Zero Emission Passenger Rail & Trail Project Engagement Summary

Engagement Opportunities

The RTC and its project partners are committed to meaningful public engagement throughout the project’s lifecycle. Community participation is vital to aid in minimizing impacts while meeting the needs of riders, bicyclists and pedestrians. There are many voices in our community, and we want to hear yours.

Summaries of engagement activities conducted, and community feedback received during each project milestone are provided below.

• Milestone 1 Engagement Summary (February – March 2024)
• Milestone 2 Engagement Summary (June – July 2024)
  • Milestone 2 Engagement Summary Appendix
• Milestone 3 Engagement Summary (October – December 2024)
  • Milestone 3 Engagement Summary Appendix A: Public Engagement Materials
  • Milestone 3 Engagement Summary Appendix B: Public Comments
• Milestone 4 Engagement Summary (March – August 2025)
  • Milestone 4 Engagement Summary Appendix A: Engagement Materials
  • Milestone 4 Engagement Summary Appendix B: Public Comments

Upcoming Events

No public meetings are scheduled at this time. Please check back for details on upcoming engagement opportunities as the project progresses.

To stay informed about future engagement opportunities, sign up to be added to the project mailing list and receive regular updates.

Past Events

Since project inception, the RTC has hosted many virtual and in-person engagement events to engage with the local communities, share updates and gather community input.

The RTC is currently approaching the conclusion of the final project milestone for this phase of work. Throughout Milestone 4, the project team focused on providing the public with a first look at key components of the ZEPRT Draft Project Concept including conceptual rail and trail alignment, ridership projections, station locations and design, operations, and capital and operating cost estimates to obtain valuable community feedback that supported the development of the Final Project Concept Report.

Virtual Open Houses

• Milestone 2 Archived Virtual Open House (February – March 2024)
• Milestone 3 Archived Virtual Open House (June – July 2024)
• Milestone 4 Virtual Open House: Draft Project Concept (June – August 2025)
• Milestone 4 Virtual Open House: Final Project Concept (October 2025)

Informational Community Sessions

• Session #1: Oct. 23, 2024, focused on project funding and service type. Watch video here.
• Session #2: Oct. 28, 2024, focused on the project’s ridership approach. Watch video here.
• Session #3: Dec. 16, 2024, focused on grade crossings, noise impacts, and quiet zones. Watch video here.
• Session #4: March 12, 2025, focused on railroad bridge infrastructure for the Branch Line with details related to conceptual design and cost estimates for repair, rehabilitation or replacement bridges. Watch video here.
• Session #5: April 1, 2025, focused on the project’s conceptual alignment and operations supporting intercity passenger rail service, including preliminary travel times, station locations and rail vehicles. Watch video here.
• Session #6: June 9, 2025, focused on ZEPRT ridership projections and cost estimates for both capital and operating expenses. Watch video here.
• Session #7: July 22, 2025, focused on conceptual station design options. Watch video here.

In-Person Community Workshops

• February 2024: Presented project overview and gathered community feedback on the development of the Preliminary Purpose and Need statement. View board exhibits in Milestone 2 Engagement Summary.
• June 2024: Shared project updates and gathered community feedback on initial conceptual rail and trail alignment, and proposed rail vehicle types. View board exhibits in Milestone 2 Engagement Summary.
• November 2024: Shared project updates and gathered community feedback on rail and trail alignment options in development, project funding opportunities, ridership modeling approach, stations, bridge structures and noise impacts. Watch presentation video here: ZEPRT Community Workshop Presentation.
• May 2025: Shared updates in Watsonville on the proposed rail
  and trail alignments, and Watsonville station location options. Shared updates in Santa Cruz on Beach Street rail and trail alignment alternatives, traffic patterns in Beach Flats neighborhood, and grade crossings along the proposed West Side alignment. View the presentation here: Milestone 4 Engagement Summary Appendix A: Engagement Materials.

Office Hours

• June – August 2025: Hosted a series of office hours, offering in-person (Watsonville and Santa Cruz) and virtual options on different days and times over the summer. The office hours provided an opportunity for community members to talk directly with ZEPRT team members one-on-one, ask questions and share input on the Draft Project Concept.