignment. With today's political winds and cost concerns, rebuilding the Fishhook is out of the question.
Finally, and probably most importantly, our county's current size may not generate enough ridership to make a light rail system cost effective versus bus service, even including all of the groups of people who could be potential riders. While light rail will attract more riders than a similar bus service, the increase in ridership cannot offset the vast diffence in cost between creation of light rail and bus services, especially at the present time. Many communities with as expansive a light rail system as would be needed for our county have populations that are many times larger than ours. Thus, their investment, while probably attracting a smaller percentage of their population than what is possible here in Santa Cruz County, will attract a larger total volume of riders due to their larger overall population.
I don't want to advocate a system that will end up failing miserably, and despite all of the many plusses a light rail system would have, I cannot ignore the many problems that could plague such a system. Thus, as I mentioned previously in the bus system section, I cannot support a light rail or any intra-county rail system. I do advocate a widening of Highway 1 (at least in terms of auxiliary lanes) in combination with increased and targeted bus service. It provides the most cost-effective and promising way to improve county transportation at this time, and is also the most flexible system for future changes and improvements.
Until such a time as light rail will become feasible, I shall post for your review my proposed light rail system for Santa Cruz County. It is a variation from the first proposal I posted on this web site.
While more stops could be added along Main Street, I only initially will propose one, at the corner of Main and Green Valley Road, near Watsonville Square. This station will serve as the first Park and Ride station within Watsonville, where passengers can park at Watsonville Square and the new nearby Target and then walk up to the station to catch the light rail train. This stop is also relatively close to the West Marine business center at Harkins Slough Road and Highway 1, allowing easy commutes down from Santa Cruz and Mid County.
The rail line next continues up Main Street and into the median of Highway 1, towards the final Watsonville station at Airport Boulevard. This stop will also have a nearby Park and Ride, which could be built in the vicinity of the Larkin Valley Road/Airport Boulevard intersection. This stop is also a short walk from the Westgate business park and Watsonville Community Hospital.
Between Watsonville and Santa Cruz, the light rail line would be located in the median of Highway 1. No stations are planned between Watsonville and Aptos. One could be placed at San Andreas Road near Seascape if those residents wanted one, but I would doubt at this point that there would be enough of a demand there to justify the cost of a station.
I have planned for three stations in Aptos. The first would be located at Rio Del Mar Boulevard, with Park and Ride facilities located at Deer Park Center. The second would be at State Park Drive, and would have Park and Ride facilities at Rancho Del Mar Center. Both stops would be aimed towards residents heading to work in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, and San Jose (after connecting up with the Highway 17 Express bus).
I propose three stations in Capitola. First would be the Cabrillo College station, which would be located just east of Park Avenue. This station would be within easy walking distance from Cabrillo College for students, employees, sports games (at the sports field), and special events (like high school graduations). A pedestrian bridge would be created to connect the station to Cabrillo College Drive to the north, as well as to the Park and Ride on McGregor Drive next to New Brighton State Beach to the south.
The second station would be at 41st Avenue. This stop would feature a Park and Ride facility at the nearby K-Mart, as well as bus or shuttle service to nearby Capitola Mall. The third stop would be at Bay Avenue/Porter Street ("Soquel" on my map), with a Park and Ride at the site of the now dead Redtree development. These will give access to the system for Captola and Soquel residents, as well as allow other county residents to access the Capitola Mall, Capitola and Soquel Villages, the County Office of Education, and other businesses in the area.
The next stop would be located at Soquel Drive. This stop would also feature a Park and Ride facility, namely the existing one off Paul Sweet Road. As this Park and Ride also is serviced by the Highway 17 Express bus, this station would be one of three possible transfer points for the bus service to Downtown San Jose.
The rail line would continue west to the Fishhook towards a station at Ocean Street Extension. A part of the original Fishhook proposal was to add a Park and Ride facility at Ocean Street and Ocean Street Extension. If such a facility is ever built, it will service this light rail station and act as a transfer point to the Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley/Felton line, as well as to the Highway 17 Express if the bus's route is adjusted to service this lot. I would prefer that a direct link between the main line and the Downtown Santa Cruz line be created to allow some direct access between Downtown Santa Cruz and Downtown Watsonville, but it could be eliminated to reduce costs and replaced by adjusting the times of both lines to both reach the Ocean Street station within a few minutes of each other for easy transfers.
Next, the rail line would continue out to River Street, then go north on River Street/Highway 9, then turn down Encinal Street. A new station at Sylvania would service the entire Harvey West business park area, as well as Costco. Connections with the existing rail line would be made to allow rail cars to ride along the existing tracks back to the proposed Metro facility on the Westside of Santa Cruz for storage and maintenace.
Finally, the line would continue west on Encinal then up the hill onto Glen Coolidge Drive at UCSC. After traveling north on Glen Coolidge, the final stop and end of the light rail line would be at Glen Coolidge and Hagar Drive, near Merrill and Cowell Colleges. Connections could be made with existing bus and shuttle services on campus.
