Highway 9/San Lorenzo Valley Complete Streets Program
SLV Program Implementation Efforts
Jump to original Hwy 9/SLV Complete Streets Plan
Current Projects
- NEW: Rural Highways Safety Plan
- Boulder Creek Complete Streets Improvements (Construction 2028+)
- Caltrans Felton to SLV Schools Safety Project (Cons. 2025)
- Complete Streets Augmentation of Caltrans Felton Repaving Project (Cons. 2027)
Past Projects
- SLV Schools Access Study (2023)
- Highway 9 Project Initiation Document (2022)
- Pedestrian-activated Flashers at Key Highway 9 Crosswalks (2020)
- Fall Creek to Farmers Street Pedestrian Bypass (2019)
- Hwy 9/SLV Complete Streets Corridor Plan (2019)
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Current Projects
Rural Highways Safety Plan
Offering a fresh look at Highway 9 improvements that would drastically reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries, the Rural Highways Safety Plan expands the SLV Plan scope to cover all conventional 2-lane highways in Santa Cruz County, including Highways 1, 9, 35, 236, 129, and 152. This Comprehensive Safety Action Plan will enable the SLV Program of projects to compete for essential federal complete streets safety funding such as the Safe Streets For All (SS4A) and Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant opportunities.
Boulder Creek Complete Streets Improvements
Complete streets improvements for Boulder Creek such as an improved and expanded sidewalk network, crosswalk enhancements, center median refuge islands and other safety enhancing and speeding reducing features are moving through the preconstruction phases of engineering.
Caltrans Felton to SLV Schools Safety Project
In 2025 Caltrans will begin construction of a sidewalk on the southbound side of Highway 9 between Graham Hill Road in Felton and the SLV Schools Campus 0.7 miles to the north. The 05-1M400 Safety project was identified by the community as the most critical complete streets safety need in the SLV Plan, to allow pedestrians, particularly students, to walk from Felton the SLV Schools on a separate dedicated facility.
Complete Streets Augmentation of Caltrans Felton CAPM Repaving Project
In 2027 Caltrans will begin construction of their 05-1K890 CAPM Repaving Project from Santa Cruz City limits to just north of the SLV Schools Campus at El Solyo Heights Drive. Caltrans already plans to incorporate some complete streets improvements, such as sidewalks from Kirby Street (Town Hall) to Laurel Drive (Farmer’s Market) in downtown Felton, reconstruction of the Graham Hill/Hwy 9 pedestrian island, and a new crosswalk at Russell Ave/Farmer’s Market. Leveraging Measure D funds, the SLV Program secured additional grant funding in 2023 to incorporate many additional complete streets components into the Felton CAPM, such as:
- New sidewalk into Henry Cowell State Park
- New sidewalk to transit stops in Felton on Graham Hill
- New sidewalk to transit stops for SLV High and Middle School
- Curb extension crosswalk enhancements throughout Felton
- Permanent pedestrian refuge island at Felton Deck midblock crosswalk
- Bike Boxes for all left turns at the Graham Hill/Hwy 9 intersection
- Expanded and enhanced transit island for SLV High School
Completed Projects
SLV Schools Access Study
In 2023, the San Lorenzo Valley Schools Complex Circulation & Access Study (SLV Schools Access Study) was prepared to help improve access to the San Lorenzo Valley high school, middle school, and elementary school (SLV Schools Complex). Working in partnership with SLV Unified School District, Santa Cruz Metro Transit, Caltrans, and the County of Santa Cruz, the SLV Schools Access Study built upon the 2019 Highway 9/San Lorenzo Valley Complete Streets Corridor Plan (SLV Plan) and Highway 9 Complete Streets PID and aims to improve access by walking, bicycling, transit, and car. The study also looks to improve traffic flow along Highway 9 for non-school traffic.
Highway 9 Complete Streets Project Initiation Document (PID)
In 2022, RTC collaborated with Caltrans District 5 to complete the 05-1M550 Highway 9 Complete Streets Project Initiation Document, or Highway 9 PID. On the California State Highway System, an approved PID is required after the initial planning phase (such as the SLV Plan) is complete. A PID refines project scope and ties it to a cost estimate and schedule, as well as provides conceptual designs prepared by Caltrans engineering staff. The Highway 9 PID allows RTC to move projects through the Caltrans process to construction.
