Coastal Rail Trail Ribbon Cutting Event Scheduled for May 21

The City of Santa Cruz Public Works Department will host a ribbon cutting event for the Coastal Rail Trail Segment 7 Phase II on Wednesday, May 21, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at La Barranca Park. The event will mark the trail’s official opening and feature remarks from local leadership, a celebratory trail walk with Bayview Elementary School students, educational activities, and light refreshments.

The Coastal Rail Trail Segment 7 Phase II project is a 0.8-mile-long paved bicycle and pedestrian path between Bay Street/California Street and Pacific Avenue/Beach Street. It runs along the coastal side of the existing rail line and is designed for walkers and bikers of all age groups and abilities. The project provides a connection to the popular Beach Street bikeway, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and Municipal Wharf.

The project connects to the recently completed Coastal Rail Trail Segment 7 Phase I, which serves over 800 active transportation users per day. Together, Phase I and Phase II create 2.1 miles of the Coastal Rail Trail spine between Natural Bridges Drive and Pacific Avenue at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. The two-phase trail will connect over 30,000 residents who live within one mile of the project to schools, work, beaches, shopping and other activity centers.

To complement the trail, the state Active Transportation Program also funded an innovative “vertical” non-infrastructure program at Bay View Elementary School, providing active transportation education and encouragement at every grade level for the first time in Santa Cruz City Schools. This education and encouragement helps the next generation of walkers and bikers travel safely on our roadways.

About the Coastal Rail Trail
Managed by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, the Coastal Rail Trail is part of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network, a 50-mile bicycle and pedestrian pathway that will span the length of Santa Cruz County and spur trails connecting to neighborhoods, schools, parks, coastal access areas, transit hubs, commercial centers, and existing trails. The network’s “spine” will be the Coastal Rail Trail, a bicycle and pedestrian trail within the 32-mile Santa Cruz Branch Rail right-of-way, adjacent to the train tracks. Segments 7, 8, and 9 of the Coastal Rail Trail run through the City of Santa Cruz.

National Public Works Week
The Coastal Rail Trail Ribbon Cutting event takes place during National Public Works Week (May 18-24), which honors the public works professionals who plan, design, build, manage, and operate the infrastructure that ensures a higher quality of life for our communities. This year’s theme, “People, Purpose, Presence,” highlights three cornerstone ideals that motivate public works professionals to serve in their communities every day.