Purpose: This study undertaken by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation
Commission (SCCRTC), the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC), and the Federal Transit
Administration (FTA)was designed to evaluate the potential for coordinated passenger rail service
between Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, with links to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Need: Both counties have determined that there is existing and expected future
demand for travel to and from the San Francisco Bay Area. Current travel patterns also indicate
the potential need for transit services between the two counties, not only for tourist travel,
but also for efficient commuter and student transportation between the many educational and research
facilities around the Monterey Bay. This project proposed three scenarios for coordinated passenger
rail service that would provide a framework for future economic development consistent with the goals
of the region.
Results: Projected ridership for the weekend service between the San Francisco
and Monterey Bay area (Santa Cruz and Monterey combined) was determined to be 2,125 passengers
per day in the year 2015. Projected ridership on the daily Santa Cruz to Monterey/Seaside service
is estimated to be 4,100 daily trips in 2015 with 12 daily round trips. In addition, self-propelled
diesel multiple unit (DMU) technology would be viable in this corridor due to the technology's high
degree of flexibility and lower operating cost.
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