Coastal Rail Trail
Segments 10 and 11 Project

17th Avenue to State Park Drive

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Click maps to see full size.

Overview

The Coastal Rail Trail Segments 10 and 11 Project is an approximately 4.2-mile ADA-accessible bicycle/pedestrian path that generally extends along the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line (SCBRL) corridor, from 17th Avenue in Live Oak to State Park Drive in the Seacliff neighborhood (see maps above). The trail will provide a safe and beautiful experience for recreation, active transportation, and environmental and cultural education along the Monterey Bay. Joggers, bicycle commuters, wheelchair users, kids walking/biking to school, families with strollers, and walkers will all be able to enjoy the paved asphalt surface. These two segments of the Coastal Rail Trail connect to 10 schools, 18 parks, 13 public beaches, 2 community centers, and multiple residential neighborhoods and commercial areas through some of the densest portions of Santa Cruz County.

existing rail trail image

Segments 10 and 11 are two segments of the larger Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail, which has been in the works for over 10 years. The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Master Plan was completed in 2013 after extensive public outreach and laid out the plan for a 32-mile trail running the length of Santa Cruz County. Once complete, the trail will be within 1 mile of over half of the County’s population.

This project is being led by the County of Santa Cruz in partnership with the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) as the owner of the rail line, and the City of Capitola. A Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project was certified by the County Board of Supervisors on March 26, 2024. The Board of Supervisors approved the project in the Ultimate Trail Configuration on April 30, 2024. Segments 10 and 11 are currently in the final design and right-of-way phases, which are estimated to be complete in 2027. Construction is planned for 2027-2030. Extensive community engagement has been conducted for the project throughout its development.. Please check the Documents and Past Public Engagement sections below for information from the meetings. Stay abreast of upcoming outreach and engagement opportunities by subscribing to project updates, or check the Upcoming Public Engagement section of the website.

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Trail Configuration Image
Trail built next to the railroad track alignment in the Ultimate Trail Configuration

Upcoming Public Engagement

  • Capitola City Council: A special Capitola City Council meeting will be scheduled for April 17, 2025 to make a final decision on the Park Avenue alignment of the Coastal Rail Trail.
  • Capitola Town Hall: The City of Capitola, in collaboration with the County and the RTC, is holding a Town Hall to discuss the Coastal Rail Trail Segments 10 and 11 project and the RTC's Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail project on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 from 5:30 to 7:30pm at New Brighton Middle School Performing Arts Center. For more information, including to view project materials in advance of the meeting, or to pre-submit questions, please visit the City of Capitola's website regarding the Town Hall:
    https://www.cityofcapitola.org/community/page/town-hall
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News

Segments 10 and 11 Awarded $67.6 million

December 8, 2022

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved $67.6 million in competitive grant funding through its Active Transportation Program (ATP) for Coastal Rail Trail Segments 10 and 11 yesterday, and the project is now fully funded for construction. The $67.6 million in funding that the County received for Segments 10 and 11 is the largest ATP grant ever awarded. The CTC also approved $35.8 million for construction of Segments 8 and 9 (Pacific Ave to 17th Ave). This nearly $105 million in ATP funding is sufficient to build nearly 7 miles of trail through the heart of Santa Cruz County. A total of 18 miles of the Coastal Rail Trail are now fully funded for construction between Davenport and State Park Drive.

Click here to read full press release

Past Public Engagement

  • October 12, 2021 — Rio Del Mar Improvement Association
  • November 17, 2021 — Scoping Meeting
    Click here to view a recording of the meeting.
  • January 13, 2022 — Mid County Democrats
  • February 17, 2022 — RTC Transportation Policy Workshop
    View a recording of the meeting here. The presentation begins at 19:15.
  • April 6, 2022 — Virtual Schematic Design Open House
    Click here to view a recording of the meeting. Go to Project Documents to view the plans and presentation from the meeting.
  • April 11, 2022 — RTC Bicycle Advisory Committee
  • April 12, 2022 — RTC Elderly and Disabled Technical Advisory Committee
  • April 13, 2022 — In-person Schematic Design Open House
    held at Live Oak Elementary. Go to Project Documents to view the plans and presentation from the meeting.
  • April 19, 2022 — Online survey posted for 60 days to allow the public to comment on the design
  • May 17, 2022 — Walk for Wellness Live Oak event
  • May 19, 2022 — Bike & Walk to School Day at Live Oak Elementary
  • May 19, 2022 — Boys & Girls Club Live Oak End of Year event
  • May 23, 2022 — Live Oak Resource Center Food Distribution event
  • May 24, 2022 — Family Drop-In Day at Chanticleer Park
  • May 27, 2022 — Walk for Wellness Capitola event
  • June 6, 2022 — Parks and Recreation Commission
  • March 14, 2023 — Seacliff Improvement Association
  • March 23, 2023 — Capitola City Council
  • October 26, 2023 — Capitola City Council
  • November 16, 2023 — Draft EIR Public Meeting
    Click here to view a recording of the meeting. Go to Project Documents to view the DEIR and presentation from the meeting.
  • March 26, 2024 — Final EIR Certification at BOS
  • April 18, 2024 — Final EIR Acceptance at RTC
  • April 30, 2024 — Project Approval at BOS
  • February 7, 2025 — RTC Bicycle Advisory Committee
  • February 13, 2025 — Capitola City Council
  • March 4, 2025 — RTC-hosted Town Hall

Environmental Review

California Environmental Quality Act

The County of Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on March 26, 2024, and approved the project in the Ultimate Trail Configuration on April 30, 2024.

The Final EIR can be downloaded here:

Final Environmental Impact Report March 2024

Copies of the Final EIR are available for review Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm except on specified holidays, at the County of Santa Cruz, Planning Department, General Information Desk, 701 Ocean St., 4th Floor, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. The Final EIR is also available at Santa Cruz County Parks Department, 979 17th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Santa Cruz, CA 95062, and online, at the project website: https://www.santacruzcountyca.gov/RailTrail.

National Environmental Protection Act

Caltrans issued a Categorical Exclusion for the project on August 01, 2024

Timeline

  • Notice of Preparation of an EIR – November 2021
  • Preliminary Design and Technical Studies – Winter 2021 to Summer 2023
  • Community Meetings – Spring 2022
  • Draft EIR – Fall 2023
  • Final EIR – Spring 2024
  • Final Design – 2025 - 2026
  • Right of Way – 2025 - 2027
  • Construction – 2027 - 2030
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Project Documents

Project Contact

Rob Tidmore Project Manager

Robert.Tidmore@santacruzcountyca.gov
831-454-7947
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