Pedestrian-activated Flashers at Key Highway 9 Crosswalks
In December 2020 Caltrans completed safety upgrades to five SLV crosswalks funded by an HSIP grant award to RTC. These upgrades included improved striping and signage, advance stop lines, and pedestrian-activated flashers known as Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at:
- Henry Cowell Entrance in Felton (Redwood Drive)
- Felton mid-block crosswalk (Felton Deck)
- SLV Elementary School Entrance
- SLV Middle School Entrance (El Solyo Heights)
- Brookdale Post Office (Clear Creek Rd)
These are in addition to the pedestrian activated flashers provided by Caltrans at the Main St crosswalk and Ben Lomond, and the Forest St crosswalk in Boulder Creek. RTC staff plan to pursue additional flashers and other high-traffic crosswalks upon the completion of the Rural Highways Safety Plan.
Fall Creek to Farmers Street Pedestrian Bypass
In Summer 2019 County Public Works installed signage alerting pedestrians and bicyclists to the Fall Creek/Farmer St/Cooper St alternative route and the Clearview Pl/Farmer St/Cooper St route. In November 2019 RTC authorized Measure D funding for $15k of pothole filling and other resurfacing on Farmer St to make it a better route for bikes/peds. Farmer St is a public bike/ped easement down a private road in need of maintenance.
SLV Plan Overview
In 2018-2019, RTC worked with the community to prepare a complete streets plan for Highway 9 and connecting county roads through San Lorenzo Valley (SLV). The Highway 9/SLV Complete Streets Corridor Pplan (SLV Plan) identifies, prioritizes, and will facilitate implementation of some of the most critical and cost-effective transportation projects in the corridor. This mountainous roadway serves as the “Main Street” and economic center for the towns of Felton, Ben Lomond, Brookdale, and Boulder Creek and as an interregional arterial connecting Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz. The plan focuses on safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists; access to schools, businesses, and bus stops; traffic operations, pavement conditions, drainage and other needs in this important travel corridor. Highway 9 is owned by Caltrans, the state Department of Transportation.
SLV Plan
The Highway 9/San Lorenzo Valley Complete Streets Corridor Plan is available below.
Why is this plan needed?
A comprehensive multimodal transportation needs assessment and evaluation of a range of options to address transportation challenges was needed to identify and prioritize transportation investments for this important corridor, especially since state, federal, and local revenues are severely constrained. This comprehensive plan for Highway 9 through San Lorenzo Valley:
- Builds on past public input and planning activities
- Documents existing conditions
- Identifies infrastructure gaps
- Answers questions about what can be done within Caltrans’ right-of-way
- Provides data, evaluation, analysis, and public deliberation to make informed decisions
- Prioritizes transportation projects that can be implemented in the short and mid-term to address transportation challenges on the corridor.
Measure D, which was approved by voters in November 2016, includes $10 million specifically earmarked for high priority transportation projects along the Highway 9 corridor.- The near-term budget for 2019-2021 includes $30,000 for crosswalks, $250,000 for preliminary scope and engineering of near-term projects, and $1,000,000 to initiate work and use as match for future grants for a pathway to the southern entrance of the SLV tri-school campus.
This corridor-specific plan will be a stepping stone to secure funding for priority investments and will provide a framework for partnering with Caltrans to implement investments that promote complete streets, implement sustainable communities strategies, and improve multi-modal access, connectivity, safety, security, system preservation, economic vitality and environmental quality. The plan includes conceptual complete street designs and will be used to facilitate subsequent design, environmental review and construction of improvements.
Get Involved
Community members are encouraged to stay involved and sign up to receive periodic updates on SLV Plan implementation and projects in the corridor here: https://sccrtc.org/about/esubscriptions/, by emailing slvprogram@sccrtc.org, or by calling 831-460-3200.
- To report urgent maintenance, signage or other challenges on Highway 9, Highway 236, or Highway 35 – fill out the Caltrans Customer Service Request form: https://csr.dot.ca.gov/
- To report maintenance or other issues on county roads (roads other than Highway 9) – contact County Public Works: http://dpw.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/ReportProblem.aspx.
Brianna Goodman
SLV Program Manager
slvprogram@sccrtc.org
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