The Santa Cruz line would start at the Wharf near Beach Street and Pacific Avenue. A possible extension to the Cocoanut Grove along the existing rail tracks is feasible, but not included in this proposal because it would require a second rail line parallel to the existing track and other major upgrades. A connection with the existing rail line would be made to allow rail cars to ride along the existing tracks back to the proposed Metro facility on the Westside of Santa Cruz for storage and maintenace.
The line would go up Pacific Avenue with a possible stop at the proposed Multimodal Station at Pacific and Washington. The stop will only be created if the Multimodal Station is built. Next, the line continues up Pacific Avenue and Front Street to a stop at the Metro Center, allowing easy transfers to the Santa Cruz bus lines. Other stations would be located at Soquel Avenue and at Cooper Street, for easy access to the Pacific Garden Mall, the McPherson Art and History Museum, existing and under construction parking garages, Front Street businesses, and the Downtown and beach area shuttles I proposed back in the bus system section. This access will help decrease vehicle trips and parking burdens from tourists and those who work in the area.
Finally, the light rail line would continue split, with northbound trains heading up River Street to Water Street, and Southbound trains continuing on Water Street to Front Street. The line then continues down Water Stret to the County Government Center station near the Court House. This stop would be helpful for aleviating parking problems in this area due to workers at the Court House and County Building, as well as other people needing to go to either place. The line then continues north up Ocean Street to the Ocean Street Station in the median of either Ocean Street or the ramp to Northbound Highway 17.
This would be a continuation of the Santa Cruz line continuing from the Ocean Street station up through the Fishhook interchange toward Scotts Valley and Felton along the Highway 17 median. The first station possibly could be located at Pasatiempo, which will service an existing Park and Ride facility and again allow connections to the Highway 17 Express, but demand may not be high enough there to justify building it. The line would continue up Highway 17 all the way to Scotts Valley, where it veers off the highway and onto Mount Hermon Road.
My first definite station on this line would be in front of Kings Village shopping center, and would serve as a fourth connection point for transfers to the Highway 17 Express. The existing Scotts Valley Park and Ride, as well as the Kings Village parking areas would serve as Park and Ride facilities for this station. The line would then continue along Mount Hermon Road through the mountains and over to Felton, where a final stop would be located near Felton Faire at the corner of Mount Hermon Road and Graham Hill Road. The existing parking facilities at Felton Faire will serve as a Park and Ride for Felton and San Lorenzo Valley commuters. This stop will also serve as a major transfer point to busses in the San Lorenzo Valley area, as Felton Faire is already an unofficial Felton transit depot due to the many bus lines which start, end, and pass through it.
An option for an alternate route to the Highway 17/Mount Hermon line or an express bus/shuttle route would be the Scotts Valley line, which would run along Scotts Valley Drive between Mount Hermon Road and Granite Creek Road. The first stop would be at the intersection of Scotts Valley Drive and Mount Hermon Road, and would act as the transfer point for the Highway 17 Express and other busses if the Mount Hermon alignment to Felton is abandoned in favor of this Scotts Valley line. The next stop would be at Civic Center Drive, for access to both businesses and the Scotts Valley governmental offices. Finally, a stop at Granite Creek Road would serve the north Scotts Valley businesses and residences. None of these stops would feature nearby Park and Ride lots, simply due to the fact that there are no large parking lots or large tracts of land that could become parking lots along this route. However, Park and Ride lots, especially at the Granite Creek Road station, would vastly increase the ridership on the Scotts Valley line.
What, no Westside Santa Cruz Line?
To those of you who live on the west side of Santa Cruz and wonder why I neglected to extend my light rail line through that part of town, this section is devoted to you. I myself grew up on the Westside, and know well the traffic problems on Mission Street and other corridors. However, despite the fact that the Westside is the home of some of the most ardent supporters of light rail, the Westside is simply not suited for light rail. Why? Well, for one, it's too residential. The Westside residential areas are so spread out that no one light rail alignment would be close enough to enough people to make it economically feasible. The Westside would be well-suited to a light rail system like the one I proposed for the Aptos area, where there are just a few stops at major crossroads that feature Park and Ride facilities. The stations and Park and Ride lots serve as collectors for a large area, and thus attract enough passengers to make the station and light rail line worth building.
"Well, then," you might say, "why not do something like that down Mission Street?" The plus side of that would be that Mission Street is easily accessable from all parts of the Westside, so attracting enough passengers to the stations shouldn't be a problem. However, there's nowhere on Mission Street to place the Park and Ride lots, meaning everyone will have to either walk, ride their bike, or take the bus to the station, and I don't think it would be posible to attract enough riders that way, especially from the Westlake and University Terrace areas. Plus, Mission Street generates a lot of traffic from drivers just traveling within the city, such as to Safeway and Downtown, and I don't think many people will choose light rail over driving if they have to drive, ride, or bike half of the total distance to their destination anyways just to get to the light rail station. (This is part of the reason why I think the existing bus system in Santa Cruz County is so little-used percentagewise versus cars for getting around the county.)
Comments? Questions? Corrections?
E-mail Jeff Waller (mapman@got.net)
